The Lacrosse Blog

Mann Cup 2007--Game 3

Okay, I confess. I didn't get to the first and second games of the Mann Cup championship. But I went tonight. And at more than a few points during the game, I wished I hadn't. The first two periods were rather humdrum. There wasn't enough back-and-forth action, there were far too many penalties called, and there didn't seem to be many stellar plays. Peterborough Lakers' Scott Evans (Shawn's big brother) was fun to watch, though. He stands out on the floor because of his speed. His style is not unlike his brother's, but with a bit more control, more finesse (based on the one game I've seen, mind you). I wish there had been more players like him out there tonight. Instead we had to witness more childish antics from Adanacs Peter Veltman and Ray Guze.

The whole game wasn't a wash, though. The third period had a few dramatic moments. The teams had four points apiece at the start but there was noticeably more spring in the Lakers' step after the intermission. Halfway through the period, the Lakers scored, taking the lead for the first time in the game. Shortly after (after a bogus interference call against the Lakers), Coquitlam tied it up again. Less than three minutes later, Coquitlam took another point. With just two minutes left in the game, the Lakers scored, bringing the game to a six-all tie. Then, with only a minute left in the game, they scored again. I can't say for sure, but from where I sat, it looked like the Lakers were just toying with the Adanacs for most of the game, then turned it on midway through the third period.

The most ridiculous moves of the game were the fake slipping action by Laker John Grant, the absolutely embarrassing temper tantrum by the Adanacs' head trainer, Bill Randall (I tried to take a picture, but he was jumping around so much that my shots are all blurry), and the missed high-sticking call against the Lakers by Ray Durante, just seconds after made that interference call based on a figment of his imagination. We were stunned that he missed the high sticking. He was looking right at the players, and a stick banging on a helmet makes a fairly audible thud.

Congrats to goalies Pat O'Toole (Lakers) and Chris Levis (Adanacs) for their MVP awards. Thumbs down to Adanacs' president Don Hedges for telling a Lakers fan to f*** off at the end of the game.

Labels: Coquitlam Adanacs, lacrosse, Mann Cup 2007, Peterborough Lakers

posted by Barbara K. Adamski @ 11:34 PM