BLC Wins One the Hard Way

By Mark Stehlin

The Brooklin Lacrosse Club welcomed the Cobourg Kodiaks to Iroquois Park Sports Centre (IPSC) for a mid-week match as the young season continues to heat up. BLC came off an impressive win in Oakville on Monday night to go 2-1 on the season while the Kodiaks split a weekend series with the Owen Sound NorthStars and were 1-1 entering this game.

Newly acquired netminder, Steven Orleman met his old Cobourg teammates for the first time since the off-season trade. Tanner Cook also made a return to the BLC line-up to bring some more size and skill to the offensive end of the floor.

- photo by Sam Hossack

The game was marked by an offensive blitz in the second period where the teams accounted for 11 of the 22 goals scored on the night. When the dust settled, BLC were on the right end of a 12-10 win but it was a journey to get there.  

“I think we didn’t come out hungry enough and we were on our heels instead of our toes to start the game,” said Head Coach Joel Johnson.

“The message in the room in the second intermission was simple, we told the guys to pick it up and show more fight,” added Johnson.

“I’m happy with the result and we’ll take this as a lesson for the young guys who will learn that in this league a full effort is needed each night to be successful,” said Johnson.

The opening frame started well for the visitors who found the back of the net first. The teams traded goals the rest of that period as Connor Kearnan and Chris Boushy both scored on Kodiaks starter Jackson Brown.  Kearnan and Boushy would both feature a hattrick on tonight’s scoresheet. The score after one was knotted at 2-2.

The offensive side of the game was on full display in the middle period. As noted, half the goals on the night occurred in the second frame.

- photo by Sam Hossack 

The Kodiaks opened the scoring before Keenan Cook tied it for BLC on a nice solo effort running down the right-hand side of the floor depositing one behind Jackson. Kearnan added another before the Kodiaks went on a four-goal unanswered run to open a 7-4 lead with five minutes remaining in the second.  Jacob Hickey with a goal in the last 30 seconds of that period kept BLC in the fight and the score was 8-7 for the Kodiaks after forty minutes.

The players took heed of the coaches message at the break. Tanner Cook tied the game on a power-play marker to open the period. A minute later, Kearnan gave BLC the lead on a rare penalty shot as the Kodiaks penalty box was standing room only. The Kodiaks did answer with a pair of their own. On this night, however, the home team would not be denied. Sean Westley with two quick ones in addition to an empty net goal for Boushy’s third would secure the win for BLC and a 3-1 record.  This game was also the culmination of a four-game  in seven day run to open their season. BLC plans to continue their winning ways on Tuesday June 3 when they travel to the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena for a date with the Six Nations Chiefs and then the following day they host the Brampton Excelsiors at 8 pm at IPSC.

Scoring for BLC – Woods (1,1) Hickey (1,0) MacLeod (0,3) Keenan (0,1) T Cook (1,1) K Cook (1,0) Westley (2,1) White (0,2) Boushy (3,3) Osborne (0,1) C Kearnan (3,2)