The boys put together another solid effort Saturday in Brussels, scoring four unanswered goals to take the game 4-1 and win the semi-final series 3-1. Brantford scored with only 4.6 seconds remaining in the first period, but the Lakers were able to shake it off quickly, scoring three times in the second.
Tyson Avery led the offensive charge with three helpers, while
Nick Carter and
Justin Reid each picked up a goal and an assist.
Braden VanNynatten picked up the win in goal, his third of the series.
Carter started off the Lakers' scoring at 13:59, picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone and potting it top-corner while on a 2-on-1. That goal was a direct result of a nifty tip to get the puck out of the zone by Reid; Avery also assisted on the goal. Then while on the power play,
Adam Alexander scored at the 4:06 mark with a well-placed shot through the five-hole.
Blair McConnell and
Mark Verkley provided lots of traffic in front of the net, while
Tyler Kuntz and Avery picked up the assists.
Shortly after, Reid threw a soft backhand towards the goal that seemed to have eyes and found the back of the net with 3:05 remaining. Assists went to Carter and Avery. The Lakers went into intermission with a two goal lead, but a late penalty meant the third would start while shorthanded.
The final frame was filled with excitement and numerous scoring opportunities by both teams. VanNynatten stood tall in goal for the Lakers, making several key saves to keep Brantford at bay. Verkley's tremendous second effort rewarded him with the Lakers fourth tally with 4:01 remaining, giving the boys some breathing room for the final few minutes. Kuntz and
Dean Reynolds picked up assists. Brantford's aggressive play for the remainder of the game led to a couple of minor penalties, sealing the victory for the home team.
The series win for this team is the first in several years and was a direct result of playing a sound team game, and staying very disciplined. Over the course of the series, the 99'ers received 89 minutes in penalties (plus 50 minutes worth of misconducts) while the Lakers only took 50 minutes (plus 20 minutes of misconducts). The Lakers were able to take advantage, scoring 5 of their 10 goals in the series while on the man advantage.
Congratulations to both teams for a hard fought and exciting series. The Lakers will now face the Sun County Panthers, who defeated Chatham-Kent in three straight games in the other semi-final matchup. The boys came up short in both meetings against the Panthers during the regular season.