The Peterborough Lakers best Coquitlam Adanacs 12-8 in games six to win the Mann Cup. This win is the second title in a row for Peterborough. Congratulations Peterborough!
This win is the last of the major indoor lacrosse championships to be played this year. But the National Lacrosse League is not too far off anymore. The 2007/2008 NLL season will begin on December 27. The rest of the schedule will be released today on NLL.com.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Mann Cup Update
The Peterborough Lakers were slow out of the gates at the Mann Cup but have since taken a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Lakers now look to clinch their second straight Mann Cup title and third in four years tonight in Coquitlam. The Coquitlam Adanacs will look to rebound tonight and force two more games on their way to their first title since 2001.
In the series opener, Coquitlam got out to an early 2-0 lead on two shorthanded goals and ran the score to 4-1 before Peterborough woke up. Peterborough never led in the game and Coquitlam won 14-11. The second game opened with a Peterborough goal 14 seconds into the first period but then Coquitlam took control of the period, scoring three straight goals. Peterborough managed to tie the game by the end of the first and turned it on in the second period outscoring Coquitlam 7-4. At the end of the game, Peterborough were 13-9 winners.
The Adanacs came out firing in the third game, scoring three straight goals to open the game but Peterborough rebounded with three in a row of their own and the game was tied after forty minutes. Peterborough outscored the Adanacs in the last period and earned a 7-6 win. With a 2-1 series lead, Peterborough began to smell victory and jumped out to an early two goal lead in game four. Coquitlam responded but found themselves trailing 4-3 after one period. The lead was increased to 9-6 after two periods and the game ended with a 12-8 score in favour of Peterborough.
The Lakers John Grant Jr leads all scoring with 22 points, followed closely by teammate Scott Evans with 21 points. With 10 goals, Scott Evans leads all in goals scored while John Grant Jr. leads in assists with 13. For the Adanacs, Jason Wulder is tops with 15 points on 6 goals and 9 assists while Colin Doyle is second with 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points.
Game five goes tonight at 7:45 PM Pacific time and if necessary game six goes Friday at 7:45 PM Pacific and game seven on Saturday at the same time.
In the series opener, Coquitlam got out to an early 2-0 lead on two shorthanded goals and ran the score to 4-1 before Peterborough woke up. Peterborough never led in the game and Coquitlam won 14-11. The second game opened with a Peterborough goal 14 seconds into the first period but then Coquitlam took control of the period, scoring three straight goals. Peterborough managed to tie the game by the end of the first and turned it on in the second period outscoring Coquitlam 7-4. At the end of the game, Peterborough were 13-9 winners.
The Adanacs came out firing in the third game, scoring three straight goals to open the game but Peterborough rebounded with three in a row of their own and the game was tied after forty minutes. Peterborough outscored the Adanacs in the last period and earned a 7-6 win. With a 2-1 series lead, Peterborough began to smell victory and jumped out to an early two goal lead in game four. Coquitlam responded but found themselves trailing 4-3 after one period. The lead was increased to 9-6 after two periods and the game ended with a 12-8 score in favour of Peterborough.
The Lakers John Grant Jr leads all scoring with 22 points, followed closely by teammate Scott Evans with 21 points. With 10 goals, Scott Evans leads all in goals scored while John Grant Jr. leads in assists with 13. For the Adanacs, Jason Wulder is tops with 15 points on 6 goals and 9 assists while Colin Doyle is second with 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points.
Game five goes tonight at 7:45 PM Pacific time and if necessary game six goes Friday at 7:45 PM Pacific and game seven on Saturday at the same time.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Super Series it Wasn't
The Canada Russia Super Series has been and gone but it was far from a super series. This years edition was commemorating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series but was far from living up to the standards of the original contest. Canada won 7 of the 8 games fairly easily while tying the other one.
The series opened on Monday August 27 with a 4-2 Canada win. Two days later Canada shut out their Russian rivals 3-0. The series then switched venues (from Ufa, Russia to Omsk, Russia) for back to back games in which Canada was victorious in both, 6-2 & 4-2, to return to Canadian soil leading the series four games to none.
Their winning ways continued at home as Canada was dominant in Winnipeg on September 4 winning 8-1 and again the next day in Saskatoon winning that game 4-1. The only non victory came in game seven in Red Deer when Russia opened the game with a 2-0 lead. Canada fought back and ended the game knotted at four. The eighth and final game moved still further west to British Columbia on September 9. Canada remained undefeated as they beat Russia 4-1.
With the unexciting contests this year, one should wonder if there is any point continuing with these meaningless series. It is obvious Russia does not care too much about this event as they rarely send their best players so why bother continuing. Can the Canadians even be happy with winning when the competition is far from equal? The real contest comes around Christmas time with the World Juniors so if, at the end of that tournament, Canada is hoisting that trophy, us Canadians can be proud and applaud the efforts as that tournament consists of the best junior players in the world. The 2007 Canada Russia super series, in my eyes, was nothing more than a series of meaningless exhibition games against mediocre Russian players and nothing to be too proud about. All I can say is it’s good team Canada didn’t lose.
The series opened on Monday August 27 with a 4-2 Canada win. Two days later Canada shut out their Russian rivals 3-0. The series then switched venues (from Ufa, Russia to Omsk, Russia) for back to back games in which Canada was victorious in both, 6-2 & 4-2, to return to Canadian soil leading the series four games to none.
Their winning ways continued at home as Canada was dominant in Winnipeg on September 4 winning 8-1 and again the next day in Saskatoon winning that game 4-1. The only non victory came in game seven in Red Deer when Russia opened the game with a 2-0 lead. Canada fought back and ended the game knotted at four. The eighth and final game moved still further west to British Columbia on September 9. Canada remained undefeated as they beat Russia 4-1.
With the unexciting contests this year, one should wonder if there is any point continuing with these meaningless series. It is obvious Russia does not care too much about this event as they rarely send their best players so why bother continuing. Can the Canadians even be happy with winning when the competition is far from equal? The real contest comes around Christmas time with the World Juniors so if, at the end of that tournament, Canada is hoisting that trophy, us Canadians can be proud and applaud the efforts as that tournament consists of the best junior players in the world. The 2007 Canada Russia super series, in my eyes, was nothing more than a series of meaningless exhibition games against mediocre Russian players and nothing to be too proud about. All I can say is it’s good team Canada didn’t lose.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Leafs Win! Leafs Win!
It seems the Toronto Maple Leafs can win, unfortunately for some it is in baseball and not hockey. On Wednesday August 29, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Brantford Red Sox 13-5 in game seven of the Intercounty Baseball League championship to win the title.
Brantford won the first two games of the series with identical 9-6 scores and looked like they would easily defend their 2006 title but then Toronto woke up. The Maple Leafs took the next three games (8-6, 6-5, 13-8) to put the strangle hold on the Red Sox. Game six of the series, to be played in Brantford, was postponed due to rain twice before they finally played it on August 26. A determined Brantford team came out swinging and jumped out to a 10-0 lead after 2 innings on route to a punishing 13-1 victory to force a seventh game.
The first half of game seven was kept close, with the lead swinging between teams. Brantford scored first in the top of the third before Toronto tied it in the bottom half of the same inning. Toronto then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth while a two run tally only to see it disappear in the top of the fifth when Brantford tied the game with two runs of their own. In the bottom of the fifth, Toronto took the lead for good with four runs.
Paul Spoljaric pitched 61/3 innings for Toronto to earn the win while Jeremy Walker lead the offensive charge with two two-run homeruns. Joe Colameco earned playoff MVP honours. That was the first championship for Toronto since 2002 and was Toronto’s eighth title since 1946.
Brantford won the first two games of the series with identical 9-6 scores and looked like they would easily defend their 2006 title but then Toronto woke up. The Maple Leafs took the next three games (8-6, 6-5, 13-8) to put the strangle hold on the Red Sox. Game six of the series, to be played in Brantford, was postponed due to rain twice before they finally played it on August 26. A determined Brantford team came out swinging and jumped out to a 10-0 lead after 2 innings on route to a punishing 13-1 victory to force a seventh game.
The first half of game seven was kept close, with the lead swinging between teams. Brantford scored first in the top of the third before Toronto tied it in the bottom half of the same inning. Toronto then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth while a two run tally only to see it disappear in the top of the fifth when Brantford tied the game with two runs of their own. In the bottom of the fifth, Toronto took the lead for good with four runs.
Paul Spoljaric pitched 61/3 innings for Toronto to earn the win while Jeremy Walker lead the offensive charge with two two-run homeruns. Joe Colameco earned playoff MVP honours. That was the first championship for Toronto since 2002 and was Toronto’s eighth title since 1946.
Picture originally posted on the IBL website.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Minto Cup Champions
For some, the third time is a charm but for the Six Nations Arrows Express, their lucky number is four. It took them four straight Minto Cup appearances to win their second ever Minto Cup championship and they did it in convincing fashion by beating the Burnaby Lakers 19-8.
After losing to the two teams from British Columbia in the round robin (10-7 to New Westminster and 10-4 to Burnaby), the Arrows downed the host team 6-5 in the semi-final game Thursday night to earn a championship berth against the perfect Lakers team (in their twelfth straight tournament appearance). After losing to Peterborough in the final game last year, Six Nations was hungry for the cup as Craig Point, the eventual game most valuable player, opened the scoring at 2:48 of the first period. After Alex Gajic tied the game at 1-1 just over a minute later, Six Nations scored seven straight goals to end the first period leading 8-1. Craig Point, drafted third overall in the 2007 National Lacrosse League’s entry draft earlier in the day, scored a hat trick in the first frame while team mates Cody Jamieson and Shawn Evans each netted two.In the second period, Six Nations outscored Burnaby 4-2 to take an insurmountable 12-3 lead into the second intermission. Burnaby made a short charge in the third, scoring three goals in a row, but it was all for naught as Six Nations regrouped and scored five in a row to put the game away. After Alex Gajic scored his second goal of the period to complete the hat trick, Keegan Hill scored his first goal of the tournament on the power play to end the scoring.
By the end of the game, Shawn Evans amassed eleven points on three goals and eight assists as the leading scorer of the game. Evans’ Six Nations teammate Cody Jamieson (tournament MVP)was second in points for the game, scoring eight points on six goals and two assists while Craig Point (5G) and Dan Hill (1G, 4A) each had five points for the Arrows. For the Burnaby team, Dane Dobbie, the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NLL entry draft, had four points on two goals and two assists while Alex Gajic (3G), Jamie Lincoln (2G, 1A) and Garrett Billings (3A) each tallied three points.
With this win, Six Nations can claim junior lacrosse supremacy, at least in Canada, as the Junior ‘B’ Six Nations Rebels defeated the Coquitlam Adanacs 8-2 to win the national title and earned the right to hoist the 2007 Founder’s Cup. There is one major lacrosse championship yet to be decided this year and that is the Mann Cup. September 7 is when the Senior ‘A’ tournament will begin from the Coquitlam Sports Center in British Columbia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)