
Eduardo Curros – Western Correspondent, All Lacrosse All The Time
The Vancouver Warriors headed to the Canadian Tire Centre Friday night to play the Ottawa Black Bears in the front end of a doubleheader weekend. The Warriors, riding a three-game winning streak, were walking in extremely confident after pulling off a tremendous comeback last week against San Diego. The Black Bears on the other hand were 3-2 on the season and looking to make another statement after handing Georgia their first loss last week. Behind a four-goal game from Larson Sundown and 41 saves from Zach Higgins, the Black Bears won 9-8, improving to 4-2. The Warriors drop to 3-2, and will look to salvage a split of their doubleheader weekend when they play the Philadelphia Wings on Monday.
Stingy defenses highlight first half
Ottawa opened up the scoring with Kiel Matisz scoring a powerplay goal, with help from Connor Kearnan and Jeff Teat, at 2:07. Vancouver’s Owen Grant responded with a unassisted goal at 5:24. Sundown then scored thanks to an assist from Matisz at 7:31. Riley Loewen responded for the Warriors off passes from Keegan Bal and Adam Charalambides at 9:21. Kevin Crowley’s unassisted goal at 10:50 gave Vancouver a 3-2 lead at the end of the first.
Jacob Dunbar tied the game for the Black Bears with assists from Kevin Brownell and Brent Noseworthy at 1:42 of the second quarter. Loewen scored his second at 7:20 to put the Warriors up 4-3. Sundown netted two consecutive power play goals at 7:41 and 9:11 to give the Black Bears the lead. But Loewen’s hat trick goal at 9:41 tied the game 5-5 at the half.
https://twitter.com/VanWarriors/status/1880411589582717181
Warriors shut out in third quarter as three-game win streak ends
The Black Bears would dominate the third quarter thanks two goals from Teat, on passes from Dunbar and Matisz at 10:51, and the second from Connor Kearnan at 14:14. Sundown would score his fourth in-between on passes from Matt Marinier and John LaFontaine at 11:10. The Warriors could not generate any offense and trailed 8-5 going into the fourth.
Taggart Clark made it 9-5 at 4:49 of the fourth quarter. Vancouver tried to get back into the game with a flurry of goals. Crowley scored his second with help from Grant and Steph Charbonneau at 7:33. Reid Bowering followed at 10:53, then Bal at 12:51 to pull Vancouver within one. However, the flurry would not be enough to take it to overtime as Ottawa would hang on for the win.
"I love the resolve. I love the fact that we didn't quit and we came right down to the end and we had a chance to tie the game late."
— Vancouver Warriors (@VanWarriors) January 18, 2025
🗣️General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky discusses tonight's game in Ottawa. pic.twitter.com/SLyKG4upM2
Curros’s Corner
Warriors: Loewen (3g); Crowley (2g); Grant (1g, 2a); Bal (1g, 2a); Bowering (1g); Charalambides (3a)
Black Bears: Sundown (4g); Teat (2g, 4a); Matisz (1g, 4a); Dunbar (1g, 1a); Clark (1g); Kearnan (2a)
Power Play: Vancouver 0 for 5; Ottawa 3 for 8
Aden Walsh (Vancouver): 34 saves; Zach Higgins (Ottawa): 41 saves