Last season the Peterborough Lakers came within one win of knocking off the defending and eventual Mann Cup champion Six Nations Chiefs. The Lakers let a late lead in Game 6 of the Ontario final slip away, before losing 9-5 on their home floor in Game 7. Being so close last season the Lakers are once again in prime position to contend for an Ontario Championship and Mann Cup Championship. The Lakers boast arguably the best goaltending tandem in lacrosse with Matt Vinc and Evan Kirk tending goal. Kirk had an interesting offseason as he was dealt from Six Nations to K-W, and then to Peterborough. Kirk brings back to back Mann Cup championship experience to a club already loaded with experience and skill in goal. In Matt Vinc the Lakers have the best goalie in the game; acquiring Kirk from K-W essentially gave the Lakers the top two goalies in lacrosse assuring themselves they will always have an elite goaltender between the pipes. Defensively the Lakers will deal with the loss of Andrew Suitor to a torn ACL and the retirements of Daryl Gibson and Stephen Hoar. With that being said the Lakers have added Chad Tutton to the mix in a deal with the Brampton Excelsiors, while they return a strong combination of youth and veteran skill to form arguably one of the top defensive units in the league. Leading that defensive unit will be the likes of Scott Self, Brad Self, Kyle Sorensen and Robert Hope. Nick Weiss, Brock Sorensen, Mark Farthing and Andrew Watt will all also play huge roles on the back end. Up front the addition of Curtis Dickson will only bolster an already potent offensive attack. Dickson will join NLL leading goal scorer Shawn Evans on the Lakers right side to form one of the most deadliest combos in the Major Series. Mark Steenhuis will again join Evans on the Lakers right side and should see time in his comfortable transition role. It’s possible we also see Aaron Wilson see time on the Lakers right side, while youngster Matt Crough will undoubtedly get in games as the season roles on. John Grant Jr. has yet to make his intentions clear to the Lakers staff, however it’s expected he’ll likely join the Lakers once again in 2015. Until his arrival expect Adam Jones who had 93 points in the NLL this season to lead the left side of the Lakers offense. Chad Culp and Cory Vitarelli provide excellent depth on the Lakers left side, while Josh Gillam is also expected to join the club when he recovers from an injury. Gillam’s projected return time is mid to late July. With a strong combination of youth, experience, size, physicality and speed you can expect the Lakers to be a handful this season, as they have only added to an already deep and strong roster in 2015.
2. Brooklin Redmen
The Brooklin Redmen went 14-4 to finish first place in the MSL regular season standings. Their reward for the excellent regular season? A first round match up with the defending Mann Cup Champion Six Nations Chiefs. The Chiefs went on to physically dominate the much younger and undersized Redmen, defeating them four games to one. With that being said, last season was the second straight season we saw Brooklin dominate the regular season, as their young stars really shined bright. Last season Shayne Jackson made his Brooklin Redmen debut after starting his Major career out west with the Langley Thunder. Jackson went on to lead the Redmen in scoring with 57 points in 15 games. Curtis Knight and Shawn Williams, who finished second and third in scoring last season for the Redmen aren’t expect to start the season with the club as Knight rehabs from a knee injury, while Williams’ status is up in the air. Veteran righty Derek Hopcroft is expected to return this season, however he too is rehabbing from a knee injury suffered late last season and will likely be unavailable until later on in the season. Offensively the Redmen will be young, as Whitby Warriors graduate Reilly O’Connor is expected to step right in and contribute, while second year Redmen right Dan Lintner will be expected to improve upon his 44 point rookie campaign. Kiel Matisz should see time up front, at least until the roster takes its final shape, while CLAX star Mike Teeter will likely see an expanded role on the Redmen offense while the status of some players is sorted out. Defensively the Redmen are young and deep, however they are led by veterans Derek Suddons, Dan Ball and Scott Gamble. Expect to see Steve Priolo, Sheldon Burns, Jordan Houtby, Graeme Hossack, Kevin Brownell and Cam Holding to return to the Redmen back end as well, solidifying a strong defensive unit. In goal the tandem of Mike Poulin and Zack Higgins is a formidable one, as Mike Poulin has proven to be an elite goalie over his career, despite a lesser than stellar NLL season with Calgary. With that being said a strong summer season may be in the cards for Poulin as he looks to bounce back from the aforementioned round NLL year. While there are some question marks surrounding the Redmen roster early on, this young team has proved time and time again they belong in the top tier of this league and I believe they’ll prove it again in 2015.
3. Oakville Rock
The Oakville Rock made a series of offseason trades to form a roster eerily similar to the one the Toronto Rock fields each week during the NLL season. After narrowly missing out on the playoffs last season, Oakville decided enough was enough and went out and acquired big name players Brodie Merrill, Brett Hickey, Kevin Ross, Glen Bryan and Steve Fryer. The Rock also added a quartet of talented rookies to the fold, as Dan Lomas and Bryan Cole join the Rock from the Burlington Chiefs Jr. A club, while Brier Jonathan joins Oakville from the Six Nations Arrows and Zach Bell comes to the Rock from the Brampton Jr. A Excelsiors. However with additions, deletions are inevitable as the Rock see Ethan O’Connor, Patrick Miles, Jordan MacIntosh, Mike Mawdsley, Aaron Brown, Jacob Ruest and Robert Koger leave the fold. Nonetheless expect the Rock to be a force to be reckoned with this season as they return an impressive crop of offensive guns led by Toronto Rock stars Rob Hellyer and Stephan Leblanc. Joining Hellyer and Leblanc on the Rock offense will be Colorado Mammoth prized possession Jeremy Noble, Shayne Adams, and Patrick Corbett. The additions of Brett Hickey and Kevin Ross up front give the Rock much needed depth offensively, as last season if the big guns weren’t going the Rock offense struggled. Defensively the Oakville Rock will look similar to the Toronto Rock as you can expect Oakville to deploy a physical, in your face, athletic defense, that will push the pace in transition. Leading that defense will be young elite defenders Jason Noble and Alex Crepinsek, while Brodie Merrill will undoubtedly be the unquestioned leader when he is able to dress with the club. The physicality of Billy Hostrawser and Mike Lum-Walker (who is expected to see some time in Sr. B as well) will put some fear into the opposition, while the additions of Glen Bryan, Mark White and Brier Jonathan will add to the depth of the d-core. In goal Nick Rose will take the ball and run with it, over this season he will have a much more capable back up pushing him for starts as the Rock acquired Steve Fryer from the K-W Kodiaks. Fryer is currently the Toronto Rock’s third string goalie and has quickly become one of the top young goalies in the league. With Oakville really solidifying their roster this season offseason, they’ll force the K-W Kodiaks from the playoff picture in 2015. Don’t be shocked to see the Oakville Rock to continue to wheel and deal as the season rolls on as they look poised to make a run at things this season.
4. Six Nations Chiefs
Yes, the defending back to back Mann Cup Champions are ranked fourth in this season preview. While we all know this team comes alive during the playoffs, they struggle at times during the regular season as they struggled to field a consistent lineup. In employing so many elite lacrosse players on their team the Chiefs have to deal with a series of reasons why guys can’t make games early on, but that hasn’t seemed to hinder them in the past two seasons. With that being said the Chiefs will be in tough to repeat once again and pull off the back to back to back championship run as not only did teams around them get stronger, they lost a couple key pieces. Gone from last year’s squad is Evan Kirk who was the back bone of this club through the regular season while Brandon Miller was recovering from an injury suffered during the NLL season. And team leader Cody Jamieson will likely miss the entire summer season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Colin Doyle’s status for this season is also up in the air as it’s unknown if he’ll need/want time to rest his surgically repaired shoulder following the NLL season. With that being said the Chiefs are still an elite club and still will win their fair share of regular season games. Brandon Miller will be the Chiefs starting goalie this season, however he’ll miss games early on as the Rock toil for the NLL title. Expect Brennor Jacobs who’s been the teams third string goalie for the past two seasons to possibly see some action early on, while Six Nations Rivermen Senior B goaltenders Chase Martin and Warren Hill may also see some action. The addition of Dillon Ward in goal softens the move of Evan Kirk, as Ward will likely see the bulk of the goaltending duty during the 2015 regular season, as Kirk did last year, before Miller took over come playoff time. Defensively the big bad Chiefs lost Rory Smith from their back end, but did add 107 point transition star Dhane Smith to the roster. Smith plays a transition role with the Bandits during the NLL season and if he can replicate that role with the Chiefs their back end could have a whole new element to it. Expect veterans Sid Smith, Rob Marshall, Jesse Gamble, Ian Llord, Dan Coates, David Brock, Jon Sullivan and Billy Dee Smith to return to the fold for the Chiefs, while Colin Boucher will also likely see some time this season. Jake Crans, Rodd Squire and Tory Gardner will likely bounce between the Major Series and Senior B, contributing to both Six Nations Senior d-cores. Offensively Jeff Shattler, Johnny Powless and Stephen Keogh will be asked to carry the load, while Cody Jamieson rehabs from an injury and Colin Doyle decides his fate. Kasey Beirnes, Randy Staats and Craig Point will need to contribute on a regular bases to keep the Chiefs producing potently, while wildcards Dean Hill, Alex Kedoh Hill and Roger Vyse should also have impacts in Six Nations this season. I fully expect the Chiefs to be in fine form by the time playoffs roll around, and you can expect them to add another big name or two as the season rolls around. Look for the Chiefs to battle for Ontario for a third straight season.
5. Brampton Excelsiors
This is the year the Excelsiors get out of the basement, however I don’t yet think it’s time for the Excelsiors to return to the playoffs. Brampton has added a ton of young local talent, addressed their goaltending needs and even strengthened their offense, however the rest of the Major Series has gotten better as well. In goal the Excelsiors will deploy a threesome of Anthony Cosmo, Tyler Carlson and Tye Belanger. Cosmo usually doesn’t commit to a full summer leaving starts for other netminders, Belanger splits his time with Wallaceburg of the senior B loop, while Carlson has been committed in Peterborough the past few seasons. Nonetheless it’s evident the Excelsiors are well stocked in goal in 2015. Defensively the Excelsiors actually have one of the best d-core for the past three or four years despite a lack of wins being racked up. Chris Corbeil and Kyle Rubisch who are two of the better defenders in all of lacrosse lead the Excelsiors d-core, while the recently acquired Ethan O’Connor and draft picks Tyler Ferreira, Matthew Bennett, Connor Campbell and Jayson Crawford will solidify the depth of the Excelsiors defense. Expect veteran Sandy Chapman to also return to Brampton this season along with Mike Kirk and Jimmy Purves. Offensively the Excelsiors moved out Kevin Ross, Mark White and Chad Tutton, but Pat Saunders, Joe Resetarits, Mike Burke and Brady Heseltine are all expected to return. Brandon Benn should also have a stronger season in 2015, playing a more regular role with the squad, while Mike Mawdsley who was acquired from Oakville should also contribute in a depth role. Brampton is much stronger and deeper this season, however they are still a few too many pieces short to compete with the four big guns in the MSL.
6. K-W Kodiaks
After barley holding on to the fourth and final playoff seed last season, the Kodiaks are finally faced with realization that they will be in tough to stay out of the MSL basement in 2015. The Kodiaks lose big name players Dillon Ward, Glen Bryan and Jay Thorimbert this season, making their attempt to once again be a playoff team that much more difficult. However the Kodiaks won’t dwell on who isn’t there, and they’ll focus on who is there. Ryan Benesch will return offensively following his 113 point NLL season. He’ll be joined up front by Jamie Rooney as well as Jordan Critch and Corey Fowler who will both split time with the Kodiaks and St. Catharines Saints of the Ontario Senior B loop. Matt McLeod who plays in a transition role will also split time this season playing major with the Kodiaks and senior B with his hometown Owen Sound North Stars. Expect rookies Mike McDonald, Jordan Dance and Jordan Robertson to also have an impact on the Kodiaks offense from day one. Mitch Wilde and Joey Cupido will provide the Kodiaks with some offense from the back end as the speedy transition players often find their way into the offensive zone. Defensively impactful rookie Derek Searle will join Cody McMahon, Craig England, Jamie Batson, Mike Woods and Blair Goss to be a young physical defense with strong athletic ability. If the Kodiaks can get Joel Matthews to return this season their offense will have a big gun opposite to Benesch to work off of, which will undoubtedly open things up for Benesch. You can also expect to see Junior KW Braves scoring star Chris Coloutier up with the Kodiaks a ton this season, as he has proven he can contribute at the MSL level. Kodiaks GM Steve Dietrich who acquired Jordan MacIntosh from Oakville this past week mentioned he did not expect MacIntosh to join the Kodiaks this season. Dietrich also plans to make contact with Garrett Billings who’s rights were acquired from Six Nations this offseason, to gauge his interest in playing this season.
