Three players score four each as A’s sink Lakers
Brett Erskine records nine-point game as A’s beat Peterborough
Steve Toll knew it was only a matter of time before Brett Erskine would find the back of the net.
And find the back of the net he did Wednesday night — in bunches.
Erskine scored four times and added five assists as the St. Catharines Athletics doubled the Peterborough Lakers 14-7 in junior A lacrosse at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
Erskine entered the game with a team-high seven assists.
“Erskine is too good of a player not to score goals in three games,” said Toll, the first-year head coach of the Athletics. “He works so hard, pressuring the ball, and getting loose balls — it’s ridiculous.
“Good things happen to good people, and Erskine’s a great kid. He works his tail off, and now hopefully can continue it. He’s definitely got a bright future ahead of him.”
Erskine, a 20-year-old St. Catharines native, is coming off a fantastic freshman season of field lacrosse at NCAA Division 1 University of Detroit Mercy, where he scored 22 goals and 35 points which earned him all-rookie honours in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Council.
“It was good to get that first one tonight,” said Erskine, who attended high school at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. “It was good to get that monkey off my back, coming from back from field (lacrosse).
“Going from box to field is a lot easier. And it's not just the bigger nets, it's the style of play. Box is obviously more physical.
What makes Erskine’s careerbest junior A game even more
impressive is the fact that he’s been battling a nagging ankle injury.
“Play through it,” Erskine explained with a smile. “The coaches tell us to have fun out there. This is a sport we all love to play, so it shouldn’t be a job to come to the rink.”
Erskine wasn’t the only A’s player scoring in bunches Wednesday night.
Carter Zavitz, playing in his first game of the season after his freshman year at Princeton, scored four goals and added three helpers ,while Jake McNabb
bulged the twine four times as well.
Lost in the goal scoring barrage was the fact Troy Holowchuk picked up his first career junior A victory, in his first career start, making 20 saves.
St. Catharines, 2-2, outshot 0-7 Peterborough 65-27.
The Athletics continue a very busy week of game action visiting Barrie Lakeshore Friday night before hosting the Orangeville Northmen Saturday. Game time at Jack Gatecliff Arena is 7 p.m.
“We’ve got to get rest,” Toll said. “Barrie’s last two games have
been tight ones. We’ll have to be ready Friday night, then come home for Orangeville.”
A’s Acorns: Jeff Wittig, hamstring, and Alex Simmons, school, were the only regulars out of the Athletics lineup … Gavin McGregor, a callup from the junior B Welland Generals, had three assists in the win … A’s assistant coach Ian Rubel and Lakers head coach Ray Dance were both ejected for arguing calls at different points in the game … Toll called a timeout 4:52 into the third period when the Lakers cut the A’s lead to 9-6.