Second period sinks James Gang
Take away the second period from their first two games and the Ennismore James Gang would be 2-0.
Unfortunately for them, the second period counts.
The Oakville Titans blasted Ennismore 9-1 in the second period of Ennismore’s OLA senior B home opener Saturday night in handing the James Gang a 13-8 defeat.
In their 9-6 opening game loss on the road a week earlier to the Six Nations Rivermen, Ennismore were done in by a 6-1 deficit in the middle period.
Ennismore battled back from an early 3-1 deficit to tie it 3-3 with late first period goals. That momentum didn’t carry into the second.
Oakville scored two goals five seconds apart in the opening minute of the second, the latter directly from a faceoff win by Nick Rybka that Brett Ulbikas took down the floor and deposited behind goalie Ryan Masters. He was pulled after the eighth goal, in favour of Cole Murray, 7:29 into the second.
“The second period cost us the game the same as the first game up in the Nations,” said Jeff Swift, who had a goal and three assists for Ennismore. “We got away from our game plan. We were throwing balls away and not cutting to the middle. Those things cost you. I didn’t mind our first and third periods. I thought they were fine.”
“They got two quick goals right off the start (of the second period),” said Ennismore head coach Jim Johnston. “For some reason we don’t react properly in the second period. We’ve talked about it and we went over it in practice. We’ve got to do it some more, I guess.”
They were short on offence with Courtland Black-Araujo injured and Ryan McCrory out with another commitment. Johnston expects them back next game but said their absence was noticeable.
“We had a couple of defensive players playing offence,” he said. “You’re putting defensive players in a role they’re not comfortable with.”
They outscored Oakville 4-1 in the third.
“We went back to the game plan of moving the ball and moving our feet,” said Swift. “We have a younger team this year so that’s what we should be doing. That’s what happened in the second period. We stopped moving our feet and stopped talking on defence and stopped moving the ball on offence.”
Neither Johnston or Swift are overly concerned to be 0-2.
“Yeah, 0-2 is not the greatest but there are good things happening out there. We’re just one period away from bringing it all together,” said Swift.
“We have the team,” said Johnston. “I’m not worried about that.”
Nick Andreoli led Ennismore with two goals and three assists while Josh Gilray had three goals and an assist. Ryan Nolan and Joe Wasson-McQuigge also scored. Clare Donnelly and Colin McDowell had two assists with singles to Josh Bean and Murray.
Cam Mancini had three goals and an assist and Ulbikas three goals for Oakville. Brendan Muise had two goals and six assists and Tyler Woodman a pair of goals. Brandon Slade had a goal and three assists. Eddie Renaud a goal and assist and Jahmal Shears one goal. Nick Rybka had four assists, goalie Craig Wende and former James Gang Chris Lopes two assists with singles to Ben Heidecker, Anthony Smitheram and Mac Abbott.
NOTES: Joe Wasson-McQuigge commuted from Ottawa to play his first game this season. His brother, and James Gang leading scorer last year, Josh Wasson-McQuigge has not been out with the team but Johnston holds out hope he’ll return. He thinks he might need a break after playing in the Arena Lacrosse League in the winter. “He’s not a young man anymore but he’s still one of the best players in the league,” said Johnston. “I’ve not given his sweater up, yet. I’m not counting him out.”... Ennismore’s next game is Sunday in Oakville. Their next home game is 8 p.m. May 19 against Brooklin.