Junior B Play offs Begin
by Bernie PuchalskiWednesday, June 24, 2015
Local lacrosse fans are eagerly anticipating the start of the first-round Ontario Lacrosse Association junior B playoff series between the Niagara Thunderhawks and the St. Catharines Spartans.
“We are calling it the Battle of the Canal,” Spartans head coach Rob McKibbon said. “A lot of the kids have played together in minor lacrosse.
“They know each other and the coaches know each other pretty well. It’s for bragging rights because it’s as close a series as you can get geographically.”
The series should be an intense one.
“It’s going to be typical Niagara Thunderhawks/Spartan lacrosse; strong, hard, tough and smooth,” Thunderhawks coach Randy Chrysler said. “There won’t be any fights but it will be good hard lacrosse. They are always ready to go and they are a tough team.”
McKibbon expects a fast-paced transition game.
“It’s going to be going up and down the floor and pretty fast,” he said.
The Spartans need two things to be successful against the Thunderhawks.
“We have to be defensively responsible and have good goaltending as usual,” McKibbon said. “I believe we have the best goaltending tandem in the league. They are fabulous.”
The Spartans will need more of the same from goalies David Herkimer and Nick Damude.
“They could be the difference makers,” he said.
Chrysler’s team needs to follow a simple recipe for success.
“I can’t tell you. That’s a secret,” Chrysler said, with a laugh. “We have to play our game and our style; fast, constantly moving the ball, constantly moving our defence, pressure and transition.
“It’s everything we did when we played the Rebels. We finally played 60 minutes and that was the key to that game.”
The Thunderhawks beat the Six Nations Rebels 11-7 June 16. It was the only loss of the season for Six Nations.
“We did everything better than what they usually do us,” Chrysler said. “We were better on loose balls, better on face-offs, and better on transition, We played to our potential
The Spartans ended the regular season with a 10-10 record while the Thunderhawks were 17-3. McKibbon credits Niagara’s coaching for its success.
“It starts at the top with the Chryslers,” he said. “I see them at a lot of games around the league, they do their homework, they prepare very well and their players have bought into their system.”
The Thunderhawks swept the season series against the Spartans winning 7-1 May 7, 10-9 June 2 and 7-4 June 7, but Chrysler said that record is ancient history.
“The records are 0-0 and it’s a whole new season.”
He feels his team is ready to roll.
‘I’ve been here five or six years now and I’ve never seen us so focused and so energized for a playoff run.”
The series start Friday at 8 p.m. in Niagara-on-the-Lake before moving to the Merritton Arena Tuesday at 8 p.m. Game 3 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
