Major Series Lacrosse has reached the playoffs. Before the first game of the season, every team had already clinched their berth. However, home floor and, of course, pride was on the line all season long. With the Mann Cup in the MSL Champion’s barn this year, the road to the big dance becomes even more important. While the fans sit and watch the battles begin, they will be joined by both the Six Nations Chiefs and the Brooklin Redmen, winners of their respective divisions – West and East.
(Writer’s Note: seedings in brackets denote team’s final position in overall standings)
East Division Semi Finals: (3) Peterborough Lakers vs (6) Ajax Rock
Peterborough took game one of the series Friday evening, but was there any doubt they would? Ajax was only able to manage one win this season – a 13-6 stunner against the Brooklin Redmen. They were one win away from two other victories – 11-10 against Brampton, and 12-11 against the Redmen – but otherwise their season has been a forgettable one. The Rock is still in their development years, and will be for the foreseeable future if this season is any indication. Trading away Tyler Carlson and Jordan MacIntosh earlier this season didn’t help.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are, well, the Lakers. What else do you expect from the perennial favourites in the MSL? The team comprised of NLL All-Stars combined for a staggering +57 goal differential on the season leading the league in goals scored, and finishing second in goals against. Looking at the rosters before the season, the only question mark could maybe have been goaltending. Nothing against Kevin Croswell and Angus Goodleaf, but their names do not match the others on Peterborough’s roster in terms of status. Tyler Carlson was brought in to shore up the staff, and has performed well. Credit to Croswell, however, who has now seen two goalies brought in to try and take his spot away.
It is slightly surprising the Peterborough Lakers are even in this series. They finished just one win behind the Brooklin Redmen for top spot in the East, and the overall lead in MSL standings. While the Lakers know how to score, and win, they only figured out how to defeat the two teams above them once in a combined six games – an 11-9 win in Brooklin. While they weren’t able to win those games, they outscored the Rock 55-19 in four games sweeping the season series. There is no reason why they shouldn’t sweep the playoff series as well.
West Division Semi Finals: (4) Brampton Excelsiors vs (5) Kitchener/Waterloo Kodiaks
This could be the most intriguing matchup of the post-season. The defending Mann Cup champions come into the playoffs with the worst goals scored total in the league, the second worst goals allowed record, and a 500 record. Part of the reason why they performed below expectations was due simply to their team chemistry. A number of young players had a chance to show their skills with veterans getting numerous nights off. However, up and down the lineup, the big names have their six games needed to qualify for the post-season. What will the chemistry be like for Brampton once everyone is in, something they only experienced once earlier this season? In that game they beat Ajax, scoring their highest goal output of the year 11-10, on a final minute goal by Dan Dawson.
Across the floor, Kitchener has fielded the exact same lineup from day one. The only addition has been Junior A scoring champion Dhane Smith who has fit into the roster nicely. Evan Kirk has not just been the best player for the Kodiaks on the season; he very well could be the MVP of the league. While the top fifteen in scoring is dominated by Brooklin, Six Nations and Peterborough, it is Jamie Rooney, Brendan Thenhaus and Aaron Wilson sitting thirteen, fourteen and fifteen in points. While Brampton tends to put their trust in a few big name players (Dan Dawson, Joe Resetarits, and Anthony Cosmo for example) the Kodiaks play more as a team.
Not much was expected from Kitchener this season; however they’ve shown they can hang with the big clubs. While Brampton put up a dismal -34 goal differential, the Kodiaks behind them had just a -2. Yet the Excelsiors won two more games. When Brampton wins, it is a close, low-scoring affair. When they lose, it is a blowout. In the two games Brampton defeated the Kodiaks this season it was by a combined five goals, meanwhile, in the games Kitchener beat the Excelsiors, and it was by a combined fifteen. Much of the attention will be paid to Anthony Cosmo and Evan Kirk, and rightly so. But it’s these two numbers that indicate this series will be tough on both clubs, but in the end it could be Kitchener who shocks the MSL and takes the series.
Either way, the odds of either knocking off Six Nations in the West Finals is unlikely.
