NLL Insider

Major Series Lacrosse, Road to the Mann Cup

Clinic by Mike Thompson & composed Lakers too much for Excels, Winner take all Game 7 on Labour Day in Peterborough

Peterborough Lakers goalie Mike Thompson was a massive difference maker in last night's Game 6 win. (Ward Laforme Jr.)

Peterborough backstop Mike Thompson was about as good as it gets yesterday in Brampton.

The Lakers took last night’s Game 6 against the Excelsiors 10-4, a game the pre-season Mann Cup favourites, described as a Canadian All-Star Team by many, needed to win to extend their season, Thompson’s beyond clutch play a big reason why Peterborough will now host a winner take all Game 7 on Labour Day, Monday night (7PM EST) at the always rockin’ Memorial Centre. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse, Road to the Mann Cup, WLA

Canadian Lacrosse Association Major Power Rankings: Three still alive in drive for Mann Cup, Bellies still waiting, Excels a win away

Can Jamie Batley get the heavily favoured Lakers to this year's Mann Cup? (Photo: Dave Sanders)

Is Geoff Snider, who has yet to suit up for the Peterborough Lakers (or Senior B affiliate), getting antsy? The New Westminster Salmonbellies are still waiting and watching the Brampton Excelsiors and Lakers pound the hell out of one another in a series that could still go a full seven. The good and bad of the Evans brothers has been showcased during the MSL final. And what a finish to Game 5 on Sunday night, which now has Brampton just a win away from hostig this year’s Mann Cup, in search of their third straight title. After the jump, check out this week’s Insider CLA Major Power Rankings. READ MORE »

Road to the Mann Cup

Peterborough Lakers go from series lead to barely holding on, Brampton Excels W away from Mann Cup after pair of weekend wins

Heading into last Friday night, the Peterborough Lakers had a 2-1 Major Series Lacrosse Final series lead over the two-time defending Mann Cup champion Brampton Excelsiors. On Monday morning however, things have changed dramatically. Above, check out video of the Excels’ Game 4 win from Friday night at the Powerade Centre, and after the jump find out what’s happened since, Brampton now just a W away from yet another trip to the Mann Cup. READ MORE »

Road to the Mann Cup, WLA

Victoria Shamrocks left pondering the progress they made in summer of 2010

Victoria's Tyler Hass scores on New Westminster goalie Matt Roik in Game 4. (Photo: Gary Woodburn)

The expectation for the Victoria Shamrocks really is quite simple: Win. That’s the price any organization pays when it builds the reputation the Shamrocks had built, winning 4 Mann Cups and appearing in 5 other Mann Cup finals since 1996. And it’s a price the ‘Rocks are, year in and year out, more than willing to pay. Victoria thought it had the receipt to cash in on the glory in 2010, but that dream was rudely interrupted by a bigger, stronger New Westminster team. “It was a little bit alarming how good they were, and how easily they beat us,” Victoria coach Walt Christianson told the Times Colonist after his team was swept by the Salmonbellies last week. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse, Road to the Mann Cup, Road to the Minto Cup

This Weekend: Minto Cup final series, Orangeville vs. Coquitlam PPV, MSL final Peterborough vs. Brampton live online tonight & Sunday

Adam Jones and the Northmen will try and solve the Coquitlam Adanacs this weekend as they search for a third straight Minto. (Cris Anderson)

Tonight sees the two-time defending champion Orangeville Northmen and host Coquitlam Adanacs going head-to-head in Game 1 of a best-of-three series in the Minto Cup final. The game goes live at 8PM PST (11PM EST) at the Coquitlam Sports Centre, or if you can’t get down to the Palace on Poirier, check in with Insider regulars Ted Jenner and Brad Challoner has they host this year’s online PPV of the tournament. Click here for more info on this weekend’s Minto Cup PPV, Game’s 2 & 3 on Saturday and Sunday night, same place, same time, and the same lone two teams fighting for Canada’s Junior A holy grail. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse, Road to the Mann Cup

Mystery locker room incident drives Lakers to Game 3 comeback win 12-9, Excels ban cameras from Powerade

Scott Self and the Peterborough Lakers take a 2-1 lead in the series against the Brampton Excelsiors.

After getting the first two goals (via John Tavares and Tracy Kelusky) of last night’s Game 3 Major Series Lacrosse final between the Peterborough Lakers and Brampton Exceliors, the Lakers were then shelled by the Excels, Brampton getting five straight to close the first period, a huge momentum swing for the two-time defending Mann Cup champs who found themselves in a packed (3,476) Memorial Centre. READ MORE »

Major Series Lacrosse, Road to the Mann Cup

Peterborough Lakers vs. Brampton Excelsiors Game 2 OT thriller highlights, Game 3 tonight at Memorial Centre 8PM

Road to the Mann Cup, WLA

New Westminster sweeps Victoria in WLA finals: “We just got beat by a better team”

Jordan Hall scored 3 goals and Alex Gajic finished with 2 of his own. Jordan McBride, Kyle Ross, Cliff Smith and Ilija Gajic all finished with singles. In the first period. Yeah, it was that bad. At least for the Victoria Shamrocks, who had no answer for the steamroller that is the New Westminster Salmonbellies, who rolled to a 17-8 victory Tuesday night to sweep Victoria in 4 games in the Western Lacrosse Association finals. And so the ‘Bellies are in the Mann Cup finals for the third straight season and they’ll arrive in Ontario with a chip on their shoulders avenge last summer’s epic series, a series they lost in 7 games to the Brampton Excelsiors. READ MORE »

Futures Report, NLL, Road to the Mann Cup

NLL Coming Attractions: Jordan McBride of the WLA New Westminster Salmonbellies

Just 23 years old, Jordan McBride will have a wealth of lacrosse experience already under his belt when he’s destined to join the National Lacrosse League (NLL) as a projected first-round 2011 NLL Entry Draft pick.

He has already competed in two Mann Cup championships, plus at this year’s Worlds where he was a top scorer with Scotland. And with the ‘Bellies up 3-0 in their best of seven series versus the Shamrocks, it’s almost certain McBride will travel back East again this September for another shot at the Mann.

That’s experience you can’t buy. And Jordan McBride isn’t just along for the ride. READ MORE »

Futures Report, NLL, Road to the Mann Cup

Coming Attractions: Brampton Excelsior Nate Sanderson

Hord Head grad and current Excel Nate Sanderson

It’s one of those questions that’s always hard to answer: is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond? Nate Sanderson has had his share of experience with both in his lacrosse career. Last summer he almost doubled the point total of his nearest Barrie Lakeshores teammate, earning a point on half of his teams goals. This year he has played a support role for Brampton, chipping in a highlight reel goal in game one of their MSL finals against Peterborough. READ MORE »