The Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks were able to level the playing field in Game Two of their opening round Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) playoff series with the Peterborough Lakers after capturing a 13-7 road win Tuesday night.
K-W jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, finishing the first period with a 4-2 advantage thanks to apair of tallies from recent Buffalo Bandits’ signee Corey Fowler.
Ryan Benesch notched a pair of goals in the second frame to complete an early hat-trick. K-W Braves Jr. A standout Chris Cloutier also scored twice, while Jamie Rooney added a marker giving the Kodiaks a commanding 9-4 lead heading into the final frame.
Peterborough would attempt to chip away at the advantage in the third period, as John Grant Jr.’s second goal of the game brought the score to 11-6 with ten minutes remaining in regulation. K-W was able to thwart all comeback attempts from Peterborough, eventually securing the win with two emptynet goals courtesy of Joey Cupido and Jay Thorimbert.
Cloutier (3G, 3A) led K-W to victory with an outstanding six points. Benesch, who was held to a lone assist in Game One, exploded offensively in Game Two with three goals and two assists for five points. Fowler (2G, 1A) had another strong showing for the Kodiaks, as the righty sniper leads the squad in playoff scoring with seven points (4G, 3A) in two games. Former Brooklin Redmen Mike Melnychenko dished out five assists.
Shawn Evans and Mark Steenhuis each registered four points (2G, 2A) in the Lakers’ losing effort, while Grant posted three points (2G, 1A).
After Game One saw the Lakers outscore the Kodiaks 11-2 in the final two periods, K-W was able to bounce back with a vengeance en route to a Game Two victory as Peterborough trailed by no less than two goals for the duration of the game.
Dillon Ward picked up his first career MSL postseason win, turning aside 47 of 54 shots.
The Kodiaks will host the upcoming twogames of the series at the Waterloo Memorial Centre. Faceoff for Game 3 is set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m.
