Laker
Jared Zufelt scored an early 3rd period goal that knotted a penalty filled game against the Chatham-Kent Cyclones at 1, the game’s final score.
Heading into the 3rd period trailing by 1 off a Cyclones powerplay goal scored early in the 1st period, the line of Zufelt, Mike Siddall and PJ Conlon initiated some strong down-low play. This resulted in a turn-over that Siddall fed to Zufelt who made no mistake by sliding a nice shot along the ice and into the net. Shortly after the goal, Zufelt thought he had put the Lakers ahead by hard play at the net, only to be handed a perplexing 4 minute penalty for spearing. This was the start of a parade of penalties for the Lakers, who ended up with 12 minor penalties in the last 8 minutes of the game and who saw 3 of their players watch the completion of the game from the stands. Needless to say, while the period started with some promise, flow was impossible as the game wore on.
Despite the penalty filled affair – 19 minors, 2 10-minute misconducts and a game misconduct – some positive signs emerged for the Lakers. A strong goaltending performance by Graeme Lauersen, who stopped 21 of 22 shots; nice puck movement by the defence coming out of the team’s zone; good penalty killing, and, strong transition play by the forwards will all act as nice spring-boards as the team prepares for its final 4 regular season games, against Cambridge, Kitchener, London and Waterloo.