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August
9, 2007
NEWS FROM THE EAST
After 3 months of balls to the wall, exciting, heart pumping
lacrosse action out east, the playoffs have finally arrived
– this is music to the ears of diehard lacrosse junkies
across the country. The only team not to make the playoffs
were the historic Brooklin Redmen as they were shockingly
edged out by Kitchener-Waterloo in the last week of the season.
Brooklin’s surprisingly awful season would have been
different had their 3 offensive studs Gavin Prout, Mike Accursi
and Jeff Zywicki played in all of the games and not just a
handful. The MSL season was very competitive as 3 teams (Peterborough,
Brampton and Barrie) battled right down to the wire for first
place and when it was all said and done – John Grant
and company out in cottage country Peterborough grabbed 1st
place bragging rights. The MSL playoffs are currently in full
force back east as the semi finals match-ups are set: Top
ranked and defending Mann Cup Champions, Peterborough Lakers
face the upstart St.Regis Indians while in the other bracket,
the Brampton Excelsiors collide with the Barrie Lakeshores.
Peterborough and Barrie received first round byes for finishing
in 1st and 2nd respectively. To get to the semi-finals, Brampton
met Kitchener-Waterloo in a best of 5 quarter final series
with the Excelsiors advancing easily in 3 straight games.
The scores of the games were 11-6, 13-11 and 10-6 as star
studded Brampton coached by Troy Cordingley are determined
to be on the plane heading for BC in September. The Toronto
Rock connection of Josh Sanderson, Blaine Manning and Aaron
Wilson led the way for the Excelsiors scoring a combined 28
points in the 3 wins while the goaltending tandem of Brandon
Miller and Anthony Cosmo were brilliant between the pipes.
The highly anticipated semi-final tilt between Brampton and
Barrie got underway last week and it’s the Excelsiors
who drew first blood winning the first 2 games by nail biting
scores of 7-6 and 7-5. These two clubs are very evenly matched
and I wouldn’t count out the young Barrie team just
yet as 3 of the top young guns in the game today, Mark Steenhuis,
Luke Wiles and Sean Greenhalgh can turn this series around
in a New York minute. Game 1 took place on August 3rd in Barrie
and in front of a partisan home crowd, the hometown Lakeshores
were upset 7-6 as Calgary Roughneck Jeff Shattler led the
offensive attack for Brampton with a 2 goal and 3 assist night
while former Adanac Josh Sanderson dished 4 helpers. Chad
Culp bagged 2 goals for Barrie in a losing cause while transition
wizard Mark Steenhuis was held off the score sheet by Cam
Woods, Phil Sanderson and the rest of the stingy Brampton
defense. Game 3 of this evenly matched series goes Wednesday,
August 8th in Brampton.
The other best of 5 quarterfinal series saw 4th place St.Regis
Indians face 5th place Six Nations and it was the legendary
John Tavares and the rest of the St.Regis gang coming back
to shockingly win 3 straight games to take the series 3 games
to 2. Six Nations won the first 2 games on the road 12-11
and 9-6 but couldn’t put the Indians away losing games
3 and 4 at home in heartbreaking, gut wrenching fashion by
scores of 14-13 in double overtime and 9-8 in overtime. Game
5 was back in Cornwall as the hometown St. Regis squad carried
their upward momentum and dispatched the Chiefs 13-10 behind
Brett Bucktooth’s 6 point night and a 2 goal 3 assist
evening from John Tavares. Goalie Mike Thompson was huge in
the cage stoning the Six Nations big gunners while newly acquired
Steve Toll was a rock on defense. St. Regis now has a date
with the heavily favored Peterborough Lakers in a best of
7 series that gets underway Tuesday, August 7th in Peterborough.
This series should be a real beauty – two of the best
ballers on the planet going toe to toe as John Grant faces
John Tavares. Both teams are littered with high octane talent
and numerous NLL snipers – it would be an upset of gargantuan
proportions if St.Regis pulls off the unthinkable and slams
the Peterborough kitchen door – can’t wait to
see what unfolds.
COQUITLAM - BURNABY SERIES
Tonight is game 4 of the best of 7 semi final series in which
the Lakers have a 2 games to 1 lead. The Adanacs won game
1 in convincing fashion 14-7 as sniper Colin Doyle led the
way with 5 goals and Andy Secore chipped in with 2 goals and
4 assists. Game 2 was back in Coquitlam and with the Adanacs
up 8-6 after 2 periods, the Lakers mounted a stunning comeback
scoring six goals in the 3rd period to take it 14-10. The
pivotal game 3 played on Tuesday night went Burnaby’s
way as they trailed 1-0 early in the first but never looked
back outscoring Coquitlam 11-6 the rest of the way. Kevin
Olson led the Lakers with a 4 goal night while Cam Sedgwick
netted 2 goals and set up 4 others. In any best of 7 series,
they say the monumental game is game 4 – the Adanacs
need a big performance tonight to swing the momentum back
in their favor – tonight’s big tilt should be
a war on the Poirier floor.
2 MINUTES IN THE BOX WITH DARYL VELTMAN
Most memorable moment in your lacrosse career – Playing
U19 Team Canada
In my spare time I like to – Watch TV
Favorite midnight snack - Pizza
Favorite TV show - Entourage
Hardest hitter in the game today – Bruce Murray
Funniest teammate you ever had – Steve McKinlay
Favorite vacation spot – Anywhere without snow
Best goalie in lacrosse today – Dallas Eliuk
Favorite sport besides lacrosse - Hockey
CD in your car – Don’t have a CD player
Biggest influence in your lacrosse career – Parents
Best trash talker – Curt Malawsky
Favorite Rock Band – Tragically Hip
Most talented offensive player in the game today – Doyle
Favorite movie of all-time – Dumb & Dumber
Pre-game meal – Kraft Dinner
Your most overused saying – Give’er
I’M
OUT……….
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