The Oakville Buzz 2012 season came to an end Sunday night as they fell for the third straight game to the hands of the first seed Akwesasne Indians. After upsetting the Indians in game one to a score of 10-9, Akwesasne turned the tables and won the remaining games to win the series.
In game two at the Hive, Oakville headed into the third period only down 5-3 but was only able to find the back of the net once while Akwesasne scored 5.
The storyline was similar in the Turtledome as the Buzz struggled to score in the 3rd period in both games. In game 3, the score was tied 7-7 going into the final frame but Akwesasne goaltender Jake Lazore shut the door on the Buzz while the Indians buried 5.
In game 4, the scene was far too familiar as the scoreboard read 7-7 after 40 minutes yet again. This time, Oakville came out to a hot start scoring two key goals in the first 4 minutes. Unfortunately, the Buzz would only pot one more goal in the remainder of the game while the Indians scored 6 times.
Before the weekend trip veteran Bryan Campbell stressed how his team needed to play 60 minutes of lacrosse if they wanted to win. Although the plan was to play for three full periods, the Buzz did not follow through. “Lacrosse is a 60 minute sport, and you cannot take shifts off because a team like Akwesasne will capitalize, and that is exactly what happened†said Campbell.
Campbell was not the only one who noticed the letdowns as Mike Beirgard strongly agreed with his teammate. “There was a time during the third were we didn’t play up to our potential and they took full advantage of it†said Beirgard.
Sunday night Ian Duffy, Bryan Campbell, Rob Bentivegna, Ryan Cavanagh, Sam White, Alex Kruse, Jake Jagodkin, Alex Whiffing and Spencer Gallant donned the black, gold and white for the last time.
“We may not have reached our ultimate goal, there was a lot of positives to take from this year†said the new Buzz alumni Campbell. “We were consistently competitive with every team, including Halton, the Gaels and the Indians. We battled every game and I have no regrets on effort of my team or myself. I wouldn’t have asked to play with a better group of guys.â€
Duffy, an Ajax goaltender acquired from the Toronto Beaches Jr B. in 2010 holds Oakville a special place in his heart, just like a home. “I’m thankful for the opportunity that Oakville gave me to play competitive lacrosse for an elite organization†said the 2011 team MVP. “A lot of great people and great memories that will never be forgotten. It is unfortunate that we could never win the big game but at the end of the year only one team gets to hoist the trophy.â€
Duffy finishes a great career with 30 OJBLL wins; 28 of them wearing a Buzz jersey, 6.99 GAA and a save percentage of .806. He also was the second goalie in Oakville Buzz franchise history to record a shutout after 12-0 win over the Mississauga Tomahawks on May 25th.
Spencer Gallant climbed his way up many franchise leader lists during his final junior career. Gallant finished his 5 year career with 212 points, sitting him in fourth on the all time Buzz scoring leaders behind his brother, Braden Gallant who recorded 236 points. Gallant also played 105 games, passing Buzz legend and current assistant coach Michael Bentivegna who played in 103 games.
Although Oakville are losing 10 players, the Buzz are still excited and optimistic for next season. “It will hurt losing 10 players but we have a great core of key returning players†said Beirgard. “Not to mention, the Oakville minor system has continued to produce great players.â€
The top 5 scorers this playoffs are all eligible to return for the next season. Those 5 players are Todd Nakasuji, Keyan McQueen, Mike Beirgard, Greg Campbell and Sam Neeb.
Although Oakville’s season was cut short and expectations were not met, with young talent remaining on roster, the future looks bright for the Buzz.
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