NORTHMEN CAPTAIN Dustin Caravello mixes it up in front of the Elora net during Junior B lacrosse action at the Tony Rose arena on Monday evening. Photo/MIKE MALONEY It's been over three weeks since the MacMaster Pontiac Buick GMC Northmen have hit home their home floor at the Tony Rose. When they finally did this past Monday, they did it in style, defeating the division leading Elora Mohawks in convincing fashion by a final score of 7-5.

And for the Orangeville fans, the win was doubly sweet as not only did it erase the bad taste of an earlier 10-8 come from behind win by the Mohawks in their last meeting, but it also gave the fans a chance to celebrate the team locking up a playoff berth after having beaten both Hamilton and Owen Sound their two pervious games by a score of 8-4 and 10-2 respectively.

Many games earlier in the season, Orangeville has rebounded with strong second and third period showings but on Monday night, it was all Northmen from the get-go.

Cody McLeod kicked it off for the Hornheads, catching Elora out of position to score shorthanded just over three minutes into the game.

Kyle Kallay was next up first with a power-play marker at 7:56 assisted by Dustin Caravello and Andrew Stoner before teaming up again with Stoner and Duncan Shaw to make it 3-0 midway through the first.

On the power-play again starting the second period, it was again Kallay with the magic hands to go up by four before Stoner dogged the ball down the middle shorthanded to put Orangeville ahead 5-0.

Curtis Rydall was in the zone between the Northmen pipes turning away shot after shot before Elora finally managed to sneak one by him with just over a minute to play in the second.

Off the top of three, Caravello cranked a beauty, picking up a Stoner rebound off the pads of Mohawk netminder Ricky McGarr and unloading it on the fly past McGarr to end his night and Orangeville ahead 6-1.

Elora was not about to give up and their earlier frustration was soon replaced with a rally, scoring twice before Stoner added his second of the game, again going end to end down the middle and scoring unassisted at 9:58.

Elora would add two more, one on the power-play and another shorthanded to draw back within a pair but that was all the offence they could muster as the Northmen D tightened up and clamped down to hold on to the 7-5 victory.

For Orangeville coach Blaine Burman,

the game was a fitting way to return home after a successful road trip. "We were happy to get away with one tie and six wins on the road - you can't really ask for anything more."

With only two games remaining on the regular season slate, Burman is encouraged by the play of his team of late.

After a disappointing end to their season in 2009 where they missed the playoffs by a single point, he said their goal this years was first and foremost just to make the postseason and to see the team coming together like this with the playoffs looming is really encouraging.

Orangeville has two games remaining, both at home. On Saturday, the Guelph Regals will be in town to take on the Northmen.

The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. not the traditional 7 p.m. start as this is also the weekend of the annual Barry Burman Summer Shootout tournament.

To help mark the occasion, the Northmen will also be hosting a Booster Club in the Dufferin Room as well as holding a fund raising raffle.

Monday night, the Northmen close out the regular season schedule against Owen Sound with the opening draw slated for 8 p.m. at the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Complex.