Lakers Open Playoffs Against Windsor, News, Minor Midget, 2011-12 (Huron Perth Lakers)

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Feb 01, 2012 | wdekoning | 1230 views
Lakers Open Playoffs Against Windsor
The Huron Perth Minor Midgets opened the playoffs on the weekend against the Windsor Jr. Spitfires. The Lakers had not played for almost three weeks after having a bye in the first round. Windsor eliminated the Elgin Middlesex Chiefs to advance against the Lakers.

The first game of the series was played on January 27th in Stratford and the Lakers looked rusty in the first period as Windsor carried most of the play. Laker goalie Evan Wigmore made some huge saves to keep the Spits off the scoreboard and the first period ended tied at 0 – 0. The Lakers got their legs going in the second period and dominated play scoring 3 answered goals. Blake Pickering opened the scoring when he banged in a rebound after the Lakers had been buzzing around the Windsor net. Jared Weishar and Derek Elliott assisted on the goal. The Lakers kept coming and scored back to back power plays goals with the first being on a 5 on 3 advantage. Jacob Middleton received a pass from Ryker Killins and blasted a shot from the point. Nathan Templeman was there to pounce on the rebound giving the Lakers a 2 – 0 lead. The Lakers scored their second power play goal when Taylor Moir fed a nice pass to Ethan Adair on the point. Adair let a high shot that beat a screened Spits goalie on the glove side. Middleton got the second assist on the goal. There was no scoring in the third as the Laker defence shut the door. Lakers win game 1 of the series 3 – 0. Wiggy earned the shutout with the final shot tally favouring the Lakers 29 – 23. 

Game 2 of the series was played the following day in Windsor. The Spits came out hard in this game dominating the first period but unable to beat Laker goalie Daniel Dekoning. The first period ended 0 – 0, the same as game 1. The second period opened with a Windsor player ringing a backhand shot off the crossbar. The Lakers opened the scoring when Adam Zehr won the draw cleanly in the Spits end. Alex Peters fired one of his patent wrist shots that beat a screened Spits goaltender. The Lakers made it 2 – 0 when Zehr broke out from center ice on a partial breakaway. Zehr was hooked as he approached the Spits net resulting in a delayed penalty call. Zehr was first to the puck behind the net and fed a beauty pass to Drew Gross who was all alone in front of the net. Grossy made no mistake as he beat a sprawling Windsor goalie with a wrist shot. Windsor got on the board late in the second period when a Laker giveaway at center ice resulted in a 2 on 1. A shot to the top corner made it a 2 – 1 score going in to the break. The Lakers got in to some penalty trouble in the third period but some great penalty killing kept the Spits off the board on a 5 on 3 advantage. The Laker power play continued to click when Drew Gross scored his second of the game when he banged home the rebound on a high shot from the point from Jacob Middleton. That was all the Lakers needed as they held on for a 3 – 1 win and took and a strangle hold on the series. The Lakers outshot the Spitfires 29 – 21.

The Lakers can clinch the series back home on February 3rd at the Rotary Complex in Stratford beginning at 7:30 pm.