The St. Catharines Spartans junior B lacrosse team lost 10-9 to the Hamilton Bengals Thursday night at the Merritton Arena.
ST. CATHARINES - Mack
Unyi finished his first home game with the St. Catharines Spartans
junior B lacrosse team Thursday night with four goals and a bloody
scrape on the bridge of the nose.
The 17-year-old St. Catharines native took a beating all night in a
10-9 loss to the Hamilton Bengals, and loved every minute of it.
“It’s the best part of it,” the 5-foot-9, 150-pounder said. “I love the intensity and people taking shots at me. It gets me in the game.”
No goal of his Thursday was more impressive than the one he scored in the third period to give his team a short-lived 9-8 lead.
He took the ball from one end of the floor to the other, beat three defenders and flipped a backhand shot into the net,
“I just pushed it down the floor because I wanted to get a scoring opportunity, because we were tied,” Unyi said. “It might have been a stupid shot if it didn’t go in, but I’m glad it did. I probably wouldn’t try it again.”
Spartan coach Rob McKibbon was impressed with the goal.
“He doesn’t have a lot of weight on him, but he ran through three or four guys,” he said. “I was yelling at him to pull the ball out, but he kept driving and it was a good thing for us.”
Unyi, who attends Hill Academy in Vaughan, a prep school that prepares hockey and lacrosse players to play at the NCAA Division 1 and 2 levels, was a late but welcome arrival at the Spartans training camp.
“He was a really nice surprise — one of the best surprises, absolutely — at camp,” McKibbon said. “He was surprised that he was chosen, but we weren’t. We saw something special and he showed it tonight.”
Unyi was somewhat confident he could make the team.
“I had a few doubts, but I truly believe I can play at this level,” he said. “I have a good stick and I have to keep working hard.”
It’s the first year he is eligible to play junior B lacrosse and he has found it is a big step up from the midget level.
“It’s a lot faster and way more physical, because the guys are older and you’re getting hit everywhere,” he said. “You have to keep your head up and on a swivel and play hard.”
He hasn’t set any personal goals for the season.
“I just want to help the team win,” Unyi said. “I would be way happier with a win and no goals tonight.”
The Spartans rallied from a 6-2 deficit to tie the game going into the third period, but couldn’t hold three separate one-goal leads in the final frame.
“It was a bit of a roller coaster ride and very similar to our game up in Guelph on Sunday, except in Guelph we put one in in overtime and got the win,” McKibbon said.
“The work was there, but we just didn’t work well as a team. We need a little more practice together as a unit.”
Bengals 10 Spartans 9
Standard Star of the Game: Spartans’ Mack Unyi with four goals.
For the St. Catharines Spartans: Unyi (4-0-4); Brooker Muir 1-3-4; Jacob Schenck and Brett Pace (1-2-3); Danny Blocho (1-1-2); Ryan Schmidt (0-2-2); Brandon Kreamer (1-0-1).
For the Hamilton Bengals: Tyler O’Brien (3); Steven Wilson (2), Ryan Smith (2); Mason Wright, Ryan Coulter and Bryce Mayea.
Up next: The Spartans are at Six Nations Friday before hosting the Niagara Thunderhawks next Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Merritton Arena.
“It’s the best part of it,” the 5-foot-9, 150-pounder said. “I love the intensity and people taking shots at me. It gets me in the game.”
No goal of his Thursday was more impressive than the one he scored in the third period to give his team a short-lived 9-8 lead.
He took the ball from one end of the floor to the other, beat three defenders and flipped a backhand shot into the net,
“I just pushed it down the floor because I wanted to get a scoring opportunity, because we were tied,” Unyi said. “It might have been a stupid shot if it didn’t go in, but I’m glad it did. I probably wouldn’t try it again.”
Spartan coach Rob McKibbon was impressed with the goal.
“He doesn’t have a lot of weight on him, but he ran through three or four guys,” he said. “I was yelling at him to pull the ball out, but he kept driving and it was a good thing for us.”
Unyi, who attends Hill Academy in Vaughan, a prep school that prepares hockey and lacrosse players to play at the NCAA Division 1 and 2 levels, was a late but welcome arrival at the Spartans training camp.
“He was a really nice surprise — one of the best surprises, absolutely — at camp,” McKibbon said. “He was surprised that he was chosen, but we weren’t. We saw something special and he showed it tonight.”
Unyi was somewhat confident he could make the team.
“I had a few doubts, but I truly believe I can play at this level,” he said. “I have a good stick and I have to keep working hard.”
It’s the first year he is eligible to play junior B lacrosse and he has found it is a big step up from the midget level.
“It’s a lot faster and way more physical, because the guys are older and you’re getting hit everywhere,” he said. “You have to keep your head up and on a swivel and play hard.”
He hasn’t set any personal goals for the season.
“I just want to help the team win,” Unyi said. “I would be way happier with a win and no goals tonight.”
The Spartans rallied from a 6-2 deficit to tie the game going into the third period, but couldn’t hold three separate one-goal leads in the final frame.
“It was a bit of a roller coaster ride and very similar to our game up in Guelph on Sunday, except in Guelph we put one in in overtime and got the win,” McKibbon said.
“The work was there, but we just didn’t work well as a team. We need a little more practice together as a unit.”
Bengals 10 Spartans 9
Standard Star of the Game: Spartans’ Mack Unyi with four goals.
For the St. Catharines Spartans: Unyi (4-0-4); Brooker Muir 1-3-4; Jacob Schenck and Brett Pace (1-2-3); Danny Blocho (1-1-2); Ryan Schmidt (0-2-2); Brandon Kreamer (1-0-1).
For the Hamilton Bengals: Tyler O’Brien (3); Steven Wilson (2), Ryan Smith (2); Mason Wright, Ryan Coulter and Bryce Mayea.
Up next: The Spartans are at Six Nations Friday before hosting the Niagara Thunderhawks next Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Merritton Arena.
