Earlier this season the Minor Midgets battled the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs to a 0-0 tie in what was arguably the best performance of the season.
Toward the end of the season, the team lost to the Chiefs in what was arguably their poorest effort of the year. Riding the wave of three straight shutout victories against Windsor in the quarter finals, Chris Stewart's boys are on a roll and quite capable of competing against the powerful Chiefs team. The first two games of the series reaffirmed that when the Lakers are at their best they're as good as any team in the league.
LAKERS LOOK GREAT
Early in Game #1, Ryan Watson roughed it up with a Chiefs player and both were rewarded with roughing penalties. Drew Reinhardt got his feet wet by using the quick catching glove to deflect a high, hard slap shot up and out of harm's way. Moments later, the stellar goaler charged out nearly to the hash marks to successfully challenge a shooter. Jeff McArdle got the defense into the game by stopping a partial breakaway. Shawn Moore tolerated an annoying Chief while setting up for a faceoff but then leveled the pest with an open ice body check. With 5:50 to play in the first the Lakers went on a power play. With Ray Huether set up to the left of the net, Jake Ringuette attempted to send the puck over but was foiled by a sprawled defender. Seconds later, still positioned in the faceoff circle, Ringuette tried the same play and Huether slapped in a one timer......1-0.
On a second period power play the Chiefs tried a similar cross-ice one timer but Reinhardt managed to get a piece of it. The Chiefs were also afforded two five on three power plays but were warded off by Lakers penalty killers, two posts, and a Reinhardt face save - Johnny Bower with a mask! Despite these energetic efforts, the Chiefs did manage to get two pucks past Reinhardt.
The third period was spent with the Lakers pulling out all the stops in an effort to tie the score. On a power play a Ray Huether to Shawn Moore set up almost clicked. Brady Wiffen, Jerry Ennett and Ty Bilcke dominated with a Bilcke pass just missing Wiffen's stick. Huether, Moore, and Brandon Priestap came close but couldn't quite finish with the Chiefs' goalie down and out of position. The game ended with Drew Reinhardt standing on the bench in favor of an extra attacker. Final score 2-1 Chiefs but the effort was definitely a confidence booster for the Lakers.
BILCKE'S GOAL A BEAUTY / HUETHER’S HEROIC
Game #2 began just like the first one with Drew Reinhardt between the pipes and Huron-Perth scoring first. With seconds left in a first period power play, Brandon Priestap deflected Jake Ringuette's blue line blast.....1-0.
Preventing a goal is just as good as scoring one. Ty Bilcke did both within fifteen seconds or so on a second period shift. In his own end, Bilcke hooked the stick of a Chief who was about to receive a pass with lots of open net to shoot at, then headed up ice to receive a pass at the Chiefs' blue line. Barreling in on net, Bilcke was interfered with but he and the puck kept going. Perhaps distracted by being in the big winger's path, the goalie took his eyes off the puck - everyone else watched it slide through a small gap and into the net... 2-0. The rest of the period was controlled by the Lakers d. Scott Coghlin was solid on the penalty kill, intercepting the puck and calmly sending it the length of the ice. Liam Maaskant made a key shot block. Jake Ringuette chased down a partial breakaway, interfering just enough that the shooter shot wide. Jesse DeGroote, Spencer Ball, and Jeff McArdle pitched in by giving Drew Reinhardt a good look at the puck and by getting rid of rebounds. Reinhardt provided some extra excitement by charging from his net to outrace a Chief to a loose puck.
The third period began with the Lakers in control but momentum is a funny thing. Within a few seconds the Chiefs scored twice to even the score and then hit a crossbar as they pressed for the lead. With overtime looming, a loose puck ended up near Brady Wiffen's stick. The big Captain touch-passed it toward Ray Huether who calmly took it on his backhand and out waited the goalie... 14 seconds left to play... 3-2... series tied 1-1.
CHIEFS REGAIN SERIES LEAD
When teams meet frequently over a short period of time ill feelings will develop. True to form, Game #3 was a little chippier than the previous two. The referee didn't help much early in the game when he refused to blow the whistle during a spirited goalmouth scramble. The Lakers started strong with Colt Pickett trading hard body checks with the Chiefs' captain. Twice in one first period shift Brady Wiffen spotted Ryan Watson streaking in on net but the offensive duo just failed to finish. An early power play looked promising but the Lakers weren't able to cash in. Things began to sour when a Chief snuck behind the Lakers d. and ended up on a breakaway. Goalie Drew Reinhardt handled the initial scoring attempt, Brandon Priestap interfered with the second, but the Chiefs persisted until the puck was in the net.
On a second period penalty kill, the puck slipped behind Reinhardt but Jake Ringuette was there to save the day and slide the puck under #31 for a stoppage in play. This penalty kill ended with Reinhardt alertly stopping a wraparound. David Sproat was interfered with to give the Lakers another man advantage but again the team came up short. The Chiefs made it 2-0 on a power play of their own with a well executed screen, the Chiefs' forward jumping out of the way as the shot entered the top right corner. Down 3-0 later in the period, Scott Coghlin nearly made it 3-1 and there is still some question whether his low point shot actually went in. The referee didn't see it that way so the Lakers went into the third period down by three.
The boys pulled out the stops and took a few risks trying to tie the score. The Chiefs capitalized and went on to win the game 5-0.
The series continues Tuesday night in Goderich. It's a do-or-die situation for the Lakers squad but they know they can win. The smart money says there will be a Game #5.