*Current standings in first brackets, standings if Peterborough loses their forfeiture appeal in second brackets.
1. Peterborough Lakers (6-1) (3-4)
There’s no denying that the Peterborough Lakers are the hottest team currently in the MSL, despite the turmoil the team has been in since finding out they may have to forfeit their first three wins. Until their appeal is settled, their record is 6-1, they’re on a five-game win streak, haven’t lost at home, and boast the league’s leading scorer in Mark Steenhuis, a transition player who has broken out offensively this year with 18 goals and 13 assists. 2013 league leading scorer Shawn Evans started out very slowly this season accumulating only seven points in his first three games. After the birth of his twin daughters Thursday morning, Evans was jolted back into shape and picked up nine points versus Six Nations. The players aren’t worrying about their outcome of their appeal and their positive attitude has shown on the floor in their last two games. They appear to be a team that easily rolls with whatever punches are thrown at them, not dwelling on negative things and just having fun playing lacrosse. A team like that is very dangerous to play against indeed. Should they lose their appeal and have their wins stripped, it won’t take them very long to climb right back into top spot.
2. Brooklin Redmen (5-2) (6-1)
The Brooklin Redmen would be having a perfect season if it weren’t for the Lakers, as their only two losses of the season have come against Peterborough. Shawn Williams returned to the lineup last week for the first time since early June, after learning that his son, Tucker, has had a relapse of Burkitt’s Lymphoma. Despite the emotional lift his return gave the team versus Peterborough, they were unable to get by the Lakers last Wednesday. Rookies Dan Lintner and Curtis Knight are two-three in team scoring, and leading scorer Shayne Jackson spent his first two senior seasons out west with Langley. The impact of these three additions to the Brooklin lineup is undeniable. Their 36 goals account for 48 percent of the team total. Without them, the Redmen could be much lower in the standings and would be struggling to score goals.
3. Six Nations Chiefs (5-4)
Six Nations has played the highest number of all teams, and have shown they are a strong team. However, their four losses include games versus Oakville and KW, teams who shouldn’t provide much competition to the defending Mann Cup Champions, who are showing an early season lack of killer instinct, something that could eventually affect their dreams of repeating their championship. Mann Cup MVP Cody Jamieson was held pointless versus Peterborough last week for only the third time in his MSL career, and was ejected from the game in the second period after receiving a fighting major. He was able to pick up 10 points in his next two games, and will be hungry during the return match in Peterborough this week. Recent acquisition Jeff Shattler has had a large impact on the Chiefs scoring, sitting tied for second with Jamieson behind Roger Vyse. Only Mike McNamara has played in all nine games.
4. Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks (3-3)
The Kodiaks are currently on pace to match their 2013 showing—a solid, middle of the pack team that will make the playoffs but isn’t ready to compete with the league’s heavy hitters yet. KW has vastly improved over a few seasons ago and has made strides to solidify their lineup with committed players. While they traded away their top scorer from 2013 in Aaron Wilson, others have picked up the slack. Dhane Smith and Ryan Benesch sit tied for second place in league scoring with 26 points apiece. Mike “The Poulin Wall” hasn’t had much support in front of him yet this season and has yet to win a game in goal, while backup Dillon Ward has actually played more minutes than Poulin and has the team’s only three wins to his credit. The Kodiaks have invested in building their program over the last few seasons and are slowly seeing the positive results.
5. Oakville Rock (1-5) (2-4)
The Rock franchise has not had any success in recent years, going back to Barrie, Ajax, and now Oakville. Their only two points on the season come from an emotional win over Six Nations, but they have not felt success against other teams. 2013 NLL transition player of the year Jordan MacIntosh, new to the Rock, has brought his leadership skills to the team and currently has 12 points. His skill on faceoffs will certainly help the team down the stretch. Brendan Thenhaus and Stephan Leblanc currently lead the team in points. In net, Nick Rose has been solid, but he just does not have the offensive support to yet be a difference maker for the Rock.
6. Brampton Excelsiors (0-5) (1-4)
The Excelsiors have yet to find their identity in 2014, with their only potential two points coming from the Lakers forfeited game on May 29. The Excelsiors are well on their way to missing the playoffs for a second year in a row. The once dominant team has struggled to maintain a consistent lineup through their first five games this season, with only three players suiting up for every game so far. The Excelsiors have not scored into the double digits yet this season and their leading scorer, Joe Resetarits, has only nine points. With such an unstable lineup, highly touted Colorado goaltender Tye Belanger hasn’t had much of an impact since coming over from the Rock. Although the best thing about MSL lacrosse is that anyone can win on any given night, the Excelsiors next best chance to pick up a win and gain some ground on the Oakville Rock doesn’t come until July 7 when they visit the TRAC.
