On Wednesday Jan. 4, 2012, the Lakers started the new year with a bang by
outshooting the Kitchener Rangers 40-14 in Kitchener yet only out scoring them with a
flattering 7-4 score. In Hamilton on Saturday Jan. 7th, the Lakers gave up 3 quick
goals in the 2nd period to the Hamilton Reps which was too much to overcome and saw
the Lakers eventually losing 5-1. In a rematch on Sunday Jan. 8th, in Goderich, the
Lakers tied the Reps 4-4 but came close to winning it near the end of the 3rd.
In Kitchener, the Lakers were all over the Rangers, keeping the play in their end;
however 2 trips to the Laker zone and 3 shots by the Rangers rewarded them with a
2-0 lead late in the 1st. Before the end of the 1st , with the Lakers furiously carrying the
play, Joshua Zelek stole the puck from a Ranger defender from behind the their net and
popped it to Carter McLlwain whose rebound was put in by Tanner Reid. Early in the
2nd, Braeden Burdett put in a short handed goal, assisted by Shawn Barnett. Shortly
after, on the power play Burdett was set up by Zelek, with Barnett also getting an assist.
Reid put another McLlwain rebound in shortly after. Before the end of the 2nd, Sam
Dupuis banked a shot off the goalie from behind the net, with Robert McNiven getting
the assist. The 2nd ended 5-2 for the Lakers. Early in the 3rd, Kyle Stanbury increased
the lead to 6-2 with assists going to Ethan Roche and Barnett. The Rangers popped 2
quick goals on odd man rushes to narrow the lead and Reid ended the scoring into the
empty net after being set up by Zelek.
In Hamilton, the 1st period ended scoreless. the Hamiltom Reps opened the scoring in
the 2nd and Stanbury evened the scoring unassisted shortly after. 3 quick Rep goals in
the 2nd put the game out of reach.
in Goderich, the Lakers got on the board from Stanbury burying the puck after being set
up by Roche and Dupuis. The Reps quickly tied it before Reid Campbell found the top
corner with assists going to Dupuis and McLlwain on the power play. The 1st period
ended 2-1 Lakers. Early in the 2nd, the Reps knotted it at 2-2. The Lakers responded
with a power play goal by Burdett from Stanbury & Zelek to which the Reps yet again
responded to make it 3-3. Burdett put the Lakers ahead again from Campbell but
before the 2nd period was out, the Reps deadlocked it at 4-4. There was no scoring in
the 3rd but there was plenty of end to end action for both teams with goalie Bobby Mclachlan
responding to the Rep goalie heroics with his own. Even though it was a tie, the game
was a moral victory for the Lakers as it was the 1st point they have salvaged all year
from them. The Reps are currently battling the Waterloo Wolves for 1st place in the
division.
The Lakers return to action this weekend for another 3 games, one against the London
Knights, the top team in the province and another against the Wolves. A tough
upcoming weekend indeed, but the Last Rep game prepared them well. Good luck &
go Lakers!