BLC Take Their Show on the Road and Add Another Two Points to Record

By Mark Stehlin

On Wednesday night the Brooklin Lacrosse Club won a thriller in overtime by 9-8 over the Owen Sound North Stars. Fast forward 24 hours and they were back on the floor, this time in Peterborough for a date with the Lakers. These teams met at BLCs home opener on May 21 when the Lakers won by a 13-10 final. Thursday night was a chance for BLC to turn the tables. Mission accomplished as they left the Peterborough Memorial Centre with a 13-9 win to go 7-2 at the halfway mark of the season.

"Before the game we talked to the players about using their youth, speed and athleticism to our advantage and playing more of a transition game and I'm proud the guys were able to take that message and make it work," said head coach Joel Johnson. 

The Lakers outscored BLC by 3-2 in the first period. A short-handed goal by Sean Westley for BLC, his first of four goals in the game and a very late goal from Ryan Barnable would set the tone for a successful middle frame by the visitors.

After Peterborough’s Austin Hasen scored a minute into the second period, BLC went on a six-goal unanswered run to take an 8-4 lead after forty minutes. The Lakers found themselves in penalty trouble and the special teams for BLC managed two power-play goals in that period. The Lakers were assessed two separate major penalties, one for charging and one for face-masking on which BLC were able to capitalize.

"We had an incredible second period and our effort in that frame certainly contributed to the win last night. The collective effort was there tonight and we always speak about a 'contagious work ethic' and we had that tonight. we saw that off the floor too as Wader (Equipment Manager, Paul Wade) couldn't be there so we had our GM on one of the doors and a couple of members of the team executive step in to help where they were able," added Johnson. 

The Lakers reeled off three straight goals in a thirty second span in the middle of the third period when their guests also incurred some infractions. BLC was able to counter that spree and kept the home side at bay with enough determination to earn the 13-9 win.

BLC will look to this win as a springboard when they travel to Cobourg on Sunday at 6 pm to tangle with the Kodiaks and wrap up this three game in five-night run.

Scoring – Renaud (1,1) Tucker (1,0) MacLeod (1,4) Westley (4,4) Clark (1,0) Wills (0,1) Perroni (0,1) Darlison (2,1) Barnable (3,1) C Kearnan (0,3)

- photo courtesy of Dean Link