Chiefs cut Lakers lead to 3-2
Lakers still have home floor advantage in a series Lakers head coach Mike Hasen had expected would go to seven games anyway
Six Nations Chiefs are proving difficult to close out.
They staved off elimination for a second straight game beating the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers 8-6 at the Memorial Centre Tuesday night.
The Lakers still lead the bestof-seven MSL final 3-2 and will try for a third time to finish off the Chiefs at v8 p.m. Thursday in Six Nations.
For the second game in a row a dominant second period by the Chiefs proved to be the difference. The Chiefs got more open looks on offence while their defence frustrated the Lakers. That frustration boiled over in the dying seconds as Chad Tutton fought Paul Dawson and spread to the stands as police were called near the Chiefs bench to keep the peace.
“We worked hard to get home floor advantage and we still have it,” said Lakers head coach Mike Hasen. “We’re up 3-2 in a series everyone expected to go seven. There is really no panic in our room.”
He said it’s no secret what his team has to do better on offence.
“We have to move the ball and move our feet,” he said. “We have to pass and get through as opposed to pass and watch and hope it’s going to come back to us. It’s what we did the first three games.”
Cory Vitarelli scored a two of his three in the first period to stake the Lakers to a 2-1 lead.
“We had a bit more jump (than Game 4) due to our fans and playing at home,” Vitarelli said. “We were getting looks but it was a question of burying them at the right time. It’s the playoffs for a reason, we didn’t expect it to be four or five games. We know it’s going to be tough going back up there. We know the fourth one is the hardest to win.”
Vitarelli came off the bench to convert an outlet pass from Tutton at 3:40 to open the scoring. He scored again at 14:19 out-legging two Chiefs on a transition to throw the ball by Dillon Ward on the run. The Chiefs got one back 1:32 later when Dhane Smith put all his weight into an outside shot he put over Matt Vinc’s shoulder. After rotating goalies all year Hasen opted to go to Vinc for a second straight game.
“He played great the other night and we thought we’d keep the momentum going,” said Hasen.
Like they did Sunday in Game 4 the Chiefs took control in the second firing four straight to start the period and go up 5-2. Cody Jamieson put an outside shot top shelf on a power play at 3:19. Smith found Randy Staats cutting 2:35 later for the lead. Dan Dawson stepped around Zach Currier and took it to the net at 8:15. He set up Smith 2:36 later.
Currier stopped the run at 11:42 coming out of the penalty box, on a controversial goalie interference penalty, to bury a rebound. The Chiefs responded 57 seconds later on a Ryan Benesch howitzer. Shawn Evans cut the deficit to 6-4 stepping around a pick to sidearm a shot through traffic at 16:56.
Austin Staats bumped the lead to three 3:25 into the third taking Ward’s long pass to score on a breakaway. Mark Steenhuis unloaded a bomb on a power play at 11:08 but less than a minute later Randy Staats put brother Austin’s pass through Vinc’s legs..
With Vinc pulled for an extra attacker Vitarelli finished an Evans pass to make it 8-6 at 16:43.
“That third game (a 15-9 loss Thursday at the PMC) we really got our asses handed to us,” Ward said. “After that we came together and said ‘We’re not going out like this.’ We had to get back to Chiefs’ ball and you’ve seen that the last two games.”