The rankings were shuffled this week and for the first time all season, we have a new number one. With two huge wins in week 4, the Toronto Shooting Stars have moved into the number one spot, a place the Demons had been sitting all year.
#1 (last week 3) Toronto Shooting Stars 3-1
The Toronto Shooting Stars had an impressive weekend and dominated their opponents at both ends of the floor. On Saturday they had no problem getting through the Blizzard in a convincing 18-10 win at home. Mack O’Brien had 3 goals and 3 assists while Brad Levick scored 2 goals and chipped in 3 assists. Joel Wasson-McQuigge was finding everybody on Friday night; he ended the game with 5 assists.
On Monday night the Stars defeated first place Ohsweken by a score of 15-11. Aaron Grayson led the way for Toronto with 2 goals and 4 assists. Angus Dinely played two solid games in net for the Stars, stopping 75 shots in total.
#2 (1) Ohsweken Demons
A tough loss against Toronto on Monday has knocked the Demons out of first spot in the power rankings. Ohsweken looked great on Friday beating Niagara 18-11 but came up short against the Stars two nights later. The Demons still sit a top the CLax standings but second place Toronto has two games in hand. Once again the Demons had huge games from their big three. Delby Powless finished the weekend with 12 points, Roger Vyse had 10, while Wayne VanEvery chipped in with 8.
Ohsweken has a chance to redeem themselves as they meet Toronto again on Friday, this time at home.
#3 (5) Durham TurfDogs
After a week three loss to Toronto, Durham rebounded and were able to squeak out a win versus Iroquois. Scott Defrancesco was on fire for the TurfDogs as he scored 7 goals and added 1 helper.
Nic Grasby had a strong game as well; he had 3 goals to go along with his 7 assists. The TurfDogs travel to Niagara this weekend in a battle for third place overall.
#4 (2) Niagara Lock Monsters
The Lock Monsters dropped 3 spots in this weeks power rankings, the biggest slide of any CLax team. They were blown out by Ohsweken on Friday by a score of 18-11. Niagara looked good in the first half but were outscored 5-1 in the third quarter and couldn’t recover. Goaltending was an issue for the Monsters as both Grant Crawley and Zach Bowen struggled to find their groove. Niagara has a chance to redeem themselves on Sunday when the TurfDogs bark their way into town.
#5 (4) Brampton Inferno
The Inferno were idle this weekend and that’s the only reason they dropped to fifth place in the power rankings. Brampton lost 21-16 to Niagara in week 3 but don’t expect a similar outcome when they host Iroquois on Friday. The Inferno have seen strong seasons from Scott Tinning, Ryan Campbell and John McClure. If these three powerhouses show up to play this weekend, Brampton will be tough to stop. For Brampton to be a contender this year, Jay Preece needs to stay consistent in net.
#6 (6) Barrie Blizzard
Barrie sits 0-2 but in their defense, they have faced the two best teams in the CLax. In week three the Blizzard looked sharp in a 1 goal loss to Ohsweken, a game that could have gone either way. On Sunday they were held scoreless in the fourth quarter against Toronto, which obviously killed any chance of a comeback in that game. Caleb Wiles has been Barrie’s big gun this year; in two games he has 7 goals and 5 assists. The Blizzard face Brampton this weekend in a Saturday Matinee.
#7 (7) Iroquois Ironmen
For the second week in a row, Iroquois are at the bottom of the power rankings. At 0-3 the Ironmen have been the weakest team thus far in the CLax. Chris Attwood has proved to be a great acquisition for Iroquois; he has 19 points in three games. Attwood can’t do it by himself though. If the Ironmen want to win any games this year, he’s going to need a supporting cast. Iroquois has yet to find their number one tender; four different goalies have seen action with the Ironmen this season. The Ironmen look to snap their three game losing streak when they visit Brampton on Friday.
