Mann Cup 2009

The matchup for the 2009 Mann Cup has been set and it will be a rematch of the 2008 cup final, except this year it will be played on the west coast. Is the addition of Shawn Williams enough for the Brampton Excelsiors to defend their title or will the exceptional goaltending of Matt Roik and Tyler Richards of the New Westminster Salmonbellies exact some revenge from last year? I like Brampton's odds although I haven't seen the 'bellies play this year so my opinion is totally meaningless. All games will be available for viewing for $9.95 per game so head on over to the WLA website on September 4 for game 1.

Bad luck traveller

After an unwanted hiatus from the lacrosse arena's I was able to get to the Bunker in Brampton to see the MSL seim-final series game last night. Similar to the last visit to the Powerade Centre, I was rooting against the home team and for the second time in a row, the visiting team failed to show up (this time almost literally).

After a late arrival into Brampton, the St Regis Indians had less than fifteen minutes to warm up. A far cry from the usual double warmups they get. When the game began it was apparent the short warmup was not enough to shake out the bus legs. Thanks to some decent saves by the Indians netminder and some even better saves by the posts behind him, the game was kept close in the first period. In the second, the Excelsiors pounced and took an 8-2 lead into the second intermission. I had to leave before it was over since my son was rather tired (it was a couple hours past his bedtime) but it didn't get much better for the visitors. 13-3 was the final score.

The previous game I ended up at the Powerade Centre for, the Peterborough Lakers' offense failed to show up and dropped their second to last regular season game 7-6. I was hoping for a Peterborough win only because that would have put a St Regis / Brooklin first round matchup a little closer to happening. That would have meant I could have seen Tavares without the hour drive. The only other game I travelled for this year was the Green Gaels ugly 4-1 loss in Newmarket.

I am beginning to think that I bring bad luck to these teams. Good thing the season is almost over then. Maybe I should just start rooting for the Excelsiors when I go there...

None too impressed!

Last Friday night I rushed home from work, skipped dinner, packed up some crackers and juice for my son, and drove an hour to Newmarket to watch the Clarington Green Gaels take on the hometown Saints.

The Gaels came out flat and scored only one goal the entire game despite getting numerous powerplays. Had it not been for the stellar goaltending of Zack Higgins, the game would have been a blowout but as it was, Newmarket had a hard time getting the ball past Higgins. Finally in the third period Newmarket pulled away with the 4-1 win. Then last night, the Gaels travelled to Markham to face the Ironheads and they scored 21 goals in a 21-5 victory. Twenty-one goals! After scoring only 1 their previous game. What the heck happened in Newmarket??? I feel cheated!

Clarington ends their regular season tomorrow night at home against Huntsville. They have already clinched first place in the Mid East Division and at 18-1, they will be the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the league for the playoffs.

Brampton Sweeps Cup Final

Moments ago the Brampton Excelsiors were crowned the 2008 Mann Cup champions. They defeated the New Westminster Salmonbellies, the top team in the nation during the regular season and winners of the Western Lacrosse Association, by a score of 9-6 in game four to complete the four game sweep.

New West took a couple games to find their legs and came out in game three hungry for the win. Brampton was up to that challenge though and won that game convincingly to put them on the verge of a sweep. Game four began well again for the 'Bellies but by the end of the first period Brampton had tied the game at two. The second period was another close period but Brampton came out on top at the end with a 6-4 score. The third period started off strong for New West but Anthony Cosmo was able to shut the door. Blaine Manning scored a rare powerplay goal for Brampton 3:39 into the period to put the game out of reach.

Anthony Cosmo was named the Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the Mann Cup finals.

I'd like to thank Marksy and Wamper for making these games available online and providing their commentary. For someone who is relatively new to the sport, it's fun to hear about the history of the game from an OLHOF inductee such as Wamper.

Change of Pace

With all the driving I did over the weekend, mostly to the Powerade Centre, I needed a rest yesterday so I decided against making the hour long trek (through the tail end of rush hour)to Brampton for Game 3 of the Mann Cup. Thanks to Marksy at Lacrosse - Inside the Game, I was still able to catch the action live online. After a strong first period by New Westminster, Brampton fought back for the win and 3-0 series lead. Hopefully, I can make it to the Powerade Centre tonight for what might be the last game.

That Was Much Better

Just got back from game 2 of the 2008 Mann Cup and it was a much better game than the first one. New Westminster came out strong just like last night's game and scored the first goal of the game. That is where the similarities end though. New West played hard the entire first period and showed some command but they couldn't beat Cosmo more than the one time.

The second was more of the same tight checking on both sides with the exception of about three minutes where Brampton was able to get in close for three scores to go up 4-1. New West was only able to solve Cosmo once more in the second period to go into the third down 5-2. Brampton was able to fend off another late surge, where they surrended three goals, to hold onto a 6-5 win.

With that win Brampton is halfway to completing the sweep that some have forecasted. Although some from the New West side likely thought the 'Bellies might sweep the Excelsiors and I wasn't going to dismiss that thought after their dominant season. I think the real Salmonbellies team showed up tonight and they did look good. The unassisted goal by Gajic late in the third was perhaps the nicest individual effort of the game. The players of the game were Jordan Hall for New West and Dan Teat for Brampton. Game three is on Monday at 7:30 PM at the Powerade Centre in Brampton.

Brampton Takes Game 1

Game one of the Mann Cup went last night in Brampton and the home team did not disappoint. New Westminster got out to an early 1-0 lead but after almost nine minutes of solid defence and some missed chances by Bramton, the Excelsiors finally tied it up. That goal sparked their offence and they went on to score three more in the first to take a 4-1 lead into the first intermission.

In the second period, it was more Brampton as they got two more goals before New West netted their second to end the second period scoring. New West seemed to find some life in the third and tried to mount a comeback but they came up short against a tough Brampton defence backed by a solid performance by Cosmo (who had help with some lucky goal line bounces) and lost 8-5.

The first ten minutes of this game was by far the best. Action was going both ways and the defence on both ends allowed very little. Brampton had trouble getting their first goal after hitting the post a couple times but when they did they got a couple within a couple minutes and that seemed to take the steam out of the Salmonbellies and that lead to more quality chances for Brampton. Brampton seemed to totally dominate the second half of the first period. The Salmonbellies power play was ineffective as well. They seemed to be flat footed and didn't get Cosmo moving around enough. The Salmonbellies regained their composure late in the game, after the game got a bit ugly, and showed glimpses of why they were the best team in the country during the regular season.

I confirmed something last night, something that I was thinking on for a few games now: it is hard to keep really focus on a game when dealing with a two year old as well. Although my son was relatively behaved last night, I found that I struggled to really pay attention to the game so my analysis is not as in depth as I would have liked. We'll try again tonight.

Can Brampton Excel Over New Westminster?

The final series in the MSL is finally over and the Brampton Excelsiors have outlasted the Peterborough Lakers for the chance to host the 2008 Mann Cup. In the deciding game seven, Peterborough started the scoring early, just 27 seconds in, but Brampton lead at the end of the first and never looked back. By all accounts it was a defensive display put on by both teams with Pat O'Toole keeping the Lakers in the game as he was peppered by almost sixty shots. Unfortunately, the Lakers offense, missing two key players in John Grant Jr and Josh Gillam, had just as much trouble finding the back of the net. Brampton came out with a commanding 7-2 victory.

The Excelsiors will host the New Westminster Salmonbellies for the Mann Cup beginning Friday September 5, 2008 at the Powerade Centre. The Bellies are coming off an amazing season in which they lost only one game in the regular season. They swept their way through the WLA playoffs as well and plan to be the first western team to defeat an Ontario team in Ontario since a team from New West accomplished that feat back in 1986. The schedule is as follows:

Sept. 5th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton
Sept. 6th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton
Sept. 8th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton
Sept. 9th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton
Sept. 10th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton
Sept. 12th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton
Sept. 13th - 7:30 pm - New Westminster vs Brampton

If I am able to get to any games, I will try to write a summary the next day. I am really hoping for a sweep though as I have other obligations for the last three games and will not be able to see them.

Northmen Are Victorious!

Ontario retains title as the Orangeville Northmen win the 2008 Minto Cup in Calgary, Alberta (August 30). After defeating the 2007 champion Six Nations Arrows in the Ontario final, the Northmen swept the Minto Cup round robin with relative ease en route to a 9-4 win in the cup final against the Victoria Shamrocks.

Let's Play One More

With game six tied at 7 and one period to play, the anticipation at the Memorial Centre in Peterborough must have been immense last night as the crowd, excited by a big second period by Peterborough, must have sensed victory for the home team. To their dismay their team did not deliver in the third period as Anthony Cosmo shut the door and the Brampton Excelsiors took the game 11-7 to tie the MSL final series at three games.

Colin Doyle and Brodie Merrill returned to the Brampton lineup and John Grant Jr returned for Peterborough after helping the Rochester Rattlers win the MLL championship. John Grant Jr had an impact on the score sheet as he scored twice and added two assists. The two Brampton boys got in on the scoring as well with one goal and two assists for Colin Doyle and two assists for Brodie Merrill. Lakers defense had a tough time containing Blaine Manning again as he netted a hat trick to lead all scorers in goals (Manning scored six times in game 5) but the biggest surprise of the game was Phil Sanderson’s game winning goal in the third period (it was only his second goal of the season in 23 games played).

Game seven goes Thursday night in Brampton and it should be another great game. I am really impartial as to the winner as the travel distance is about the same both ways. Colin Doyle is a treat to watch though, especially when he puts the team on his back for a late push (similar to what he did against the Redmen in game three of that series), so I’m leaning towards Brampton. But then again, the Lakers offense can score some pretty goals and make some jaw-dropping plays…

Lacrosse Championships and Finals

This past weekend saw a couple national champions crowned along with the MLL champions. Saturday evening the Owen Sound Woodsmen defeated the host Outlaws 11-5 in Sherwood Park to claim their first President’s Cup. They went through the tournament undefeated and clearly dominated the opposing teams. The Woodies opened the tournament with an 8-5 victory over the Airdrie Knights and went on to defeat the Outlaws 11-5 and the Tri-City Bandits 8-4 in the round robin before crushing the Bandits 11-2 in their semi-final game. The Bandits ended up losing in the Bronze game to the Quebec league representative Kahnawake Mohawks.

A few thousand miles away in Guelph, Ontario, the Canadian Junior B championship was being fought for in the 2008 Founders Cup. In the end the host Guelph Regals lost to the defending champion Six Nations Rebels by the score of 8-7. Both teams in the final game finished the round robin with a perfect 5-0 record. Six Nations defeated the Port Coquitlam Saints of the BCLA 10-3 in their semi-final game to advance while the Regals defeated the Iroquois Nation of the ILA 8-1 to earn a spot in the finals. Iroquois defeated the Saints in the third place game.

The Major League Lacrosse season also came to a close Sunday with the crowning of the 2008 champions. The action started Saturday with the semi-final games and concluded Sunday with the championship game from Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, MA (home of the Boston Cannons). The Rochester Rattlers defeated the Philadelphia Barrage 16-15 in overtime before claiming the championship by beating the Denver Outlaws 16-6. The Outlaws earned a spot in the finals by downing the Los Angeles Riptide 13-12 in their semi-final.

That leaves two other national championships to be decided, the Minto Cup and the Mann Cup. The 2008 Minto Cup (junior A national title) is currently being played for in Calgary with the OLA Orangeville Northmen leading all others at 2-0. The Victoria Shamrocks and Calgary Jr. Mountaineers are at 1-1 and the Edmonton Miners are 0-2. The final will be played on Saturday August 30 at 7:30 PM. The 2008 Mann Cup (senior A title) will be hosted by the winner of the MSL final that has yet to be decided. Game six goes tonight in Peterborough with the Lakers up three games to two against the Brampton Excelsiors. The Western Lacrosse Association champion was decided last night as the New Westminster Salmonbellies took game four of their best of seven series 11-8 against the Coquitlam Adanacs. The ‘bellies finished the regular season as the top team in the nation with a 17-1 record and went through the WLA playoffs undefeated.

MSL Final Series is Set

The Major Series Lacrosse season is down to two teams, the top seeded Brampton Excelsiors and the number two Peterborough Lakers. Brampton earned their spot in the finals by sweeping the Brooklin Redmen in four games in their semi-final series while Peterborough needed five games to put away the St Regis Indians in their semi-finals. Game one will go in Brampton likely on Thursday evening. The schedule is not finalized as of yet so check the MSL website later. The winner of this series will play host to the WLA champion in the Mann Cup in early September.

While the Lakers advanced to the finals in the MSL, the New Westminster Salmonbellies earned the first berth in the WLA finals. They defeated the Victoria Shamrocks four games to none. New West were the top team in the country in the regular season as they posted an almost perfect 17-1 record. In the other semi-final series, the Coquitlam Adanacs hold a two games to one lead against the Burnaby Lakers. Game four goes tonight in Burnaby.

Redmen Season Ends With Sweep

The MSL coaches of the year, Peter Vipond and Wayne Colley, led their rookie laden Brooklin Redmen team into the Iroquois Park Sports Complex Friday night looking for their first win in their semi-final series against the stacked Brampton Excelsiors squad. That was game four, potentially the last game of the season for the Redmen.

After an exciting game three where Brooklin took the action to the Excelsiors, anticipation was high for another close game. Unfortunately, for the Redmen faithful that was not to be. The devastating loss with two seconds to go in game three was too much for the rookie laden Redmen team to overcome. They came out flat for game four and fell behind early. Trailing 5-2 going into the second period the Redmen fought hard but Brampton had all the answers and kept the desperate Redmen to only three more goals in the last two periods.

The Redmen showed sparks of brilliance during the game but their overall play showed the affects of a tough loss two nights before was still in their system. The Excelsiors were also pressing as if trying to make sure there is no repeat of the previous game. Expectations could not have been high for Brooklin going into the series given the makeup of the two teams but the players showed the character of the Redmen organization. After a crushing 13-1 defeat in game one, the Redmen team didn’t lie down and give the series to Brampton. They fought hard and made the top team earn every victory.

Their return to the playoffs after a disappointing season one year ago gave their fans hope for the future. With the 2008 co-rookie of the year, Derek Hopcroft, leading the charge, this team may not be too far from greatness in the coming years. Thanks for a great season Redmen!

Owen Sound Earns Ontario Title

In what was easily the most competitive and intense game of the series, the visiting Owen Sound Woodsmen defeated the Brooklin Merchants 10-7 in game three to earn the Ontario Senior B lacrosse title.

The Woodsmen came out strong to start the game, going ahead 3-0 just over ten minutes in. Brooklin's goal at 13:30 on a delayed penalty seemed to wake the team up as they picked up their play and just missed on several great chances. By the end of the first, the Merchants were down by only two goals at 4-2. The second period was a great action packed period of lacrosse that saw some back and forth play. Brooklin came out of the gates firing as they scored just four seconds into the period and looked to be hungry for the win. Owen Sound was not to be outdone as they scored three straight in about seven minutes to take a four goal lead at 8-4. Brooklin got back to within two goals by the end of the second and closed the gap to 8-7 with just over five minutes to play in the third before Owen Sound put the game away with their ninth goal. An empty netter with under two minutes left finished the scoring.

The Woodies will travel to Sherwood Park, Alberta later this month to compete with the host Outlaws, the Airdrie Knights, the winner of the BC senior B league, the winner of the Quebec senior B league, the winner of the CanAm league and the winner of the ILA league for the 2008 President's Cup. Good Luck Woodsmen. Bring the cup back to Ontario!

(Coincidentally I took the week of the President's Cup off work. Anyone want to spot me a couple plane tickets to Edmonton complete with car rental and hotel accommodations??? Anyone???)

The Finals Begin

The air outside is hot and humid with the sun’s rays successfully penetrating through the haze to ensure the temperature remains hot on this first day of August. As the daylight begins its transition into darkness, the children and adults of this small Ontario town assemble in the small arena in the figurative, if not literal, heart of Brooklin. These citizens are not hunkering down together to escape from the downpour sure to be unleashed by the army of dark clouds silently marching towards them. Not on this night. Tonight this town gathers to watch the greatest game on two feet and cheer on their hometown Merchants in their quest for Ontario Senior B supremacy.

After an exciting overtime win two nights ago against a feisty club from Norwood just to advance to the final series, the Merchants will be looking to put the game away early. Their task will not be an easy one as they face the bronze medal winner and host from last years President’s Cup, the Owen Sound Woodsmen. Led by Wayne Burke, Chris Driscoll and Brady Campbell, the Woddies are a powerful offensive threat. Add a solid netminder between the pipes in Steve Dietrich and the visiting team looks almost unbeatable.

The Merchants did not lead their division by a lucky break, they earned it. Tonight they will show their determination, toughness and team strength that earned them the top spot. The team assistant captains, Barrett Church and Scott Gillingham, lead the balanced attack in these playoffs. Their defense has not backed down all season and will make it tough for the Woddies offense to get the good inside looks. They will force the low percentage shots from the perimeter that will be easily stopped by whichever goalie Brooklin uses tonight.

The stage is finally set. The time is now…or at least a few short hours from now (okay several long hours from now). The Owen Sound Woodsmen against the Brooklin Merchants for the OLA Senior B title. Go Merchants!

Other OLA Playoffs

The OLA Senior B is into their second round, the semi finals. The Owen Sound Woodsmen lost their first game of the playoffs in game one against the Wellington Aces 6-4 but recovered to beat them in game two 7-4 at home. Owen Sound swept the Mohawk Stars in two games to advance to the semis against the division leading Aces. The Brooklin Merchants has a two games to none strangle hold on their semi final series with the Norwood Nitro’s. The potential series clinching game goes on Sunday in Brooklin at 7:00 PM. Norwood took three games to defeat the Ajax-Pickering Rock in their quarter final series.

The OLA Junior A playoffs began Monday July 14 with the four higher seeds winning. Since then most series have been a see-saw battle with the teams trading wins. Two of the four series have been decided while the remaining two are one game away from ending. The St Catharines Athletics were the first team to advance to the semi finals when they defeated the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves 8-4 two days ago to win the series in five games. Last night the Six Nations Arrows joined the Athletics in the semi finals as they dealt the Peterborough Lakers a 15-12 loss in game six. The Burlington Chiefs were on the brink of winning the series over the Akwesasne Indians when an appeal launched by the Indians was decided in their favour forcing the previously forfeited game to be replayed (the Indians were charged with playing two illegal players). Burlington still holds a three games to two lead in the series and can end it tonight at home. In the fourth series, the regular season leading Orangeville Northmen can advance tonight in Brampton with a win against the Excelsiors.

The Clarington Green Gaels took the Halton Hills Bulldogs to five games before losing out in the OLA Junior B quarterfinals. Halton Hills will face the Mimico Mountaineers in the semi finals while the Elora Mohawks will face the Six Nations Rebels in the other semi final match up. Mimico defeated Oakville and Six Nations defeated the Windsor AKO Fratmen three games to one to advance while Elora swept Orangeville in three games to earn a spot in the semis. The lone loss suffered by the Rebels was their first loss in a year. Six Nations won 42 straight games after a July 15, 2007 loss, including a perfect 20-0-0 regular season and a first round playoff sweep of Wallaceburg. Both semi final series get underway Friday night.

MSL Playoffs Begin

The Major Series Lacrosse playoffs got underway last night as the Six Nations Chiefs traveled to Akwesasne to take on the St Regis Indians. Fighting back from a 10-6 deficit after forty minutes, the Six Nations Chiefs went on a run of five straight goals in the final period to defeat the third seed Indians. Craig Point scored the game winner with just over four minutes remaining in the third period on his second goal of the game. Cory Bomberry, Roger Vyse and Delby Powless also netted two goals for the Chiefs. Mark Steenhuis led all scorers with two goals and three assists while John Tavares (winner of the MSL scoring title) scored three goals and added one assist in the loss. The next game is tonight in Akwesasne.

The other quarter final series gets underway tonight as the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks travel down the 401 to Whitby to face off against the Brooklin Redmen. These two teams battled each other tough in three games during the regular season and both finished with 14 points. After they split the first two games, each team winning by a five goal margin, Brooklin won the third match up 12-9 in overtime for the advantage. Game two goes tomorrow night in K-W and game three goes Saturday back in Whitby. If necessary, game 4 is in K-W Sunday and the fifth game is next Tuesday in Whitby.

The top two teams in the regular season get a bye for the first round. Brampton led the league with 29 points (14-3-1) while Peterborough came back from a 2-4 start to finish in second place with 25 points (12-5-1).

It's Playoff Time!

OLA Senior B

Despite scoring 7 more goals then they did in the opening game, the Mohawk Stars were unable to stop the Woodsmen attack and lost 16-11 in what turned out to be the last game of the season for the Stars. Owen Sound won game one in convincing fashion 17-4, and with the win in game two, they advance to the semi-finals. In the East quarter final, the Norwood Nitros struck first, winning game one 13-5 at home, but was unable to complete the two game sweep of the Ajax Pickering Rock by losing in Pickering 15-13 on Sunday evening. The third and deciding game goes Wednesday evening in Norwood. Game time is 8:30 PM.

OLA Junior A

The OLA Junior A regular season has now ended and the quarterfinals are set to begin tonight. The top team in the league, the Orangeville Northmen (19-3-0) faces off against the Brampton Excelsiors; the defending champion Six Nations Arrows face the Peterborough Lakers; St. Catharines Athletics host the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves; and the fourth place Akwesasne Indians look to end the Burlington Chiefs season. All four series begin tonight and, if any goes a full seven games, will end next Thursday.

OLA Junior B

The second round of the OLA Junior B playoffs is two games old with one exception; the Six Nations Rebels has a one game to none lead over the Windsor AKO Fratmen. Elora is up 2-0 on Orangeville while the other two series (Mimico vs. Oakville and Halton Hills vs. Clarington) are tied at one game a piece. The fifth and deciding games in this round is scheduled for July 20 for two series and 21 for the other two series.

Major Series Lacrosse

After a commanding 9-5 victory over the St. Regis Indians Saturday evening, the Brampton Excelsiors have clinched top seed in the MSL with a week left in the season. The defending Mann Cup champion Peterborough Lakers have taken over second spot in the standings while the Indians have fallen into third. The young Brooklin Redmen team have come together nicely winning 4 of their last five games and have jumped into sole possession of fourth place. The KW Kodiaks are in fifth followed by the Barrie Lakeshores while Six Nations is currently in last place sitting one point behind Barrie for the last playoff spot. Other than the top three teams, the playoff picture is still unclear.

OLA Sr. B Playoffs to Begin Friday

At the end of the regular season the Brooklin Merchants and the Wellington Aces sit atop their respective divisions. Brooklin finished with an 8-6-0 record to lead the East while Wellington topped the West with an 11-2-1 record for the best in the league. These two teams get a bye in the first round of playoffs while they await the winners of the quarterfinal series.

The Norwood Nitros finished second behind Brooklin with a 6-6-2 record while the Ajax-Pickering Rock rounded out the East at 5-9-0. This series starts in Norwood on Friday evening, goes to Pickering Sunday evening and returns to Norwood Wednesday evening if necessary. Over in the West, the host of last year’s President’s Cup, the Owen Sound Woodsmen, finished in second spot with an 8-6-0 record while the Mohawk Stars came in last with a 2-11-1 record. This series is scheduled to take place this weekend starting with a Friday evening game in Owen Sound followed by Saturday evening at Mohawk then returning to Owen Sound Sunday if necessary. Teams are playing for the chance to hoist the Clare Levack Memorial Trophy (pictured below) as well as advancing to the national title tournament in Sherwood Park, Alberta to play for the President's Cup.

2008 MSL Season Update

After a slow start to the 2008 Major Series Lacrosse season, the defending Mann Cup champion Peterborough Lakers are back to their winning ways. The Lakers started the season at 2-4 but since their 7-6 loss to the Brampton Excelsiors on June 12 at home, they have gone on to win five straight. With their recent win streak they have pulled to within two points of the league co-leaders Brampton Excelsiors and St. Regis Indians. Peterborough has seven games remaining, four of those against the two bottom dwellers, Barrie Lakeshores and Brooklin Redmen. They also have four games remaining at home where they are 4-1 so far this season.

The two teams above the Lakers in the standings seem to have a tougher road ahead as they each play four of their remaining games on the road and two against each other. Brampton might be seen to have the easier of the two schedules since the two games against St. Regis will be played at home and three of their remaining seven games are against the bottom two teams (Barrie and Brooklin). Other than the two road games against the co-leaders, St. Regis does not face Barrie anymore and only plays Brooklin once. Being on top at the end of the regular season is key for these teams as it should ensure they won’t face the defending champs until the final round.

The standings as of today is as follows:

Team -------- GP W L T Pts
Brampton ----- 11 8 3 0 16
St. Regis ------ 12 8 4 0 16
Peterborough - 11 7 4 0 14
KW Kodiaks ---- 9 4 4 1 9
Six Nations ---- 12 4 8 0 8
Barrie --------- 11 3 7 1 7

Brooklin ------ 10 3 7 0 6