Mark Stehlin
Jul 5, 2026
One week ago, the Brooklin Merchants defeated their main rivals Six Nations Rivermen at home to improve to 8-0 in the 2026 Ontario Series Lacrosse campaign. It would be those same Rivermen who would spoil the perfect run for the Merchants with a 13-8 win over their guests at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on Saturday night.
General Manager, Gavin Prout and coaches Ryan Degerdon and Mark Debrone had to strategize on a roster as the Merchants Senior A affiliate, Brooklin Lacrosse Club (BLC) were in action in Owen Sound. A few players swapped jerseys for Saturday’s games.
One of those players was Lucas Littlejohn, who made his season debut last week for BLC after undergoing an appendectomy. At 14:13 of the first period, with his first of four goals on the night, he gave the Merchants a 2-1 lead. That lead was short-lived, however. A mere 13 seconds later, the Rivermen launched a three-goal run that gave them a 4-2 lead after twenty minutes.
The middle frame saw each team score a pair of goals, two on the power play for the Merchants, and the scoreboard showed a 6-4 lead for the home team.
With only six minutes elapsed in the final frame, the Merchants were staring at a 10-4 deficit after their hosts reeled off four straight. A Degerdon-Debrone coached team does not go down without a fight. Littlejohn on the power play, followed 40 seconds later by a goal from Jared Norris gave the visitors some life. It would prove to be too little too late as the Rivermen continued to press, and despite a late marker by Littlejohn, it was a 13-8 final in favour of the hosts.
The Merchants are now at 8-1 for 16 points while the Rivermen are at 9-2 for 18 points, the two games in hand for Brooklin may prove critical in the waning days of the season. The Merchants host Ennismore on Sunday night at 6 pm and will finish the regular season next weekend with a home and series against the Hamilton Bengals. The Rivermen have one game remaining, a trip to Collingwood on Saturday at 7 pm.