Evans, Corbeil, O'Connor, Chiefs goalies and coaches earn MSL awards

Shawn Evans is MSL's scoring champion and MVP for 2013

(Photo: Tim Prothero, VintageLax)

Shawn Evans has added the Jim Murphy Award for the league's most valuable player to the Bucko McDonald award he earned as Major Series Lacrosse's leading scorer, MSL has announced. Evans won the scoring title by putting up 7 points in the last game of the season to overtake Shawn Williams. Evans wound up with 29 goals and 77 assists for 106 points while Williams finished with 27 goals and 776 assists for 103 points. Williams played all 20 of Brooklin's games; Evans managed to pull out the scoring title despite missing one game while on a brief honeymoon after getting married during the season.

The Brampton Excelsiors, despite suffering their first losing season since 1990, took home a pair of league honours for individual players. Chris Corbeil was named the winner of the Merv McKenzie Award for top defensive player. Corbeil had an outstanding season in his own right and was a tremendous leader and role model for the group of young defenders with whom he played. He scored 4 goals and 10 assists while playing in 18 of the Excelsiors' 20 games, all the while being matched up against opponents' top offensive threats.

Lakers take 3-2 lead in MSL semis with 15-9 win over Redmen Monday night

John Grant, Jr. had 5 goals and 4 assists to lead the Lakers 

over the Redmen in Game 5, giving Peterborough a 3-2 

lead in the series. (File photo: Tim Prothero)

John Grant, Jr. finally snapped out of his series-long drought and helped the Peterborough Lakers take control of the Major Series Lacrosse semi finals with a 15-9 win over the Brooklin Redmen Monday night, giving them a 3-2 lead in the series. Grant scored 5 goals and 4 assists in a dominating performance that displayed his shooting and passing prowess and how much of a difference they can make in a game. The Lakers transition game also played a huge role, with Brad Self adding 2 goals and 5 assists and Mark Steenhuis contributing 3 goals and an assist.

Grant's 9 points almost equalled the total of 10 he had produced in the three previous games he had played in the series, but he'd had only 1 goal over those three. He was visibly frustrated throughout the series as his shooting woes mounted. “It's been frustrating because I've been awful. I've been the worst player on the floor,” Grant said. “I've been letting the team down. Even tonight in the first period, I think I was the direct result of three of their goals.”

The Lakers' star forward said he's been trying everything he could think of to turn things around, but finally it was a simple bit of advice from teammate Scott Evans that seemed to do the trick. “I'm just trying to get out of my head, I'm switching sticks, I'm doing a bunch of stuff. I've just got to play. Scott Evans said just close your eyes and shoot it, so I did and a couple went in. I think the team all in all played well tonight so I was just contributing when I could.”

Lakers tie series thanks to MacIntosh goal with 3 seconds left

Jordan MacIntosh scored with 3 seconds to play to lift the Peterborough Lakers to a thrilling 12-11 win over the Brooklin Redmen in Game 4 of the Major Series Lacrosse semifinals, evening the series at 2-2 and returning home floor advantage to Peterborough.

“It's probably the biggest [goal of my career],” Macintosh said. “I've never really scored a late goal like that in a game so it's pretty cool. The play was basically just to get it over to John [Grant, Jr.] for a shot or a good look. He usually makes the right play there and I just kind of kept my stick in an area where he could get it to. I was fortunate enough that he got it there and I put it in.”

Grant made the pass from near the boards, across the crease and high enough that MacIntosh had to jump to get to the ball, but no Redmen defenders had an opportunity to intercept or knock it away. MacIntosh caught the ball at the peak of his jump and released it before he came down. Redmen goalie Zach Higgins caught the ball with his arm and knocked it away, but it was behind the goal line in the net when it made contact with him.

Lakers down Redmen 11-3 to pull within 2-1 in MSL semis

The Peterborough Lakers have been in this situation before. Backs against the wall, looking like they’re in trouble and having a hard time finding their game. And just like they’ve done many times before, they came out firing and won a critical playoff lacrosse game to keep their playoff run from going onto life support. Last night it was an 11-3 victory over the Brooklin Redmen that pulled them within 2-1 in the Major Series Lacrosse semi finals. And after struggling at times all over the floor in the first two games, Peterborough controlled pretty much all phases of Game 3.

Lakers goalie Tyler Carlson, who did not play well in the first two games and didn’t get lots of help from his defence, looked far more confident and solid in the Lakers goal. “Our defence was playing amazing tonight, the second period was way better,” he said, referring to the fact that the Lakers gave up 8 goals in the second period in each of the first two games. “Personally, I was shaky a little bit but now I’m stepping into the groove and finding myself and we’re going to really finish this thing off with a bang.”

Redmen take 2-0 series lead over Lakers with thrilling 11-10 overtime win

The Brooklin Redmen trailed 4-2 after one period, outscored the Peterborough Lakers 8-2 in the second to take a 10-6 lead, squandered that lead by being blanked 4-0 in the third, then got the only goal of the overtime period from Kiel Matisz to pull out a roller coaster ride of an 11-10 win in the Major Series Lacrosse semi finals Monday night.

The win gives the Redmen a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, which resumes with Game 3 in Peterborough tonight. You can watch the game live on a pay per view webcast by clicking on the link in the right hand column of this web site. There is also a radio webcast of the game available through the Lacrosse Radio Network, which can be reached via the link to In Lacrosse We Trust in this site's links page.

Also, the KW Kodiaks head to Six Nations trying to avoid falling behind 3-0 in their semi final tonight. Game time is 8 pm.

Redmen take semi finals opener over Lakers, Chiefs move to 2-0 ahead of Kodiaks

The Brooklin Redmen won the opening game of their MSL semi final series 13-10 over the Peterborough Lakers. The game was a low-scoring affair for the first period with the Lakers taking a 3-2 lead into the intermission. Then it blew up in the second with Brooklin outscoring the home team 8-6.  The third was back to the pattern of the first, as the Redmen outscored Peterborough 3-1 to clinch the victory in the first game of the best-of-seven series.

Five different players scored twice each for Brooklin and Gavin Prout had a goal and 5 assists. Shawn Evans was the top scorer in the game with a hat trick and 4 assists for Peterborough while Scott Evans added 3 goals.

In Kitchener-Waterloo, the Six Nations Chiefs took a 2-0 lead in the other semi final series by edging the Kodiaks 9-8. Kasey Beirnes was the only multiple goal scorer for Six Nations with a pair. Rodd Squire, Jr. and Cody Jamieson each had a goal and 2 assists for the Chiefs. Dhane Smith score 4 goals to lead the Kodiaks and Aaron Wilson had 2 goals and 3 assists.

The Lakers travel to take on the Redmen in Game 2 of their series Monday at 8pm then the clubs return to Peterborough for Game 3 Tuesday at 8pm. Both games can be seen on live pay per view webcasts. Click on the Webcast Sports icon in the right hand column of this web site to watch the games.

Six Nations and KW resume their series with Game 3 Tuesday in Six Nations then Game 4 Thursday in KW, both at 8pm.

Redmen vs Lakers series available on pay per view webcasts

The semi final series between the Brooklin Redmen and Peterborough Lakers will be webcast live via pay per view, starting Thursday August 1 from Peterborough at 8 pm. The cost to purchase a game is $7. To purchase games, click on the link at the top of the right hand column of this page.