The first round of the OJLL playoffs is rolling on, with lots of great lacrosse being played across the province. Orangeville, Six Nations and Beaches all lead their respective series 2-0, and Whitby will look to take a commanding lead in their series against St. Catharines tonight. 

With that being the case, the time is now to pick up on more analysis in the road towards the Minto Cup. If you have missed our coverage throughout the summer, check out some great pieces from Lucas Argier, our National Jr. A Power Rankings from Muhamma Jomha, the Lacrosse Classified Podcast from Jake Elliott, and some pieces from me regarding some of the best stories around the country.

But for now, let’s dig into the analysis of what has transpired so far, and what we can expect. 

Peterborough Will be a Tough Out

Jomha wrote in his most recent power rankings that the Peterborough Lakers will be a tough opponent for all of the top teams, and I have to agree. Six Nations moves the ball very well and has several elite shooters, but Peterborough’s defence has been hard to solve. They have allowed just 12 goals in two games. 

Offensively, the Lakers are a deep group that is built more for the playoffs than the regular season. Nicholas Roode looks fully recovered from a season-ending injury suffered at Michigan and scored four times last night. If there is a worry about this Lakers team, it’s likely the ability to hit shots and finish consistently. Roode went post-in a few times gave them the cushion they needed. 

Peterborough needs to finish off the Arrows, but they could be an interesting test for the Orangeville Northmen if they advance. Peterborough has the defence to keep scoring low, especially if goaltender Waukiigan Shognosh can play well. They will have to score against a proven Orangeville defence, but the defensive side of the ball will keep them in it. 

Game three goes Thursday night in Six Nations. 

Beaches (Finally) Getting Balance 

Willem Firth has been very good to start the playoffs, with 7 points in two games. But in previous years, 7 points from the star would not have produced two wins, with the Beaches relying so heavily on his production. But the goaltending and defence have been terrific (albeit against a rebuilding Mimico offence) and Beaches is getting production from everywhere. 

Seven different players scored for the Beaches in game two. In the playoffs last season, they never had more than five players score in a game. Josh Mills, Hamish Mcpherson and Kaleb Tatarek all scored, meaning that the Beaches’ entire left side scored. Liam Aston had 2 goals of his own from the right side and continues to be one of the biggest X-factors in the entire OJLL playoffs. 

Northmen Make a Statement 

The story of the 2025 season for the Orangeville Northmen has been winning close games. The top ranked Northmen finished with just the fourth best scoring differential. That held up in game one of their series against KW, which finished as a 9-8 Northmen victory. 

If you are an Orangeville fan, you had to love watching your team finally put together a dominant display in game two. They pounded KW 12-4 in the kind of game that feels like it could calibrate the team for a cup run. 

Liam Matthews looks to be ready for another massive playoff run, finishing with a goal and 7 assists while rookie phenom Max Kruger had 3 goals and 5 assists. Trey Deere finished with 4 of his own for the Northmen as well. 

Winning close games is obviously a good sign of a team’s resilience and intangibles, but a top seed shouldn’t be sweating out games. Game two proved that the Northmen are capable of returning to the big dance, and they will hope it’s the beginning of another late summer success up Highway 10. 

Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the rest of the OJLL playoffs and around the country!

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