The Owen Sound NorthStars are moving on in the Ontario Series Lacrosse playoffs after handing the Collingwood Cruise a 10-4 loss on July 19 at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Arena in Owen Sound, Ontario.
Michael Blaymires led the charge with four goals, while Carter Moran dished out six assists as the NorthStars won the best-of-three quarterfinal series two games to one.
The game was tight early, with Owen Sound clinging to a 3-2 lead after the first period. But the home side took over from there, scoring seven unanswered goals across the second and third periods while allowing just one goal over the final 32 minutes to turn a close contest into a rout.
Blaymires, who joined the NorthStars in a late-June trade from the Ennismore James Gang, delivered exactly what the team hoped for when they acquired him. Moran, the captain of the junior NorthStars, orchestrated the offence with his half-dozen helpers.
Next up is a semifinal date with the Brooklin Merchants, the defending league champions. The Merchants captured the 2025 title and the Clare Levack Trophy with a dominant 14-2 record, so the NorthStars will need to be at their best to keep this playoff run alive.
