While a chosen few Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) stars took their talents to Denver with hopes of capturing Gold, some of the game’s most talented continued battle up North in Week 7 MSL action.
The Oakville Rock (4-8) kicked things off with a Monday night victory, doubling up on the Brampton Excelsiors (4-8) 12-6. Oakville’s ‘Big Three’ of Rob Hellyer (3G, 5A), Stephan Leblanc (3G, 4A), and Shayne Adams (2G, 5A) combined for 22 points in the win. After a mid-week loss to the Peterborough Lakers (7-6), the Rock were able to bounce back with a 7-6 win over the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks (5-7). Leblanc (2G, 1A) and Hellyer (1G, 2A) once again led the Rock offensively with three points each. ThoughAdams was held to a lone helper versus K-W, it proved timely as the St. Catharine’s product assisted on Hellyer’s game-winning tally with less than a minute to play. Leblanc currently leads the Rock offensively with 37 points (17G, 20), while Hellyer and Adams sit tied for second with identical stats, each scoring 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points.
After opening the week with a loss to Oakville, Brampton broke a four-game losing streak picking up a pair of upset victories versus the Brooklin Redmen (11-2) and the Six Nations Chiefs (7-7).
Kevin Ross (3G, 4A) and Joe Resetarits (2G, 4A) led the Excelsiors to a 14-12 overtime win over the first place Redmen, with Resetarits scoring the game-winner. Mike Burke (2G, 2A) and Pat Saunders (4A) also had strong showings in the high scoring bout, each notching four points.
Brampton carried this momentum into a matchup with Six Nations, earning their first consecutive wins of the season by defeating the Chiefs 4-3. Tye Belanger turned aside 53 of 56 shots to give the Excelsiors the win, while Chiefs’ netminder Evan Kirk was also impressive making 47 saves in a losing effort. Colin Doyle made his Six Nations season debut in the loss, scoring once while adding an assist. Brady Heseltine netted the game-winning goal for Brampton, in the second period of play, while adding an assist in the win.
Brooklin’s Kiel Matisz continued his recent offensive outburst scoring five points (1G, 4A) in the Redmen’s 12-7 win over K-W. Goaltender Mike Poulin earned the victory for Brooklin with 50 saves versus his former team. Mike Teeter, included in the Poulin trade, scored once against his former Kodiak teammates.
Despite hitting the floor just once during Week 7, Peterborough star Mark Steenhuis separated from the pack in the MSL scoring race with a seven-point (5G, 2A) effort in a win over Oakville. Entering Week 8, Steenhuis’ is the only MSL player to surpass 50 points (31G, 31A, 62PTS) thus far, as Brooklin’s Shayne Jackson (20G, 26A, 40PTS) sits second offensively league-wide.
