A show of hands from those fans who thought any team other than the Akwesasne Indians and the Six Nations Rebels would appear in the Founder’s Cup finals. Didn’t think so. The two entered the tournament as favourites, and despite close calls for both sides against a gritty Calgary Mountaineers squad, the two teams made their inevitable appearance in the gold medal game Sunday evening.
All the pressure was on Six Nations who were not only playing at home, but officially said the team was playing for the memory of fallen captain Carney Johnson who passed away just a few weeks before the tournament. The Rebels claimed their home floor early as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead just over halfway through the first. Hank Delisle would answer with back-to-back goals twenty-three seconds apart for the Indians, but Wayne Hill ended the period with a goal in the final two minutes to send the Rebels to the room with a 4-2 lead.
The second period was tight throughout as both goaltenders, Jake Lazore for Akwesasne and Chase Martin for Six Nations, shared saves back and forth. After killing off a high sticking penalty to Travis Elvin, the Rebels found themselves on the powerplay. It took all of forty-seven seconds for Dallas John to convert and stretch the Rebels’ lead. As was the case in the first, Six Nations scored a late goal in the second as well, this one off the stick of Jacob Crans. They would lead 6-2 going to the final period, and were threatening to run away with the trophy.
A goal from Brine Rice five minutes into the third stretched the lead to five goals. Akwesasne would not go quietly, however, as they came on strong scoring four goals in a six and a half minute span to pull within one. Ian Martin ended the run with his first of the game, assisted by Zed Williams, his fifth point. Kyle Lewis would pull the Indians within one, but the hole was too big to climb out of and Akwesasne simply ran out of time.
Fuelled by a home crowd and the memory of a team leader, the Six Nations Rebels defend their Founders Cup title. It is their fourth title in six years as the 2007/2008 Rebels were the last to repeat as Champions. Before that, the last team not from Six Nations to repeat as Founder’s Cup champions came in 1994/95 by the Orillia Rogers Kings.
