The Barrie Blizzard will try to end their four game losing streak this Saturday when they face the Durham TurfDogs who are coming off a tough loss versus Brampton. Barrie has been struggling all season but are due to explode any game now. Question is will that game be this weekend? Not if Durham has anything to say about it; the TurfDogs haven’t lot two in a row all season and they’re not looking to set that trend now.
Although they sit at 3-2 and fifth in the CLax standings the TurfDogs have looked like a number one team. Both their losses have been by a single goal including an overtime thriller against the Toronto Shooting Stars in week three. They’ve been consistent all year and have showed up to play the full 60 minutes every game; they are one of the only CLax teams that is able to boast that.
Mitch Dumont has worked hard in Durham’s first five games. His presence has been felt every shift and he’s been a valuable asset to his team. Nic Grasby of course has been leading the Turfdogs from day one. Grasby has 9 goals and 12 assists and has been virtually impossible for defenders to contain. The double team doesn’t work on Grasby either because opponents can’t afford to leave anyone else open; Shane Scott, Dan Ransom, Tyler Tanguay and Scott Defrancesco are all averaging at least three points per game.
The Blizzard on the other hand aren’t as well balanced and have had to rely on their big three for the majority of their offense this season. Caleb Wiles (26pts), Mike Teeter (18pts) and Jason Mainer (16pts) are the only Barrie players with point totals reaching the double digits. Goaltending has been the only thing steady for the Blizzard; Scott Komer has been standing on his head. He’s been so good in fact that the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League called him up last weekend to back up their starter Anthony Cosmo.
This was just a temporary move though as Kurtis Wagar is all healed up and will be on the Bandits bench this weekend. Komer’s only weak game this season was in week three in an 18-10 loss at Toronto when he let in 10 goals on 19 shots before getting pulled. That game was hardly his fault; the Blizzard hung him out to dry that night.
Saturday’s matinee is a 2pm start at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa Ontario.
We’ll have the game for you live on The Lacrosse Radio Network, the only all lacrosse station in the world.
