Chiefs open playoffs with 9-6 win over Excelsiors

Randy Staats, here against Brooklin, scored 4 goals to lead Six Nations to a
9-6 win over Brampton in their playoff opener. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

Randy Staats scored 4 goals, including a hat trick in the first period, to power the Six Nations Chiefs to a 9-6 win over the Brampton Excelsiors in the first game of their Major Series Lacrosse semifinal series Tuesday night.

Stephen Keogh for Six Nations and Chris Corbeil for Brampton exchanged goals in the first half of the first period, then Staats took over with three straight goals to make the score 4-1 after 20 minutes.

Joe Resetarits, who led the Excels with 3 goals and 2 assists, opened second period scoring at 7:17 and closed it with a goal three seconds from the buzzer. In between, though, Staats scored again then Jeff Shattler produced his own natural hat trick, and the Chiefs were up 8-3 following 40 minutes.

Brampton, as has been their wont, didn't give up. They outscored Six Nations 3-1 in the third to pull closer, but the hole was too deep to dig out all the way.

Game 2 goes Thursday night in Brampton.