The Peterborough Merit Precision Jr. A Lakers first round playoff opponent has been decided and the best of five schedule is set.
After wrapping up the regular season at home on Monday night, the Lakers finished the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL) regular season in 7th place, with a .500 record (10-10).
That means they will face the second ranked Toronto Beaches in the first round of the OJLL playoffs in a best of five series starting Thursday night, July 14, at the storied Ted Reeve Community Arena in Toronto.
Despite the gap between these two teams in the standings, coach Robert Hope is not worried about his team’s chances heading into the first round. “I have full confidence in our team and the players in our room. We have to play the right way and do the little things that add up to wins in playoffs. We need every player on board to make sure they do their job. Every team is good in playoffs moving forward. It’s all about our team and how we play.”
The Lakers enter the post season winning four of their last six games, with three players landing on the league’s top 20 scoring list. The 1st place Mimico Mountaineers and the 3rd place Whitby Warriors are the only two other teams in the 11 team league who can boast the same.
Zach Thompson, one of only two “iron-men” on the Peterborough roster, playing in all 20 regular season games this summer, finished with 31 goals and 86 points, good enough to land him at 6th spot in league scoring, with his 55 assists putting him at 4th place in the assist category.
DJ Clark missed 5 games this season for school commitments but still landed himself at 15th spot in league scoring, picking up 28 goals and 37 assists (65 points) in 15 games played.
Owen Hiltz, who also missed a good chunk of the season due to school commitments, managed to crack the top 20 as well, at 17th spot, with 26 goals and 36 assists (62 pts) in just 14 games played.
In regards to that trio, Hope says that the regular season stats are now out the window and it’s all about the playoffs. “Those three had a great regular season but that is behind us now. It’s all about what you are going to do in playoffs. We need those players to be leaders and play their role to make the team successful”.
Full Schedule:
Game 1 – Thursday, July 14 – Ted Reeves Community Arena
Game 2 – Friday, July 15 – Ted Reeves Community Arena
Game 3 – Monday, July 18 – Peterborough Memorial Centre
Game 4 (if necessary) – Tuesday, July 19 – Peterborough Memorial Centre
Game 5 (if necessary) – Wednesday July 20 – Ted Reeves Community Arena
(Submitted by: Scott Arnold, Board of Directors for the Merit Precision Jr. A Lakers)
