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RMLL

RMLL Playoff Update

With just four teams in the Alberta Junior A league, when it comes to be playoff time these guys get right down to the serious business: semi-finals. Regardless of how hapless their regular season records may have been, each team earns a spot in the post-season and the right to battle it out in a best-of-five for a shot at the finals. And like we’ve already seen in game one of the Eclipse-Raiders series, whatever happened in the regular season can be thrown right out the window come crunch time. With each series already two games in, here’s a look at who’s fighting for their playoff lives, what team was handed their first loss of 2008, and what else we can expect from the boys in Alberta. READ MORE »

Ontario Junior A

Orangeville thumps Akwesasne 17-3

After narrowly earning the game one win in overtime, the Orangeville Northmen figured they’d had their share of the dramatics and buried the Akwesasne Indians by a score of 17-3 last night. It was a nearly non-stop Orangeville barrage from the opening minutes of the game, with Stephen Keogh scoring five, Adam Jones scoring two and assisting on four, Sean Gillies with two and three, and Jeff Ivey with four helpers. The Orangeville D held Akwesasne to just 33 shots and allowed Nick Rose to take the third period off while back-up goaltender Dillon Ward posted a shut-out 20 minutes. Akwesasne goals came from Mark Kirby, Peter Jacobs, and Lyle Thompson, who also assisted on the other two. The Indians will be looking to bounce back in game three on Thursday at home in Akwesasne, 8:00 PM EST.

CLA

UVic Lacrosse in the works

Despite the fact that Victoria has been a lacrosse hotbed, producing legends the likes of Gary Gait and Tom Marechek, the city has never had a collegiate field lacrosse program.

Brian Potter is attempting to change that by establishing a men’s and women’s field lacrosse program the University of Victoria (UVic). Read more with the University’s paper.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is also looking to field a new team. They had a few throw arounds last year and are looking to recruit new players and sponsors this season. For more information, email dreelie@hotmail.com.

READ MORE »

Inside the Numbers

The Money Ballers: JR A Playoff Edition

This is turnin’ out to be a serious race for second and everything after that, cuz Cody Jamieson is just workin’ over the charts like, well, I guess kinda like he did during the regular season too.

Anyways, with games played kinda being outta whack because of the pretty different ways both Ontario and BC figure out their champ (IE. byes, five game series versus seven games, fewer series played, etc…) we also broke-down what guys are doin’ on average too, so teams like Victoria and Coquitlam could be included. The result? Jamieson is still kickin’ ass hardcore. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse

MSL semifinals: locked and loaded

St. Regis and Brooklin each did what they wanted in the Major Series Lacrosse first round and now it’s time for a game of hurry up and wait.

Brooklin swept Kitchener-Waterloo with Saturday’s 9-5 victory, and St. Regis wrapped up its series Sunday afternoon with an 11-9 decision over Six Nations. The Redmen and the Indians each know who they’re playing in the semifinals, they’re just not sure when. As the No. 4 seed, Brooklin will play top-seeded Brampton and as the No. 3 seed, St. Regis will knock heads with No. 2 Peterborough. The Redmen are gonna have their hands full playing a Brampton squad that’s unbeaten on the road this season won the season series, 3-0, between the teams, while the Indians take on a Lakers squad that won 2 of its 3 regular-season matchups against St. Regis.

READ MORE »

Road to the Minto Cup

Two B.C. teams on brink of elimination, Ont. semis underway

In two semi-final games last night both the Coquitlam Adanacs and New Westminster Salmonbellies fell to 0-2 in their series, with Coquitlam losing 9-8 in OT to the Burnaby Lakers and New West falling 5-3 to the Victoria Shamrocks. In Ontario, both semi-final series got started with the Orangeville Northmen taking a 1-0 lead in their match-up thanks to a 10-9 OT win over the Akwesasne Indians, while the St. Catharines Athletics started off on the right foot against the Six Nations Arrows, winning 10-6. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse

Brooklin bounces K-W from playoffs, St. Regis up 2-1

The Brooklin Redmen grabbed the lead in the first three minutes of last night’s game and didn’t let go until they’d successfully swept the K-W Kodiaks three games to none, game three ending with a 9-5 Redmen win. Shawn Williams added another eight points to his playoff totals, scoring three and helping out on five, and Derek Hopcroft added two goals and two assists. Mike Miron earned the win in net. For the Kodiaks—who were missing Kasey Beirnes, Jamie Rooney and Rob Marshall—Ryan Benesch led with two goals and two assists. It remains to be seen who Brooklin will face in the semi-finals. READ MORE »

B.C. Junior A

Victoria up 1-0 on New West

The Shamrocks struck first last night in what promises to be an explosive best of five between Victoria and New Westminster. Victoria topped New West 7-5 in a back-and-forth game one at the Bear Mountain Arena. Shamrocks keeper Matt Flindell stopped 38 of 43, including nine saves in a shut-out third period. Cory Conway led the team in points with one goal and three assists, and Cayle Ratcliff added two goals and one helper. New West goaltender Sean Tessarolo stopped 40 of 47, and captain Curtis Manning scored two and assisted on one.

Game two of both B.C. Junior A semi-finals is tonight, with Victoria visiting New West at 5:00 PM PST, and Coquitlam travelling to Burnaby for a 7:00 PM PST start. Burnaby leads that series 1-0.

Road to the Minto Cup

Akwesasne advances, Burnaby wins game one

The winner of the final Ontario quarter-final was decided last night as the Akwesasne Indians topped the Burlington Chiefs 8-6. Kyle Buchanan and Jerome Thompson had five points apiece—each scoring one and assisting on four—to lead the Indians to a semi-final match-up vs. Orangeville. Peter Jacobs and Miles Thompson each added two goals. Joe Tallis made 28 saves. For the Burlington Chiefs, Kiel Matisz, Chris Moulson, Jordan MacIntosh and Scott Johnston each contributed two points, while Gary Muzzin stopped 39 shots. The Akwesasne-Orangeville series begins Sunday night, 8:00 PM EST at the Tony Rose Arena.

Over in B.C. the semi-final between the Burnaby Lakers and Coquitlam Adanacs kicked off last night, with the Lakers winning the first one 6-4. Scott Lowe made a ridiculous 51 saves on 55 shots to gift-wrap his team the win, while Alex Gajic led the team in points with one goal and two assists. Kelly Kilpatrick had two goals for the Adanacs.

The Beat

In other news

• The Owen Sound Woodsmen’s revamped line-up was too much for the Wellington Aces, who were eliminated in the Sr. B semi-finals last night: Guelph Mercury
• The Arrows-A’s series starts on Sunday: Brantford Expositor
• The Shamrocks-Bellies series starts tonight: Times Colonist
• The Orillia Rama-Hammond Kings aren’t on the playoff schedule, and this guy thinks that maybe they don’t belong in the Junior A loop. Just because he’s never cracked a wall with his head! Amateur: Courier-Herald