It’s all tied up. What did you expect?
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Did you really expect anything else? After the double overtime marathon that was game 3, both teams took to the wooden floor at Queens Park and once again put on a fantastic showing for the 2500 fans. The series is now all tied up at two and we are set for a dramatic best of three series to determine the 2009 Mann Cup champion. Game 5 goes tomorrow night and after the first four games there is very little to decipher between the two squads.
Early on the arena was all a buzz with the thought that Anthony Cosmo would be away due to work commitments, joining fellow Excels Dan Dawson, Sandy Chapman and Mike Hominuk back east but, number 44 was back in between the pipes for the defending champs. On the other side of the ball, Jr. Slamonbellies star Kevin Crowley say his first action with the big club and after a few shifts, got his feet wet and seemed to fit in quite nicely.
The tightest game of the series so far, both defenses tightened up ad both goalies were walls all night. Matt Roik, rotated back into the net for New West and after a shaky start, which saw him let in the first two shots he faced, he settled down and put on one of the best performances he has displayed this playoffs making 35 saves on the night. Cliff Smith continued his stellar play for the home squad opening the scoring just twenty-one seconds into the game with a long outside shot that beat Cosmo to the far side. But just as quickly as Smith opened the scoring, public enemy #1, Colin Doyle scored on back to back shots to give Brampton the lead two and half minutes in. The teams traded power play goals before Shawn Williams scored with two minutes left to give the visitors a 4-2 lead after the first period. There were nineteen minutes in penalties in the opening stanza and at times looked very close to boiling over into a very heated affair, but cooler heads prevailed.
As the second period began, it was noticeable that Roik had settled down and Cosmo was continuing to turn away the New West shooters. Over the next ten minutes the teams traded goals and with the Excels up 6-3, Crowley picked a great time to get his first ever Sr. A goal. With the return of Bobby Snider slated for tomorrow night’s game, it’s not sure who will come out of the line-up, but the way Crowley played, it has made Coach Bob Salt’s decision a little harder. My guess is that gritty d-man Bubba Westwood will head back to the stands for game 5. With Crowley’s goal it was clear New West used that momentum to continue pressing Brampton and for the first time since game one, we started seeing signs of the lethal transition game that has been a huge success for the westerners. Unsung hero, Kyle Ross continued his inspired play for New West, as he streaked down the floor and fired a shot that just missed the net. Now I talked about how in the previous two games the Bellies were a few bounces away from being ahead in this series. Well after Ross’ shot hit the post Cosmo fell back to smother it and the spin on the ball took it back across the goal line. Finally a lucky bounce that went the way of the home town team and the period ended 6-5 in favor of Brampton but all the momentum was in the hands of New West.
The third period kept up with the trend of the second and saw both teams pushing for the decided advantage as the transition game picked up. Veteran Chris Gill, who was held off the score sheet in game 3, got his name in the goal column in typical Gill style, in close on net going far side to tie the game at six, just four and half minutes into the final frame. A track meet ensued. At one point we saw Brampton go on a four on one break that turned into a three on one the other way. Both tenders were still making key saves with Cosmo being the more active of the two. Peter McFetridge, who never seems to tire, raced down the floor on a two on one and fired a laser that beat Cosmo clean to the far side top corner and sent the fans into a frenzy and give the Bellies their first lead since the opening goal. Then just fifteen seconds later, Curtis Manning went in on a short-handed break and once again the Bellies got a friendly bounce. Manning’s shot went wide but it bounced off the end boards, off Cosmo’s back and into the net. Up two goals with five minutes remaining, all the fans were on the edge of their seats and the action never let up. Matt Roik made a handful of huge saves down the stretch to keep the Excelciors off the board. An unlucky play for Ian Hawksbee saw Colin Doyle pick off his outlet pass and go in one on one with Roik and pulled the visitors within one on a shorthanded marker. But that would be the way the game ended as there just wasn’t enough time left of the clock for the visitors to get off another quality scoring chance.
The game ended with the Bellies on top 8-7 and back on level terms. The series has been everything lacrosse fans had hoped for and both teams are playing to the highest level. A series for the ages continues to impress on all levels.
Game MVP’s were Cliff Smith (1-1) for New West and Anthony Cosmo (46 saves) for Brampton. My MVP’s were Roik and Doyle.
As noted, the Queens Park faithful have taken a keen liking to Doyle and early on in the game, every time Doyle had the ball he was serenaded with a round of ‘Boos’…. But as Jeremy Roenick once said, if the away fans aren’t booing you, you aren’t doing your job.
The attendance was the smallest of the series, around 2500- the back to school season may have had something do with it but, the 50/50 was over $1400 and was won by New West legendary goalie and Mann Cup winner Rick Mang.
Game 5 is tomorrow night at the usual 7:45 start and of course you can tune in the www.theboxrocks.com if you are unable to make it live and in person. Jake Elliott and I will be on air just shortly before face-off to bring you all the action.
*** The rumors continue to swirl that the only reason Cosmo was playing in game 4 was due to the fact that he missed his red-eye flight back east, as the double overtime game ran late into the night and as a result was going to be on the last flight out of Vancouver after game 4. Well having seen many smoke and mirror acts over many Mann Cup series, I won’t give any validation that he is on a flight as I type this.
Jenner is a two-time Mann Cup champion with six years of NLL experience. Email him at ted.jenner@nllinsider.com also follow the Coquitlam Jr. A Adanacs and the Intermediate A Adanacs live, as Teddy brings you color commentary with Brad Challoner for the Jr's and play by play with Brody Allen for the Intermediates -- http://www.junioradanacs.com/multimedia.phpRate This Story:
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