Oct 30, 2011 | jzelek | 928 views
October can't end soon enough for the Major Atom Lakers
The Major Atom Lakers were exposed to 2 hard working teams that taught them that "good things happen to teams that play and work hard together". The Lakers played host to the Sun County Panthers on Saturday, October 29th and fell short 5-1 in Milverton and then hosted & lost 4-2 to the Windsor Spitfires on Sunday Oct. 30th at the Allman in Stratford. Sunday's game was a better effort albeit for 34 seconds where 3 goals were given up.
The Major Atom Lakers' tailspin continued and now sits at 5 games. There have been a couple of dud games but for the most part, the Lakers have not been able to get a break and the other teams almost always capitalize on the Lakers brief shortcomings. The Lakers have home and away games with the Cambridge Hawks this week and now have to bring a lunch bucket mentality to both games, as they did earlier this month, in order to get rewarded for how they can play.
On Saturday, the only goal for the Lakers was from Braeden Burdett, assisted by Joshua Zelek and Sam Dupuis in the 2nd period. Sun County already had a 3-0 lead when the Lakers scored their first goal. The Panthers out-hustled and outworked our boys all game. Zach Dow was awarded the hard hat for playing the hardest.
On Sunday, things started off badly with the Spitfires lighting a goal in just 7 seconds right off the opening faceoff. The Lakers were able to respond with 2 goals of their own to take a 2-1 lead before Windsor tied it in the last minute of the 1st period. Zelek buried the rebound from Kyle Stanbury's initial shot (with Jake Weston picking up the other assist) for the first goal. For the second goal, Reid Campbell tipped a shot from Stanbury who was set up by Zelek. The Spitfires scored 2 quick goals in 27 seconds in the middle of the 2nd period to ice away the victory. This was a much better effort by the Lakers as they had many chances but the puck never went in for them. No hard hat winner was awarded; the next hard hat winner has to be the entire team in a solid effort from the initial dropping of the puck to the final buzzer.
Hopefully the witches and goblins of Halloween will wash away the scary curse that has befallen the Major Atom Lakers, or let's just think they will anyway, or better yet, let's just forget the past 5 games, period! We are all rooting for our boys, go Lakers go!