The Niagara Lock Monsters kicked off their 2014 campaign with a statement, picking up two convincing victories while outscoring their opponents 30-12 on home turf at Seymour Hannah Arena in St. Catharines.
On Saturday, Niagara opened their season against the last place finisher from 2013, the Barrie Blizzard. The Lock Monsters started the game flat, trailing 5-1 half way through the second quarter but clawed back to add 11 unanswered goals establishing a 12-5 lead heading into the final frame. The final score would eventually read 16-8 in favour of the home team and give the Lock Monsters a 1-0 start to the season.
The Lock Monsters picked up where they left off as they picked up another convincing win, this time 14-4 over the Durham TurfDogs. The Lock Monsters jumped out to a two goal lead just over half way through the first quarter as Orangeville Jr. A product Tyler Caravlho and St. Catharines, ON native Andrew Potter opened the scoring. The TurfDogs would reply with three goals of their own from first round pick Nick Diachenko and a pair from fellow rookie Dylan Goddard. For the second straight day Niagara would go on a game-clinching run, scoring 11 unanswered goals. The two traded goals in the fourth, but nothing that would spark a comeback for Durham.
“Our coaches have the ability to easily identify what the problems are,” said defender Bryan Campbell. “Their lacrosse knowledge is top-notch. They installed several packages on both ends of the floor that made it easier to contain them as well as continue to put the ball in the net.” No surprise as Potter led the way all weekend, netting five goals and seven assists for an outstanding 12 points in two games. Niagara’s 2013 leading scorer Corey Fowler chipped in a pair of goals and five helpers for seven points in the two dominant victories. Netminder Connor Danko earned two victories this weekend, building off his impressive rookie campaign. The 2013 Goaltender of the Year was stellar in both wins, including shutting the door during the fourth quarter in the victory over Durham.
“Danko without a doubt was the MVP last weekend,” said Campbell. “He made saves that should not have been made which made our defense look that much better.”
A potential breakout season for Travis Gibbons may come to fruition as the hometown product had an excellent weekend nabbing eight points which included six goals, two shy of his season total from last year. The Canisius College grad can greatly impact the Niagara offense if he can continue his play from this past weekend.
“It’s amazing for us that it’s not just a couple of guys that have the ability to put the ball in the net on cue,” said Campbell. “For any team, it is tough to contain a player who has a natural capability to score. But if you have multiple players that can do that, pretty difficult to stop them.”
The Lock Monsters will look to stay perfect as they take on the Barrie Blizzard once again, this time at the Molson Centre in Barrie, ON. Faceoff is set for 2 pm on Sunday.
