Arenas with plenty of tradition are great to be in to watch any sport, let alone lacrosse. But it usually means they fall short of the amenities modern multifunctional facilities take for granted; amenities such as internet, accessible seating, media galleries and air conditioning. On Wednesday night the Peterborough Lakers, who play in their own historic building, travelled to the Iroquois Sports Park in Whitby to take on the Brooklin Redmen. The meeting would be hotly contested as Peterborough looked to avoid a season sweep, while Brooklin would be trying to hold on to top spot in MSL standings. It would also be hotly contested as a heat wave in the Toronto area had temperatures reaching past the thirty Celsius mark (approaching ninety Fahrenheit) before factoring in the ridiculous humidity in the air. Fatigue would become a factor.
Brooklin’s game didn’t start well as they were still piecing together their lineup half an hour before the game. As a result, they missed their informal warm-up and decided to take an extended warm-up in full gear. Meanwhile, at the other end of the floor, Peterborough did the exact opposite opting for an extended informal warm-up and no warm-up in gear/jerseys as their roster was set and ready to go, including Tyler Carlson and Jordan MacIntosh who *came over in a trade earlier in the week*#.
The game all night had an edge to it as the two teams finished their season series, and both teams were vying for top spot in the MSL’s East Division, and overall standings. After Wes McDonald took his second penalty of the game just eight minutes into the game, Tracey Kelusky scored his first of two in the period. Scott Campbell would put Brooklin on the board two minutes later. The teams would share goals thirty seconds apart before Brooklin ended the period on a three goal run to lead 4-3 after one.
It took Scott Self less than four minutes into the second to tie the game. Brooklin responded with John LaFontaine in the box for interference off an extremely aggressive pick flattened his defender. The chippiness continued with Mark Steenhuis taking a high sticking penalty on a dead ball. Tyler Patterson would score with the teams four on four. After the LaFontaine penalty expired, MacIntosh would score his first as a Laker to re-tie it. Patterson would add a second goal with seven to play before emotions erupted on the floor.
Dan Ball and Shawn Evans had been playing each other hard all night. As Evans went by Ball on his way to the net, he punched Ball in the facemask. Both players immediately dropped the gloves and wrestled each other to the floor. They were assessed off setting roughing penalties for the skirmish with an additional roughing minor going to Evans for the initial ‘improvised swim move’. A scrum in the final minute of the period along the boards knocked Kelusky’s helmet free. As he got up to protest, it drew a crowd. As the dust settled Kelusky and Scott Campbell each drew two for roughing and Steenhuis and Geoff Griffiths drew two for unsportsmanlike conduct. Mac Allen would draw a bit of a weak holding call, but a holding call nonetheless. With the teams playing three-on-three, Josh Wasson-McQuigge used the mostly empty floor to sneak onto the crease and bury it for Peterborough to send the teams to the rooms with Brooklin still up by one, 7-6.
Due to the previous two penalties, Mac Allen’s would not start until the third as teams must start with three runners. Still playing three-on-three Shawn Evans again tied the score early for Peterborough. It would lead to a four goal run, the second starting just as Allen’s penalty expired. Cory Vitarelli scored twice in the run and John Grant Jr added the fourth. It appeared as if Brooklin were beginning to tire due to their late lineup issues and the heat but Tyler Patterson and Josh Ruys combined to bring Brooklin within one. With Aaron Bold on the bench, and less than a minute on the clock, Brad Self chased the ball the length of the floor and used a quick stick move to put it into the empty net with a man on him to ice the game. The final horn would end the hot night with an 11-9 final for Peterborough.
As mentioned, the game was tight the entire way until Peterborough outscored Brooklin 5-2 in the final frame. Brooklin’s defence missed assignments down the stretch and didn’t show the hustle they had earlier, while Peterborough was solid throughout. The Redmen did manage forty-nine shots on Tyler Carlson, but it was their 0-5 powerplay that hurt them on this night. Peterborough has a tendency to take emotional penalties and they did again on Wednesday, but this time Brooklin couldn’t capitalize.
Carlson was solid in his debut for Peterborough stopping forty shots, while his counterpart Aaron Bold was shouldered with the loss despite making forty-five saves on fifty-six shots. Â Both teams will face the Ajax Rock in their next game with Peterborough playing them on Thursday at home, while Brooklin will travel down the street to face the Rock on Saturday.
