POINTE CLAIRE POWER INTO GRAND FINAL

Date: 22nd August 2010
Match 1: Pointe Claire Power v LavalBombers
Match 2: Pointe Claire Power v Montréal Saints
Status: ECAFL Round 5
Location/Time: Ecole Sainte-George, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, 1pm.

Game 1
Final Scores
Pointe Claire Power 4.5 9.9 16.11 18.13 (122)
Laval Bombers 0.3 1.4 2.7 6.9 (45)

Goals - Power: Nico Pouessel 5, Lachy Trumble 4, Ryan Oxley 4, Cam Beaman 3, Tim Nixon 2.
Bombers: Darrin Haverhoek 3, Daniel Barker 2, Luke Anderson 1.

Best: Power: Pouessel, Trumble, Oxley.
Bombers: Haverhoek, Hugget, Anderson.

Match Summary:
The fifth and final round of the 2010 ECAFL season promised to be a thrilling finale as all three teams had the possibility of snaring top place and along with it a berth in the Grand Final. Added to the finals like atmosphere was the fact that it would be the first match played on the West Island of Montreal, the Power’s new home Ecole Saint-George.

First game saw the Power go head to head with the Bombers. The Power had won the two previous encounters and after the match got underway there were early signs that it would be more of the same. New draftee to the Power Lachy Trumble dominated through the midfield helped along by Nico Pouessel and Ryan Oxley as the Power utilized the wide open spaces of their new home (aka Mosquito Park) and piled on nine scoring shots to three. Some costly misses in front of goal preventing the Power from almost putting the game beyond reach after one quarter. The team from Pointe Claire leading 4.5 (29) to 0.3 (3) after one.

The second quarter would not improve for the Bombers as they failed to cover the loss of Cam Stark in the midfield. Darrin Haverhoek was again at his dominant best for the red and black but loose checking and poor decision making by the rest of the team continually turned the ball over. The Power growing in confidence, Pouessel kicking three to bring his tally to four for the day. The Bombers trailing by a mammoth 57 points at the main break.

With the game all but sewn up and the Bombers chances of top spot vanished the Power went for the jugular in the third quarter. Five different goal scorers for the term in Pouessel (number 6) Trumble, Nixon, Oxley and Beaman would mirror the total dominance the team displayed for the entire term. Swarming pressure was followed by surgical execution as the Power kicked 7.2 to 0.2 and smashed the once mighty Bombers into the turf. The Power leading by a whopping 88 points 16.11 (107) to the Bombers 2.7 (19).

Throwing caution to the wind in the last the Bombers did their best to manufacture some respectability onto the scoreboard. The Bombers scored the first goal of the term but it was quickly answered by the Power. Haverhoek would add two late goals along with two to Barker as the Bombers managed to outscore a Power team now in cruise control 4 goals to 2 but the damage was already done. Greg Brétiére’s troops putting in their best performance of the year to hand the Bombers a record 77 point loss.


Game 2
Final Scores
Pointe Claire Power 2.2 7.5 9.8 10.13 (73)
Montréal Saints 3.3 5.5 8.9 9.11 (65)

Goals - Power: Cam Beaman 3, Lachy Trumble 2, Greg Bretiere 2, Margo Legault 2, Ryan Oxley 1.
Saints: Matt Wood 3, Mat Wilson 2, Kyle Graham 1, Uche Aghaulor 1, Mark Morin 1, Nick Switzer 1.

Best: Power: Pouessel, Trumble, Oxley.
Saints: Graham, Wood, Wilson.


Match Summary:
With the Bombers out of the picture game two became simple: winner takes all. The Saints started well as the Power struggled to readapt a new game plan. No longer did they have dominance in the ruck as Matt Wood took control and gave Graham first use of the ball. In the greasy conditions Kyle was supplying his forwards with plenty of opportunities and before long the Saints had jumped out to a lead with goals to Mark Morin, Mat Wilson and Matt Wood. Never far behind the Power added goals through Lachy who had been a terrier all day and Cam Beaman who had all but sealed the goal kicking leader board with three majors in game one.
At the first break the Saints held a narrow 7 point lead.

In quarter two the momentum swung back toward the Power as the team settled back into their rhythm and began dismantling the game plan that had served the Saints so well in the first. Lachy Trumble and Ryan Oxley continued their dominant days well supported by the run from defence by Nixon and Bretiere. The Power taking the lead and starting to take a hold of the match. A late goal disallowed to Lachy Trumble for being outside the scoring zone a huge let off to the Saints as they went into half time 12 points down and in serious trouble of losing top spot.

The Saints dug deep in the third and once again the trio of Wood, Graham and Wilson would lead the way. The Saints clawing back the lead, one goal kicked by Graham disallowed as it was outside the scoring zone. A sniff of a come from behind victory coming after an Uche Aghaulor goal. The Power battled hard to keep the scoreboard pressure on, the second game clearly having an effect on their weary legs. Saints debutant Andrew putting in a terrific effort applying the pressure down back. The Power outscored 3.4 to 2.3 for the quarter but still held a 5 point lead heading into the final term.

Both teams exhausted from the rainy conditions and gruelling encounter started the last quarter giving every ounce left in the tank in order to secure the coveted Grand Final berth. After a scrappy first minute Matt Wood found himself with some room in the left forward pocket but sprayed a shot on goal missing a crucial chance to give the Saints back the lead. The Saints had done all the early attacking but a clearing kick from Tim Nixon across half back found Greg Bretiere who had a running shot on goal and missed, stretching the lead out to a handy 6 point break. The Saints tuning over the kick in and a Margo Legault kick off the ground registered a valuable behind, the Power were now more than a goal in front.

The Power would register another behind before a stop in play for an injured hand to Saints ruckman Wood. When play resumed the Power won the clearance, a leading Margo Legault taking a mark 20 metres out on a slight angle. She converted giving the Power a 14 point lead and seemingly a place in the 2010 ECAFL Grand Final. The Saints would score a late goal through some good work from Uche and Nick ‘Showtime’ Switzer but ultimately fell short by 8 points in a cracking contest.