A LATE OFFENSIVE rally would not be enough to change the result as the Storm U13 Girls were edged 4-3 by Woolich in regualr league play at Rotary Park last Wednesday evening. Photo/MIKE MALONEY Orangeville's MacMaster Pontiac Buick GMC Northmen managed to get off to a quick start but were unable to keep the momentum rolling Monday, and will be making a trip north to Owen Sound Thursday night, leading their best of five Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior B playoff series two game to one.

Kicking off their series against the Rams at home Saturday, Orangeville found themselves down by one heading into the second period.

It didn't take long, however, for the team to get back on an even keel when Ace McNutt scored 86 seconds into the second to even the score at 2-2.

Frank Collins and Kyle Kallay kept the roll going with markers of their own before Owen Sound's Matt Eckert narrowed the gap to 4-3 heading into the third.

Collins notched his second on the night with an assist going to Andrew Stoner at the 11:09 mark of the third.

Owen Sound would again threaten, drawing back within one before Adam Hawkins teamed up with Curtis Rydall and Scott Maurice to put the game away for Orangeville at 6-4 and giving the Northmen an early series lead.

In Owen Sound on Sunday, again the two teams found themselves deadlocked after 20 minutes of play.

Tied at 3-3 on goals from Dempster, Trevor VanAlstine and Jake Thompson, it was a second period flurry that put Orangeville in control for the balance of game two.

Dempster again would provide a reply to the Rams goal at 1:47 of the second, this time with the help of Dustin Caravello.

Stoner would then add a pair of his own, 37 seconds apart, to put Orangeville out front. Collins dropped his lone goal of the night over the Rams cager to make it 7-5 heading into the third.

Dempster completed the hat-trick just over two minutes into the final frame to make it 8-5; a score that stood until the final buzzer and gave the Northmen a commanding 2-0 series led heading back to Orangeville on Monday.

With the series on the line, neither team wanted to give the other momentum as the two squads played even through the balance of the first period.

Orangeville would draw first blood late in the frame on the power-play. David Morton, working the top of the D, dragged a sidearm shot shot low past Ryan Oldrieve in the Owen Sound goal to take a 1-0 lead into the second period.

Playing shorthanded off the top of two, McNutt pulled off a beautiful bit of maskirovka on Owen Sound's goaltender.

Lugging the ball solo down the floor, McNutt looked to be

pulling up into the corner and running out the clock only to drop a shot low past Oldrieve to give Orangeville a 2-0 lead.

Owen Sound managed to get one past the acrobatic Rydall with Orangeville out of position at the tail end of Dempster's penalty then went on to add two more before Kallay unloaded a power play marker to tie the score up again at 3-3.

Orangeville were handed a golden opportunity late in the frame playing five on three for almost two minutes but were unable to capitalize on the chance.

The Rams, though, did make the most of their chances. Catching Orangeville on a sloppy transition, Owen Sound would again take the lead on a goal at 1:38.

Playing heads up ball, McNutt spotted Caravello coming around from behind the Rams net and dropped a perfectly placed pass to Caravello who redirected the ball with a one timer to again even the score at 4-4.

Undaunted, Owen Sound made the most of their chances with a powerplay marker in the final 28 seconds of the period to head into period three up by a score of 5-4.

They would then add two more in the third before Steve Rodgers drew Orangeville back to within two. But that would be all the Northmen could muster and the Rams held on to post the 7-5 decision, sending the teams back to Owen Sound for game four on Thursday night.