The Brampton Excelsiors take a 3-2 series lead, defeating the Lakers handily on the road for their second victory in a row in Peterborough. The Lakers defence couldn't get things sorted out and the Excelsiors offence chased Lakers goalie Angus Goodleaf from the net twice.
Can Brampton win 3 in a row on the road in Peterborough? Time will tell, the Lakers will play back to back games at home because of an OHL scheduling conflict. If the Lkaers can win at home they will force a seventh and final game.
The Exlcelsiors picked apart the Lakers tonight. The Lakers defence couldn't hold out the Excelsior offence and Goodleaf had an off night, letting in 7 goals in the 2nd before being pulled for back-up Pat Campbell.
For the Lakers they didn't look shaken they looked flat. Game seven's have become a regularity in the playoffs for them, it seems they have a pension for the dramatics. Continuosly letting a series go to 7 games. This trend goes back to the 201 playoffs, where all series went 7 games prior tothe Mann Cupp. After a lame performance tonight the Lakers will look to battle back and win game 6 at home.
The Lakers had the lead after the first period. The Excelsiors however exploded in the 2nd period to outscore the Lakers 8-1. John McLure led the Excelsiors 2nd period scoring run, putting one in right off the face-off. Then moments later it would be Mike Hominuk scooping up a rebound on the door step and firing a backhand over the shoulder of Goodleaf to tie the game at 3-3. They would take their first lead of the game shortly after that, as Brendan Doran would elect to hold the ball on a 3-0n-2 and walk-in and beat Goodleaf with a clean shot over the shoulder. McLure would then score again, this time he jumps all over juicy rebound on the goal line and drops the ball into the wide open net. Then its Dan Dawson feeding Carter Bender across the floor who goes five-hole. Brampton would score 5 straight goals in just over 7 minutes. Finally Brad Self snaps the streak, getting the Lakers back on the board with a nice turn around goal in transition, leaving the Lakers down 6-4. Brampton would answer right back, as Zac Greer would restore a 3 goal lead, skipping a bouncer past Goodleaf. Tracy Kelusky cut the lead back to 2, creating space one on one and stepping back and firing an outside shot past Anthony Cosmo that beat him on the far side. But McLure would get his 3rd of the period for Brampton, taking his man one on one and winning the battle down low driving one past Goodleaf.
The Lakers would pull Goodleaf in favour of Pat Campbell. Then, Kelusky sets up behind the net and finds Cory Vitarelli out front and Vitarelli doesn't miss from that spot. But againm the Excelsiors get that one back shorthanded Dan Dawson is left all alone and puts one top shelf past the shulder of Campbell and after 2 it is 9-6 in favour of the Excelsiors.
The Lakers struggled on defence and couldn't recover in the 3rd. Goodleaf was back in the net and the Excelsiors start right where the left off, as Zac Greer blows an outside shot past Goodleaf and into the back of the net. Then Kyle Neufeld gives Brampton an 11-6 lead with his first goal of the playoffs and first of the season. Goodleaf was pulled again. McLure would get his 4th goal of the game and Brampton's 3rd straight to start the period and it looked all but over from then on. However, the Lakers down by six goals come back and score 4 straight to get within two goals. Peterborough pull the goalie for the extra attacker and Brampton win the face-off and score on the empty net. The Lakers face-off man Sean Thompson would score one with a few seconds to go to make it a 13-11 final. But it was little too late.
The Excelsiors scored first, but it was a shot Goodleaf saved and the ball bounced in the crease off one of his own defenders and into the net. After that the Lakers scored 3 goals to take a 3-1 after the first. Kelusky would again get the Lakers scoring started. Mark Steenhuis was back in the line-up and scored the Lakers 2nd goal, giving them the lead. The Kyle Sorenson scores one shorthanded from just over half, its a beauty that fools Cosmo. But that would be their only lead of the game.
The Lakers were without Geoff Snider, they missed his presence on the face-offs and in the defensive end. Snider was playing in the Major Lacrosse League Championships with the Hamilton Natioanls. Brampton were without Joe Walters, Sandy Chapman, Jarret Davis and Kyle Rubish. Brampton did have their captain Dan Dawson back in the line-up and he dialed in 5 assists to go with his one goal. Anthony Cosmo looked good and held off the Lakers early on-slaught and remained steady all game.
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