Lakers players say they can play much better
Players looking to play with more energy to overcome the Oakville Rock in Game 3 on Sunday at the Memorial Centre
The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers don’t feel they’ve played their best lacrosse, yet.
They return home after dropping Game 2 of the Major Series Lacrosse final 10-8 to the host Oakville Rock on Thursday night with the series deadlocked 1-1. Game 3 is at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Memorial Centre where the Lakers won Game 1 in sudden-death overtime 8-7 on Tuesday.
After trailing most of the first two periods the Lakers tied Game 2 at 5-5 with 1.1 seconds left in the middle stanza. They then had a lead three times In the third but couldn’t finish it out.
“Similar to Game 1, we’re not stepping on any team’s throat in these playoffs,” said Kyle Buchanan, who led the Lakers with five points.
“We have opportunities to get up by a couple and we let them hang around. We make some mistakes and turn the ball over and it ends up in our net. We have to be a little more cautious and play our game with more energy from the start.”
Oakville scored two of their final three goals on transition and are known for that part of their game. Buchanan says those goals can be prevented.
“We need to do a better job managing the ball and taking care of it especially late in thirties,” he said, referring to the shot clock. “We know they like to run.”
Lakers goalie Matt Vinc said his team needs to bring more energy to the start of each contest.
“I don’t think we really played our best lacrosse in the first seven periods,” Vinc said.
“We know we need to be better. We want to maintain home floor advantage and we’re going to have to come out with a better first period than we have the last two games. We’ve really been flat in the first and then been trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. That’s been hard on our team. They have a great team with a good defence and goaltending. We have to come out with a more spirited effort from start to finish.”
Lakers defensive coach Bobby Keast doesn’t think it’s from a lack of effort.
“(Thursday) wasn’t our best and part of it was I think our guys were actually trying to do too much,” Keast said. “Instead of just sticking with our systems and playing within ourselves guys were trying to do too much.”
Keast also gave Oakville credit for seizing Game 2 when it was up for grabs with three unanswered goals.
“They took it away from us,” Keast said.
“They’re a very good team. They’re coached well. They are disciplined. Hat’s off to them and we’ll see what happens Sunday.”
Two guys not normally counted on for offence stepped up with Oakville’s eighth and ninth goals on transition. Billy Hostrawser scored soon after the Lakers went up 8-7 and Pat Walsh took goalie Nick Rose’s long pass and scored the winner on a breakaway.
“Up until this series Walshy had been out for a month-and-ahalf,” Rose said.
“For him to give us the minutes he has defensively and then to come up with that big goal the guys are feeling pretty good for him.”
Having held serve at home, Rose said his team now has to take advantage on the road.
“The old cliché is that the series doesn’t really start until someone wins a road game,” Rose said.
“We wanted to hold our home floor and hopefully steal one down there because we know it’s a tough place to play.
“It’s a hostile environment down there and, obviously, the best fans in the MSL. We expect it to be loud and another good battle. Another one- or two-goal game.”