Lakers get back to square one with the Chiefs
Shawn Evans leads the way with 7-point night in crucial road win to tie up Major Series Lacrosse championship series
OHSWEKEN — The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers have battled back to even terms in the Major Series Lacrosse final.
Shawn Evans’ seven points sparked the Lakers to a 15-9 win over the Six Nations Chiefs in Game 4 Friday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena.
The Lakers have rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to even the bestof-seven affair 2-2. Game 5 is 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Evinrude Centre.
The Chiefs rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to make it a game but never got closer than one.
“It was probably our best game of the series,” said Cory Vitarelli, who scored a hat trick.
“From offence to defence with Poulie (goalie Mike Poulin) being good. Right from the get-go we were sharp. They’re a good team and battled back a couple of times but we were always able to answer.”
They carried a sense of desperation from Game 3 into Game 4.
“You can’t put yourselves down 3-0 or you put yourselves in a corner,” Vitarelli said. “We’ve been in this situation before. We know you have to always give it your best. If we don’t show up to play a full 60, we know we’re going to lose because they’re a really good team.”
It took the Lakers almost 25 minutes to solve Chiefs’ goalie Doug Jamieson when he replaced Dillon Ward 13:05 into the second period of Game 3.
In Game 4, they chased Jamieson on five goals 10:37 into the game.
Mark Matthews caught a pass on the run and put it over Jamieson’s shoulder 3:55 into the game. Cory Vitarelli and Shawn Evans, on a power play, scored 56 seconds apart. Josh Currier quick-sticked a pass and Vitarelli buried a rebound for a 5-0 lead with four goals 2:07 apart.
Randy Staats, making his series debut, set up Jordan Durston and Tehoka Nanticoke 1:58 apart to get the Chiefs going.
Twice the Lakers scored within 12 seconds of a Chiefs’ goal in carrying a 7-4 lead to the first intermission. One of them was Zach Currier’s first of the series as Jake Withers won a draw and sent Currier down the floor to beat Ward.
Turner Evans opened the scoring 3:18 into the second off Holden Cattoni’s setup. Lyle Thompson stutter-stepped past a defender to rip an underhand by Mike Poulin at 7:22. Chris Cloutier whipped a backhand inside the bar 39 seconds later. Ward made a save and sprung Ian Mackay with a long pass and he drew the Chiefs within 8-7 at 9:30.
Cattoni’s power play goal broke a 13-minute Lakers’ scoring drought. Thompson replied 26 seconds later skipping a low shot past Poulin. The Lakers took a 10-8 lead to the third after Shawn Evans found open space to rip a shot at 18:10.
Matt Gilray scored a four-onfour transition goal and Evans fired another power play goal 2:17 into the third for a four-goal lead.
Staats buried a Thompson behind he back pass on a power play at 8:26. Joe Resetarits beat Ward through traffic for a 13-9 lead with 7:09 left. Josh Currier scored a crease dive goal 30 seconds later. Vitarelli’s third goal rounded out the scoring.
Things got chippy in the dying minutes with Tyson Bell drawing a spearing major on Shawn Evans.
NOTES: The Six Nations Chiefs got a boost with the return of Randy Staats who had been out since late July due to injury. The Lakers made only one change with Cory Vitarelli back in the lineup and Corey Small out.