Jones scores in double OT for win
10-5 lead for Lakers over Burrards quickly evaporated in Mann Cup Game 1 nail-biter
There is no quit in either Mann Cup participant.
Adam Jones’ goal 4:42 into sudden-death double-overtime gave the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers a 14-13 win over the Maple Ridge Burrards and a 1-0 lead in the Mann Cup Canadian Senior A Lacrosse Championship Friday night before 3,371 fans at the Memorial Centre.
Maple Ridge roared back from a 10-5 deficit with six straight goals in the third period. The Lakers rallied from a two-goal deficit in the first overtime period as neither team gave up in a classic playoff battle. Jones won it on an outside shot.
Down 10-5 after two periods, the Burrards fired six straight goals to start the third period forcing the Lakers to tie it to get to overtime.
The Burrards went up by two in the first OT period. Ben McIntosh’s fourth goal 24 seconds into overtime gave Maple Ridge a lead as he skipped a shot on the run by goalie Evan Kirk.
Ex-Laker Curtis Dickson’s third goal, to go with five assists, 2:24 later off an underhand shot made it 13-11.
Cory Vitarelli quick-sticked a Shawn Evans’ pass on a power play to cut into the lead.
Thomas Hoggarth, who had tied it to force overtime, scored on a broken play at the doorstep of the crease 33 seconds later and the teams were headed to doubleovertime.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven Canadian Senior A Lacrosse Championship goes at 7 p.m. Saturday at the PMC.
Kirk steered his team through early jitters, including some dropped passes, as the Burrards fired the game’s first seven shots, all saves.
The Lakers’ first shot was the first goal of the series at 3:57. Shawn Evans drew a doubleteam and fed Josh Currier at the edge of the crease where he put the ball through Frank Scigliano’s legs.
A Burrards turnover led to a three-on-one break where Adam Jones finished Chad Tutton’s pass at 9:37.
Almost fittingly, the first Burrards goal was by former Laker Dickson. Kirk stopped his original shot but McIntosh got the rebound and set up Dickson’s rip at 10:38.
Jones came off a Turner Evans pick to bounce a shot five-hole at 14:57. Maple Ridge cut the gap to 3-2 after 20 minutes as Dan Taylor came over the top to drop a shot through Kirk’s legs at 17:59.
Vitarelli scored a power play goal before McIntosh and Jean-Luc Chetner replied 1:53 apart drawing the teams even 6:30 into the second.
The Lakers fired six of the next seven goals to jump ahead 10-5.
Jones started it beating a check one-one-one before beating Scigliano. Kirk made a stick save and Jake Withers fired the rebound to a sprinting Bryce Sweeting who made it 6-4. McIntosh got one back on an underhand shot but the Lakers ended the period on a three-goal run. Currier scored on an overhand shot, Corey Small converted Jones’ rebound and Shawn Evans wired an outside shot.
Maple Ridge had no plans of going away.
Six straight goals 3:58 apart stunned the crowd and briefly chased Kirk in favour of Matt Vinc as Maple Ridge went up 11-10 at 8:37.
Taylor sandwiched goals around a Dickson step-back shot. Owen Barker scored in transition and Mitch Wilde tied it on a breakaway. McIntosh went down right off the next faceoff to give Maple Ridge its first lead with 11:23 left.
Hoggarth came off a pick to take Evans’ pass and bury tying it with 4:39 to go as the teams headed to overtime.
Lakers 14 Burrards 13 (2OT)
Series: The Lakers lead the best-of-seven Mann Cup Canadian Senior A Lacrosse final 1-0. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Saturday at the Memorial Centre.
Lakers scorers: Adam Jones (4-2), Shawn Evans (2-6), Josh Currier (2-1), Thomas Hoggarth (2-1), Cory Vitarelli (2-0), Corey Small (1-1), Bryce Sweeting (1-0), Zach Currier (0-3), Kyle Buchanan (0-2), Holden Cattoni (0-3), Turner Evans (0-2), Chad Tutton (0-1), Jake Withers (0-1).
Burrards scorers: Ben McIntosh (4-4), Curtis Dickson 3-5), Dan Taylor (3-4), Mitch Wilde (1-1), Owen Barker (1-0), Jean Luc-Chetner (1-0), Riley Loewen (0-3), Frank Scigliano (0-3), Jeff Cornwall (0-2), Mike Mallory (0-1).