The defending Mann Cup champion Peterborough Lakers (2-1) will travel to the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena to take on the Six Nations Chiefs (1-1) for a Sunday afternoon game.
Reigning NLL MVP Shawn Evans, who led the league in points (112) and assists (80), has continued his offensive momentum with Peterborough. Evans leads the Lakers in scoring with five goals and six assists for 21 points. Evans’ has not only led the Lakers in scoring thus far, he also stands out as a veteran on a new look Peterborough squad that includes various roster changes. Josh Gillam and Jordan Macintosh have stepped up in the absence of some more familiar faces in the Peterborough line-up, with 15 and 21 points, respectively. John Grant Jr. and Tracey Kelusky, who have appeared in just one game each, will be counted on to be key performers versus the Chiefs if the veteran duo are able to suit up.
Six Nations will play in their third game of the new season, having previously opened their campaign with an 18-10 home win over the Oakville Rock. Leading the Chiefs in the victory was Craig Point with four goals and four assists for eight points. After their season opening win, Six Nations ran into some bad luck on Wednesday evening when their game versus the hosti Brooklin Redmen was cancelled, with 7:39 to play in the second period and the Chiefs in the lead 5-4, due to unsafe floor conditions. The game was then moved to an alternate floor in the the Iroquois Park Sports Centre where the home Redmen eventually captured a 10-9 victory.
While Peterborough is in the midst of a transitional period for some of their less experienced additions, the Chiefs feature a roster that is stacked with NLL stand-outs including the likes of Colin Doyle, Casey Beirnes, Roger Vyse, Stephen Keough and Cody Jamieson. The NLL heavy roster of the Chiefs will provide Peterborough’s young newcomers with a early chance to test their MSL readiness. This core group of youthful players that will be looked at to contribute alongside Laker vets includes Mark Farthing, Eric Bissell, Michael Thomas, Pete Rennie, as well as rookies Robert Hope and Matt Crough.
Face-off for Sunday’s game is set for 2 p.m. at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena.
