(TORONTO, ON) June 9, 2022 — In the second half of a back-to-back, the Toronto Beaches came up just short against the Mimico Mountaineers, dropping a 14-12 final at Ted Reeve Arena on Thursday night.
Willem Firth finished the game with three goals and 11 points, while David Anderson (2G, 4A) and Matt Collison (3G, 2A) also had big nights.
The first period started off on the right foot for the Beaches, with Anderson and Firth getting on the board with consecutive goals to make it 2-0 early. But Mimico finished the period with a 4-0 run. Isiah Moran-Weekes got the Mountaineers on the board before back-to-back goals from Finlay Thomson gave them the lead. Reed Kurtz capped the run to give the visitors a 4-2 lead after 20 minutes.
Collison closed the gap for the Beach with a goal to open the second. From there, the teams would trade goals. Toronto won the period, outscoring Mimico 6-4. Carson Moyer and Anderson traded markers before Thomson completed the hat trick. Cam Acchione and Firth added a pair for the Beaches before Mimico got two of their own from Justin Sykes and Jonathan Peshko.
Firth and Clifford Gaston got the Beaches back to even with goals in the final three minutes of the second, making it 8-8 with 20 minutes to go.
In the final frame, Jakson Raposo and Matt Collison scored off the hop for the Beaches, with Justin Lee splitting those tallies with a transition goal for Mimico.
Moran-Weekes tied the game again at 10 before back-to-back goals from Carson Moyer gave the Mountaineers a two-goal advantage. Collison’s hat-trick goal narrowed the gap, however, Thomson scored a behind-the-back goal in transition for the eventual game-winner.
Lee’s second in transition was the insurance marker, and despite a goal in the closing stages from Gaston, Mimico held on to take the first matchup in the season series.
The Beaches now sit at 6-4 on the season. A home-and-home series with the Peterborough Lakers is next up on the docket before the team travels to Six Nations for a showdown with the Arrows on June 19.