Expansion Velocity stumble in 9-3 home-opening loss

WATERLOO — The team brass knew its startup Sr. B lacrosse club wasn’t going to be worldbeaters right out of the gate.

No, there is a price to be paid as an expansion team that has nothing to do with dollars and cents and the Kitchener-Waterloo Velocity will have to pay it.

The Velocity took it on the chin in their franchise home opener on Saturday night, absorbing a 9-3 loss from the Owen Sound North Stars at the Waterloo Rec Complex

The newest member of the Ontario Sr. B Lacrosse League did however narrow the gap from that grisly 15-goal loss to the home-floor Oakville Titans in the season launch on April 30.

And for the second straight game, the Velocity goalies hinted they are likely to be at the vanguard of the team’s march to respectability.

It was Ryan Schuetzkowski’s turn on Saturday night. The calm keeper steered aside plenty of shots to keep the game respectable for the first couple periods.

Owen Sound held 4-2 and 7-3 leads at the intermissions.

“As I said to the guys, Owen Sound is a good team. To run with them for 45 minutes, that’s a good thing,” said Velocity coach and general manager Greg Hummel.

“We’ll just keep working. We will get to that point where we will turn the corner.”

Help could be on the way soon for the Velocity, too. The team recently finalized an affiliation with a Sr. A club, the Brampton Excelsiors.

For the Velocity, that means they can expect up to four players to be sent their way at the completion of the Major Series Lacrosse team’s training camp, within the next couple of weeks.

Winter Doxtator, Richard Haan and Ryan Ferizovic scored for the hosts before 300 spectators who were treated to a first-class dance team and a birds of prey presentation during the game. Now, about the lacrosse … “We know what we have to do. We just have to get the guys believing in it. (Saturday) was a huge step forward,” said Hummel.

For the North Stars on Saturday night, Robbie Milnes and Scott Defrancesco both scored twice while Jordan Van Damme, Matt MacLeod, Lauchlin Elder, Brett Kloepfer and Zac Coulter added one goal apiece.

K-W was to visit the Six Nations Rivermen on Sunday night. The Velocity’s next home game is May 27 versus Oakville.