The Brampton Excelsiors (0-1) will play host to the Oakville Rock (0-1) this evening as both teams look to pick up their first victory on the young Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) season.
Tonight’s match-up marks the second of back-to-back games for Oakville. The Rock suffered a loss in their first official game since the franchise’s recent move, dropping an 18-10 decision to the Six Nations Chiefs. Stephan Leblanc, one of the lone NLL-experienced members on of the young Rock squad, led the way for Oakville with a six point performance. Leblanc will be counted on to provide veteran leadership on an up and coming Rock roster featuring the likes of Buffalo Bandits rookie Jordan Critch and Durham Turfdogs sniper Nic Grasby, both of whom registered four points versus the Chiefs.
Brampton will also look to capture their first win of the year after suffering a lopsided 14-4 loss at the hands of the Peterborough Lakers. A generally veteran heavy Excelsiors team is instead likely to mirror the youth of the Oakville roster in tonight’s game. The Excels featured an inexperienced line-up in their season opener, with many key players such as Dan Dawson and Kyle Rubisch missing the game due to lagging injury troubles from the NLL season as well as work commitments. Mike Burke led Brampton offensively with one goal and two assists for three points. One of a few returning Brampton players to suit up, Burke was the only Excelsior to register a multi-point game, while Chris Attwood, Joe Resetarits and Mark White each contributed lone goals on the evening.
Face-off for tonight’s game is set for 8 p.m. at Brampton Memorial Arena.
