NLL Insider

Major Series Lacrosse

Mann Cup rematch: Brampton vs. New West

The Brampton Excelsiors will get the chance to defend their Mann Cup championship, but they know they’ll be up against a very hungry New Westminster Salmonbellies team that’s looking for revenge, not to mention the desire to get the Cup back West for the first time since 2005, when the Victoria Shamrocks hoisted the title. The series won’t start until Friday, Sept. 4 and you gotta think the Excelsiors will welcome this rest. The Major Series Lacrosse finals series against rival Peterborough was an intense one, as evidenced by heated exchanges even after the final horn of Brampton’s 9-8 win on Wednesday night that clinched the series, 4-2. READ MORE »

MSL Notebook, Major Series Lacrosse

Peterborough extends MSL series with Game 5 win

Playing four games in three days gave John Grant Jr. a lot of ink over the weekend and rightly so, but it was the return of Nick Cotter that sparked the Peterborough Lakers to a 9-5 win over the Brampton Excelsiors Monday night and extended this Major Series Lacrosse finals to a Game 6. Yeah, Junior popped in a goal and two assists, but Cotter was back to score two big goals in a decisive run that let the Lakers live to play another day and close Brampton’s lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2. Game 6 is set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. in Peterborough. READ MORE »

Major League Lacrosse, Major Series Lacrosse, The Beat

Lacrosse Links: Toronto wins MLL Championship

Behind 23 saves from the double-headed goaltending duo of Doc Schneider and Brett Queener, who played with an injured right hand, the Toronto Nationals beat the Denver Outlaws 10-9 for the MLL Championship yesterday in Annapolis, Md.
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Major League Lacrosse, Major Series Lacrosse

Whirlwind lacrosse weekend for Grant Jr.

John Grant Jr. has been taking his return to lacrosse slowly, but this past weekend he kicked it into another gear, and then some. Yes, he played in Friday night’s Major Series Lacrosse playoff victory for the Peterborough Lakers, but he also played in games Saturday and Sunday to help the Toronto Nationals win the Major League Lacrosse championship in Maryland. He then flew — literally — back to Canada in time to rejoin the Lakers Sunday night as their MSL playoff series continued against rival Brampton. So if you’re doing the math, that’s 4 games in 3 days in 2 countries. How’d he do? Not too bad, considering. READ MORE »

Major League Lacrosse, Major Series Lacrosse

MSL’s Game 3 suspended by power outage, but now there’s MLL to consider too

News outta Peterborough Thursday night is that Game 3 of the Major Series Lacrosse finals between Brampton and Peterborough was suspended in the first period because of a power outage. Game’s supposed to resume tonight, but it’ll be real interesting because no less than six players involved in this series play for the Toronto Nationals of Major League Lacrosse, whose Championship Weekend begins Saturday in Annapolis, Md. The Nationals are scheduled to play Long Island at 3 p.m. so there’s either gonna be mad shufflin’ going on between north and south or some teams are gonna be without some key players. Who’s affected? Turn the page. READ MORE »

Inside the Numbers, Major Series Lacrosse

MSL: Excels & Lakers usually involved in almost shutouts

Sunday night wasn't the first time the Lakers were held almost scoreless against the Excels.

The Brampton Excelsiors 8-1 demolition of the Peterborough Lakers on Sunday night in Game 1 of the MSL’s Sr. A provincial final, was the closest we’ve come to seeing a team getting the door completely shut on them… the rarely scene boxla shutout.

Kinda crazy to almost see it happen with Ontario’s two strongest clubs battling for a spot in the Mann Cup, but back track over the past ten (and a bit) seasons, and it really shouldn’t have been much of a surprise these two teams were involved in another one sided low scorer. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse

Peterborough’s got a lot to prove after just 1 game of MSL finals

There are plenty of numbers to look at after the first game of the Major Series Lacrosse finals between Peterborough and Brampton. Penalty minutes? 83. Power play? Teams combined for 4 goals on 21 opportunities. Ejections? We count 3, including a pair of coaches. Illegal equipment penalties? That’d be 2. But the number that stands out the most? That’s got to be 1. As in how many goals the Peterborough Lakers were held to in Sunday night’s 8-1 loss to Brampton. But don’t be fooled. This is a rivalry that won’t be decided in four quick games, at least if history is any indication. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse, NLL, Road to the Mann Cup, The Beat

Lacrosse Links: Excelsiors take MSL championship opener over Peterborough

Behind stellar net play from Anthony Cosmo, the defending Mann Cup champion Brampton Excelsiors rolled over Peterborough, 8-1, in Game 1 of the Major Series Lacrosse final Sunday night. Cosmo shut the Lakers out for 51 minutes and 21 seconds and Aaron Wilson had a hat trick in the win.
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Major Series Lacrosse

MSL finals open Sunday night at Brampton

There were plenty of questions to be asked as we took a look at the Major Series Lacrosse finals series between the Peterborough Lakers and Brampton Excelsiors, and we have the answer to one of those questions before the series even starts. The schedule of games! It all gets started Sunday as Brampton hosts the first two games. Game 1 is Sunday at 7 p.m. and Game 2 is Tuesday at 8 p.m. For games 3 and 4, the series shifts to Peterborough with games Thursday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. If the series goes longer than that, Game 5 is Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. at Brampton, Game 6 is Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. at Peterborough and Game 7 is Sunday, Aug. 30 at 2 p.m. at Brampton.

Major Series Lacrosse

Brampton, Peterborough set for MSL finals

It’s kinda like watching re-runs of Seinfeld. We’ve seen this episode plenty of times, but we just can’t change the channel. Biggest difference? The ending isn’t always the same, and that’s what’s got us amped for the Major Series Lacrosse finals for 2009 between the Peterborough Lakers and Brampton Excelsiors. Both squads clinched their respective series 4-1 this week, and they’re set to battle it out for yet another OLA title. It’s a storied series, for sure, and the last time any team other than Brampton or the ‘Borough won the OLA title was the 2000 Brooklin Redmen. Since then, Brampton and Peterborough each have 4 OLA crowns to their credit, and one of ‘em will have a fifth this decade by the time this series is done. READ MORE »