Dec 21, 2007 | Shaun Peet | 631 views
Festival Inn Bantams Get Hard Fought Victory
The Bantams got the win in Kitchener on Thursday night but will be without the services of two players for the next several games. In typical late-night mid-week fashion, the Lakers got off to a slow start in this one, falling behind 2-0 on the strength of two power play goals by the Jr. Rangers. The boys persevered, however, and answered back with three of their own - two while shorthanded - en route to the 3-2 victory. Garrett Meurs notched a pair of goals while Nathan Gaunt pocketed one of his own.
The two points are extremely important to the team right now as the team's chasing down Brantford for top spot in the East. But it wasn't all good news on the night. Forward Brad McClure left the game early with what appeared to be a serious upper-body injury and could be out of the lineup for an extended period of time. Also, defensemen Nik McIver was assessed a 5-minute major penalty for a body check that looked like a good, clean hit from the Lakers bench. The coaching staff was extremely disappointed with the call and even more disappointed that no appeal can be made against the automatic three game suspension.
The team has also been without the services of Jackson Martin who has also been recovering from an injury since early November. Dylan Lazarus, who served a one game suspension on Thursday night, will be back in the lineup for the upcoming weekend's games but is also recovering from injury.
In the midst of all the injuries and suspensions, several players have stepped up their game in a big way. Jake Partridge played a solid game in goal, while Garrett Meurs and Derek Cowing each provided superb efforts up front and team captain Mac Nichol provided a solid foundation for the defensive corps.
The team will have two more games before taking a brief Christmas break, the first on Saturday in Waterloo and the second on Sunday in St. Mary's against Cambridge. The team will then take a few days off to celebrate with their families before heading to the annual Marlies Holiday Classic on the 27th.