1. Brooklin Redmen 12-3 – 24 points
The Redmen have shown some late season fatigue, in losses to Brampton and Peterborough recently; as well slipping behind Oakville early on Monday night. None of those losses matter though, as the Redmen have clinched first place in the MSL and guaranteed themselves home floor advantage through the playoffs.
2. Peterborough Lakers 9-7 – 18 points
The Peterborough Lakers sit comfortably in second place with two games remaining in their season; both against the Excelsiors, a week apart. The Lakers played five games during the World Lacrosse Championship so were without Matt Vinc and Adam Jones for the duration. They went 4-1 during that span including an epic comeback in Brooklin, and a quiet loss to KW. The team put up huge numbers during the stretch, scoring into the double digits in their four wins. They are currently watching the three teams below them duke it out for the chance to meet the Lakers in the first round.
3. Six Nations Chiefs 7-7 – 14 points
Six Nations was incredibly lucky during the World Championship, only having to play one game during the tournament, since half their roster was representing Team Iroquois in Denver. The one game they did play was a 4-3 loss to Brampton, with a number of call ups from Junior A in their lineup. The Chiefs have four games left, plenty of time to gain some ground on KW and Oakville for third place. Their returning players will help them pick up where they left off – winning some, but potentially losing some as well.
4. KW Kodiaks – 7-8 14 points
The Kodiaks have been doing everything possible to secure the last playoff spot, and have worked themselves up into a tie for third place with Six Nations. The Kodiaks defeated a fatigued Lakers team in Peterborough last week. They’re an up and down team – losing to Oakville, but beating Peterborough. Corey Fowler has stepped up in the absence of Dhane Smith to take second place in Kodiaks scoring, while Ryan Benesch continues to light the lamp each game he plays.
5. Oakville Rock – 6-9 – 12 points
Through half the season, Oakville was a non-entity. They weren’t expected to make the playoffs; they went 28 days between wins one and two. Recently, wins over Brampton and KW have pushed the Rock into playoff contention. They currently sit in 5th place, but with only a point separating them from both the Chiefs and Kodiaks, the playoffs are in sight for the first time for this franchise going back to their days as Ajax-Pickering.
6. Brampton Excelsiors 4-11 – 8 points
Brampton had a brief resurgence at the beginning of July with the return of Anthony Cosmo, but since July 14 have been on a three game losing streak. With Oakville four points ahead, and Six Nations and KW even further, it’s highly unlikely that the Excelsiors will make the playoffs this season. They simply haven’t got the scoring this year to be a true threat.
