ORANGEVILLE - There were few positives and one big negative — the second period — as the St. Catharines Spartans opened their best-of-three Ontario junior B lacrosse playoffs with a 12-5 loss to the Orangeville Northmen Saturday.
The Spartans, now in the midst of a four-game losing streak (their longest of the season), were outshot 19-5 and outscored 8-2 during the middle stanza.
“When they got a couple quick ones in the second period, we got deflated,” Spartans head coach Matt Attwood said. “The refs didn’t help, but we certainly didn’t help ourselves, either.”
Orangeville dominated the game on the shot clock (52-19) and on loose balls, but take away the second period and it was a one-goal game, something Spartans captain Kyle Potter hopes to take into Game 2 Monday night in Merritton.
“We have to keep moving and pass the ball well and obviously shoot more,” said Potter, who had one goal and two assists in the loss. “Our offence.… We were just real slow today. We couldn’t get anything going. I think we know we have the talent and guys are talking.… We just have to go out and do it.”
One of the bright spots for the Spartans was their penalty kill, which has been near or on top of the league all season. Orangeville was 0-for-13 with the man-advantage.
“We just have to stick to our game plan and keep it simple,” Attwood said. “I think we can be successful.”
“It’s frustrating, I know I didn’t play up to my potential and either did the team,” Potter said. “We’re just not scoring right now.
“It’s not the time to be in a scoring slump and we have to find a way to get out of it.”
Game 2 goes tonight at Merritton Centennial Arena. Game time is 8 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, is back in Orangeville Wednesday.
Notes: Orangeville finished the regular season in second place overall in the Western Conference standings. The Spartans were seventh.… Seamus Blakelock, Luke Grahnert, Colton DeWolfe and Brandon Kreamer were scratched for St. Catharines.… Former Niagara IceDog and Orangeville native Brett Ritchie was in attendance watching the game.… The Northmen’s Brendan Miller is a member of the OHL’s now-North Bay Battalion.
The SCOOP
Northmen 12 Spartans 5
Standard Star of the Game: Orangeville Northmen’s Riley Thompson with two goals and three assists.
For the St. Catharines Spartans: Evan Scott, Kyle Potter, Trevor Hines, Ty Carvalho and Sebastien Beaudoin.
For the Orangeville Northmen: Thompson, Ryan Gunn, Zack Thompson 2; Todd Greer, Zach Ursu, Brendan Miller, Travis Szabolcs, Tyler McCarthy and Shane Hillis.
Game stats: Shots on goal: By the Spartans on Ryan Holinshead 19, by the Northmen on Craig Seneca 52; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 30, Orangeville 25; Power plays: Saints 1-for-9, Northmen 0-for-13.
Attendance: 200
Up next: The Spartans play host to Orangeville for Game 2 Monday at 8 p,m, at Merritton Arena. Game 3, if necessary, is back in Orangeville on Wednesday.
