Lakers And BLC Heading To Game 7 Thursday

By Anna Taylor
Photo Credit: Anna Taylor

 

WHITBY, ON – We’re going to GAME 7! The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers have forced a seventh and deciding game in their MSL semifinal series vs. Brooklin Lacrosse Club, and it will take place tonight at 8 p.m. at the Memorial Centre.

 

The box office opens for ticket sales at 9:30 a.m. in person, over the phone (705-743-3561) or online at memorialcentre.ca.

 

Taite Cattoni scored the game’s tying and winning goals as the Lakers defeated Brooklin 6-5 in overtime on Wednesday night. Cattoni completed a natural hat trick 4:13 into the extra frame.

 

Down 5-2 after 40 minutes with a nervous pro-Lakers crowd in the arena, the Lakers locked it down defensively in the third period. Joe Resetarits kicked off the Lakers run with an overhead bouncer halfway through the period. Cattoni followed it up with his first 1:23 later, picking up the ball in the corner and running uncontested to the front of the net. A tense nine minutes followed, but after the Lakers pressured a late Brooklin turnover, Cattoni converted Braedon Saris’ pass right at the side of the crease. 

 

“It was the belief that we could come back from it,” said head coach Mike Hasen on the third period. “We didn’t help ourselves the first two periods very much. We just bought in for 20 minutes. Buy in and see what happens and it works out.”

 

Cattoni got the pass from older brother Holden and cycled around the top before launching a shot that bounced low and beat Brooklin tender Zach Higgins. Nick Rose made 35 saves for the Lakers and held Brooklin scoreless for nearly 40 minutes – they scored their last goal 4:30 into the second period.

 

“We work for each other,” stated Hasen. “Everybody has their opinions and we know that, that’s part of sports. We believe in everybody in this room. Defensively, late in the second period and third period we found our groove a little bit there and made it hopefully a little easier for Rosey, but he was big, real big for us.”

 

Cattoni saluted the crowd before running off the floor – attendance was estimated around 400, with a large and loud contingent from Peterborough. The fans did everything they could to make it feel like a home game. 

 

“We knew we played a pretty poor 40 minutes and the season was on the line,” said Cattoni. “We had to come alive as a group and lucky enough and fortunate enough I had a good third period. It was my turn to go. That’s the great thing about this team, every night it can be a different guy that steps up and makes a difference. I’m really happy the team trusted me and I got the job done.”

 

See you tonight at the rink for the biggest game of the season!