Major Bantams Clinch 3rd Place in East Division with Come Back Win Over Brantford, News, Major Bantam, 2009-10 (Huron Perth Lakers)

The Lakers squared off against the Brantford 99ers on Saturday in St. Marys with the opportunity to clinch third place in the division or fall back into fourth.

It was a must win game for Brantford as they entered the game trailing the Lakers by two points and with no more games to play. The situation was somewhat different for the Lakers because not only did they have a two point lead but they also had another game the following day against Cambridge. Nevertheless, a win or a tie for the Lakers would be important in securing third place and also make up for a game the Lakers let slip away and end in a tie the last time these two teams met.

The Lakers got off to a slow start in the first period and with the 99ers not only playing mostly in the Lakers’ end the first few minutes but also getting the first goal. The goal seemed to wake the Lakers up and they pressed hard over the next few minutes, generating several scoring chances. “The battle was on!” as both teams played an up tempo game with end to end action. The Lakers took the first penalty of the game and the 99ers didn’t waste any time in making them pay when they scored on a tipped point shot. Although down 2-0, the Lakers stuck to their game plan and continued to play their game. The Lakers got their turn for a power play with 4:30 remaining and they made the most of it when Riley McCabe passed across to Brett Stacey who wristed a shot through traffic that squeaked through the goalie’s legs.

The Lakers took a penalty with just over two minutes to go in the period but were able to successful kill it off.

The second period started with the Lakers giving up a goal in the first minute to fall behind 3-1. The 99ers gave the Lakers a chance to get back into the game a minute later when they took a tripping penalty. The 99ers made it a golden opportunity when they took another penalty just a dozen seconds into the first penalty. With a 5 on 3 situation the Lakers power play went to work again and it didn’t disappoint. This time they scored just after the first penalty expired when Jared Zufelt grabbed the rebound from a Kyle Sippel shot, went around the sprawling 99ers’ goalie, and tucked the puck in the net.

The Lakers took a penalty with about three minutes to go in the period and would need to emerge unscathed in order to keep the game close. The penalty killers did their job and the Lakers, feeding off the momentum, stormed down the ice in the final minute and scored to tie the game 3-3. PJ Conlon got the goal by banging in the rebound in to the open side of the net after Mac MacSorley had put the puck on net from a sharp angle.

Heading into the dressing room between periods the Lakers had erased two 2 goal 99ers’ leads and as a result the game had been compressed to just one 15 minute third period to decide the winner.

Needing to win the game, the 99ers were relentless in their attack in the third period. The Lakers withstood the pressure but took a penalty four minutes in. The goal scored in the next two minutes would be critical. It came when Nick Castell chipped the puck past the 99ers’ defenceman and burst in all alone on a breakaway (assist to Mackinley O’Keefe).

Brantford wouldn’t give up and the shots were coming fast and furious. Lakers’ goalie Joe Metzger withstood the onslaught with the help of his team mates. Although outshot 15 to 1 in the third period it was the Lakers who go the only shot that counted. With the win the Lakers secured 3rd place in the East Division and will now face the Hamilton Reps in the first round of the play-offs. But before they could start the play-offs they had one more regular season game to play against the Cambridge Hawks the next day.