The Peterborough Lakers scored the last
two goals to take a 9-7 win and with it a 3-1 lead in their MSL
semifinal series with the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks Friday night in
Waterloo. Shawn Evans scored what proved to be the game winner
just past the midway point of the third period and Scott Evans
added an insurance goal with about six minutes to play. The Lakers
had to overcome a 5-2 KW lead midway through the second period. They
got a couple of goals back with back to back power play markers 27
seconds apart. After KW scored one to regain a two-goal lead,
Peterborough finished the period with a flurry, scoring three goals
in the final 2:14. KW tied it up just over three minutes into the
third, setting the stage for the Evans brothers' heroics.
Lakers assistant coach Bobby Keast
was pleased with his team's performance, especially the way they
didn't panic when they were behind. “We've kind of prided ourselves
on not having that panic button to push whether you're up or you're
behind,” he said. Now their goal is to finish off the Kodiaks as
soon as possible. Keast says the Lakers should come out focused in
Game 5 on Monday in Peterborough. “It's the prize at the end. We've
got to close out this series and we want to do that at home. To be
honest, we feel like we owe our fans back at home a big W. We haven't
played well at home so we want to change that Monday night,” Keast
said.
Glen Bryan and the Kodiaks are
determined not to make that easy for the Lakers. Bryan said the last
two minutes of the second hurt them. “It looked like we outplayed
them for 38 of the first 40 minutes and the two minutes at the end
really cost us,” he said. “Instead of going into the third up 6-4
we're down 7-6. That took a little bit out of the guys' sails right
there.”
The Kodiaks aren't content with being
competitive, Bryan said. “The first four games of the series have
shown that we can play with them and the guys in the room believe it.
I think that's what matters most. We're not going out there just to
be satisfied with having a close game any more. We're here to win and
I think the guys believe we can.”
