(August 12, 2012)… Stephen Keogh scored two pivotal goals Sunday night to move the Six Nations Chiefs within one victory of reaching the Major Series Lacrosse Finals for the first time since 1996.

The Chiefs took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after earning a 9-7 road win over the Brampton Excelsiors. The defending Mann Cup champs head to Six Nations for Game Five on Monday at 8:00 p.m.

Keogh finished Game Four with three points (2+1) and helped Six Nations roar back from a 7-4 second period deficit. Colin Doyle (0+4), Stephan Leblanc (1+3) and Rhys Duch (2+2) were instrumental in the second straight Six Nations win.

Brampton missed an opportunity to even the series after taking a 6-3 lead in the opening period. Duch gave the visiting Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 3:02 to start his four-point night (2+2). The Excels answered with a shorthanded goal by Joe Walters (1+3) to tie the game at one. After Duch notched his second of the game, Brampton took its first lead on back-to-back goals by Kyle Perreira and Mike Burke (2+1). Six Nations tied the game at three, but the Excelsiors scored the next three to take a 6-3 lead. Sandy Chapman made it 4-3 and Joe Resetarits followed to bring the score to 5-3. His goal chased starter Mike Poulin. Brampton greeted Brandon Miller with a goal 29 seconds later by Burke.

In the second period, Knighthawk Alex “Kedoh” Hill and Paul Dawson traded goals for Six Nations and Brampton respectively, as Brampton held a 7-4 advantage early in the second. Kasey Beirnes (1+2) started the comeback with a power-play goal at 12:20 of the second. The Knighthawks’ Craig Point then connected 20 seconds later from Rochester teammates Cody Jamieson (0+2) and Keogh and it was 7-6. Less than three minutes later, Keogh tied the game at seven at 15:19. The Chiefs grabbed an 8-7 advantage just 41 seconds later on Leblanc’s goal from Duch and Beirnes.

In the third period, despite 31 shots on goal, there was only one goal scored in 20 minutes of play. Keogh netted an insurance goal from Beirnes and Jamieson at 3:27 for a 9-7 Six Nations lead. Miller, who took over for starter Mike Poulin, stopped all 16 shots he faced in the third to finish with 27 saves on 29 shots.

With a win Monday, Six Nations will advance to the Ontario Finals, where it will face the winner of the Peterborough-Brooklin series. The Chiefs will have a chance to reach the Mann Cup Finals for the first time since 1996. That was the last time Six Nations won the Cup, defeating Victoria four games to none.