On Tuesday, January 20th the Lakers travelled to Kitchener to face the Rangers at the Activa Sports Complex. The coaching staff were expecting a tough game following the success the Lakers had in the Preston Tournament. Also missing three players was not going to help matters. The first few shifts it looked like the Lakers were in for a long night. The first shot on net went in to allow Kitchener to jump to the early lead. The “new look” Lakers decided they weren't going to let that happen and all the players dug in and took the game to Kitchener.
The rest of the night belonged to the Lakers as
Nick Jung from
Josh Scott and
Chayse Herrfort got the night going with a power play goal 4 minutes into the second period to tie the game. The Lakers never looked back as they scored three more goals in the second period.
Herrfort fired a rebound from
Nick Jung top shelf,
Grant McPherson scored a nice backhand flip on a great passing play from
Jung and
Jacob Hrudka and
McPherson once again on the backhand from
Jung.
Joab Egbers played a solid game in net making the saves to keep the Lakers in the game.
Nick Jung finished the night off with his second of the game and fifth point of the night from
Nicole Zabel and
McPherson with three minutes left in the game. Final score: 5-2 for Huron Perth.
The last regular season game of the year the Lakers wanted to send a statement that they were ready for the playoffs to begin. The first place in the West, London Jr. Knights were on the menu. The Lakers jumped out to the early lead with a goal 30 seconds into the period scored by
Luka Marinic from
Justin McCarter and
Cole McKee, followed by an unassisted shorthanded goal from
Grant McPherson.
The second period started and the Lakers wanted to keep momentum on their side.
Wyatt Nicholson made sure of this as he made back-to-back saves to keep London off the score sheet.
McCarter scored from
Herrfort and
Marinic making the game 3-0 and the Lakers kept going for more.
Nick Jung then deflected a point shot from
Jon Baker on the power play to go up 4-0, ending the second.
Between the second and the third, the coaches told the offence they had to keep things rolling and the Lakers listened as they opened the third with the fifth goal of the night; by
Keenan Conlon from
McPherson and
Herrfort. The Lakers' sixth goal was a pretty goal on the back hand of
Jacob Hrudka set up by
Herrfort and
Jung. The seventh, a power play goal by
McPherson from
Conlon and
Herrfort closed out the scoring.
Spencer Dowd and
MacKinnon Hawkins had excellent defensive games and
Wyatt Nicholson was great in net all night shutting down the powerful offence of the London Jr. Knights, as he recorded the first shutout for the Major Atoms this year.
Regular season ends this weekend for the rest of the league. The Major Atom Lakers are definitely going to be a team to follow in playoffs!