Fish out of Water: Playoffs Arrive!

July 23rd, 2008 by Joel Derechinsky

The playoffs are time when a team develops a new purpose.

Throughout the season, it’s tough to have the playoffs come into perspective, until they are on top of you. It is now the end of the year and the playoffs are about to be in full swing. Playoffs beards and mohawks can be seen on almost every sideline as teams across the country fight for a berth to their respective Cup tournaments. With the playoffs going haywire in B.C. and in Ontario, things are about to get interesting in Alberta. With only four teams in the province, everyone plays for a Minto Cup birth, and with the Jr. Mounties hosting this year, it leaves three teams playing for that birth.

After finishing off a tough season, the Jr. Raiders are matched up against the first seeded Edmonton Eclipse. Being paired up with the best team in the province can be quite a challenge but I am excited about beginning our series with them. In Canada, the playoffs are a little bit more interesting than in the States. The teams play either five or seven game series, depending on the round the teams are playing in. Unlike the States, which is a “one-and-done” playoff set up, the multiple-game series allows the best team to win. Each game can be a different story and this makes the playoffs a whole new season.

No team can be counted out during the playoffs, especially with the multiple game setup. Although a team may be a weaker team, or had poor luck during the regular season, the playoffs provide a new season, a fresh start almost, in which a team can completely change. Our Jr. Raiders team has played the Eclipse four times prior to our playoff meeting. Besides the most recent meeting, the games have been close (one tie and two loses by one goal each). The Eclipse brought in a couple players to make their run at the Minto Cup, giving them a strong lineup, full of players that know the system and execute well. In order to compete with this team, we will have to play some of the best lacrosse we have played all year.

Our games start Saturday in Edmonton, where we have a best of five series over two days. The Eclipse look to continue their run towards the Minto Cup but our Raiders team is ready to compete in the playoffs. Although this year has been a reloading year for our team, that does not mean we cannot compete in the playoffs. We, as a team, are coming out to play lacrosse, and with nothing to lose, we hope it will take somewhere. This series could prove to be interesting, but if nothing else, it’ll be fun to play in - especially for someone like me who has never experienced this. I am excited to see how our team fares against the Eclipse. I hope to give them some problems on their run to the Minto.

Joel is playing for the Calgary Jr. A Raiders. He grew up in Annapolis, Md., playing lacrosse at Annapolis Area Christian School. He is going into his third year at Gordon College playing under Paul Richardson.

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