After a one-week hiatus, the ILWT Canadian Lacrosse League Power Rankings are back.
1. Ohsweken Demons (4-0) Last Week: 2
The Ohsweken Demons continue their domination in 2014, holding a 4-0 record while outscoring their opponents 90-50. Chris Attwood’s impressive 38 points leads not only the Demons, but all CLax scorers. Wayne VanEvery’s consistent knack for the net has been vital to the success of the Demons. The 2013 goal scoring champion has picked up where he left off last year, as in just three games played he has lit the lamp 17 times. The Demons have a busy weekend with a pair of games on tap, Friday at home to second place Niagara Lock Monsters (4-1) and Saturday to the struggling Durham Turfdogs (1-4). If the Demons continue to fill the net on a nightly basis, the rest of CLax will have a hard time keeping up with the high flying offense of Ohsweken.
2. Niagara Lock Monsters (4-1) Last Week: 1
After suffering their first loss of the 2014 season, the Niagara Lock Monstes got a well-deserved weekend of rest. The club currently is tied with Ohsweken for first with eight points, although the Demons have one game in hand. The Lock Monsters will seek vengeance of their only loss this season as they travel to the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena Friday night to take on Ohsweken in a battle for first place. It will be interesting to see which Lock Monster goaltender gets the nod as starting netminder Connor Danko has been shaky as of late, being pulled in his last three starts and relieved for former Rochester Knighthawk Grant Crawley and rookie David DiRuscio.
3. SouthWest Cyclops (2-2) Last Week: 4
After starting their season 0-2, the SouthWest Cyclops have hit their stride and evened out their record to 2-2. The two wins came against Durham to scores of 12-9 and 18-14. Leading the offensive charge for the Cyclops is rookie Mike Burke who has netted 22 points in four games. Jimmy Purves has been a transition force, tallying 11 goals, five of them coming in the victory over Durham this past Saturday. The 2013 NLL Champion has 15 points, tied for second on the team with Brampton, ON native Shane Scott. Rookie and Toronto Beaches product Matt Spanger has been a boost for the Cyclops offense, finding the back of the net four times and chipping in four helpers for eight points in just four games. SouthWest will look to get above .500 this weekend as they take on the last place Barrie Blizzard at the ILA on Saturday, March 1 at 8 pm.
4. Durham Turfdogs (1-4) Last Week: 2
The woes continue for the Turfdogs as they have only posted one “W” in the win column after the first five games of the 2014 season. A bright spot for Durham has been the offensive production of rookie Dylan Goddard. The Courtice, ON native has found the back of the net eight times, while adding 11 helpers for a solid 19 points in five games during his inaugural CLax campaign. Jordan Robertson had a breakout game against SouthWest this past Saturday adding three goals and two assists for five points. The former Toronto Beaches captain brought his point total to seven in three games. Veteran Brad Levick has been solid this year netting seven goals and four helpers for 11 points in just three games played. The Turfdogs have to find a way to tighten up their play in their own end to turn their season around.
5. Barrie Blizzard (0-4) Last Week: 5
Four games into the season and the Barrie Blizzard are still in the hunt for their first win of 2014. The biggest storyline for the Blizzard has been former Durham Turfdog General Manager Jonas Derks leading Barrie in points with 15 (5 G, 10 A) in just three games. Closely behind is 2013 Rookie of the Year Caleb Wiles with 13 points and Kitchener, ON native Eric Benesch with 12. Goaltending has been an issue for the Blizzard as three different netminders have stepped between the pipes with Derek Collins, Scotty Komer and most recently Angus Dinley. The issue may not be goaltending as much as defense as Barrie has given up a dismal 218 shots in four games. The Blizzard will look for their first win of the season as they take on the red hot SouthWest Cyclops this Saturday (March 1) at the ILA.
