Stayin' Alive, Redmen Live to Fight Another Day
The Brooklin Redmen hosted the Peterborough Lakers for a critical game four at IPSC tonight, in a semi final series they were trailing 3-0. Full Redmen pride was on display as they were not going to get swept, particularly on home soil. The game was run and gun and, despite the fact that the Lakers forced overtime with a goal at 18:56, the Redmen did not break. Austin Shanks was the hero with his fourth goal of the game and eventual OT winner to give the home side an 11-10 win and a chance to keep playing this summer. Another good crowd on-hand, reported at 823, to witness these teams battle on the floor.
The visitors won the first frame by 4-3, including a trio of goals in a span of 2:08, but the Redmen held tough and took the second period by a one goal margin, sending the teams to break knotted at 6-6 after forty. The Redmen had their own run of goals in the final frame as they notched three in a row to answer the Lakers two early which gave the visitors a brief 8-6 lead. The Redmen fought back and were up 10-9 on a Jordi Jones-Smith goal in the last three minutes. With just over a minute on the clock, Cory Vitarelli scored the goal to send the teams to an extra period.
Andrew Ecclestone and Blair Ferguson assessed the Lakers with 16 penalty minutes on 8 infractions while the Redmen served 12 minutes on 6 infraction. The Redmen powerplay was decent for a second straight game at 50% going 3 for 6.
scorers for the Redmen were first star of the game Shanks with four, two for Ryan Keenan and singles for Jones-Smith, Chris Corbeil, Mark Matthews and Matt Spanger. In net for the Redmen, Mike Poulin faced 67 Lakers shots while his counterpoint Matt Vinc saw 51 come his way off Redmen sticks.
Game five is Monday in Peterborough and six and seven are Wednesday at IPSC and Thursday at the Mem Centre.
The Warrior PeeWee Nationals go in the evening on Saturday August 11 at IPSC with Team Ontario up against Team First Nations.