Lakers win season opener over Excelsiors

The Peterborough Lakers kicked off its 2023 Major Series Lacrosse season with a 11-8 win over the Brampton Excelsiors Thursday night.

In the first period the Lakers got on the board first when Adam Churchill converted a Josh Currier pass at 6:22, followed by Thomas Hoggarth scoring off a Shawn Evans feed at 8:42.

James Whiteford got the Excelsiors rolling, converting a Jeremy Searle pass at 10:09, but was answered immediately by Thomas Hoggarth with his second of the period off an Adam Churchill feed at 11:25.  With just 0:45 seconds left in the period Jordan Stouros caught Matt Gilray with a pass in transition beating Lucas Nagy to increase the Lakers lead to three.

In the second period, the Excelsiors got on the board first when Rory Graham scored unassisted at 1:03, but the Lakers again answered back when Joel Taylor finished off a Caleb Creasor pass at 2:48.  Holden Cattoni added to the lead with a blast off an Austin Hasen pass at 5:12, but Brampton came back with Henry Follows beating Drew Hutchison off a Curtis Goddard feed just 0:27 seconds later.

Turner Evans scored on the power-play off a Shawn Evans pass at 7:01, followed by Shawn Evans himself scoring shorthanded off an Eric Shewall pass at 12:24.  Tyler Ferriera scored on the power-play for Brampton off a Henry Follows feed at 13:40.

In the third period, Thomas Hoggarth opened the third period scoring with his third of the night for Peterborough off a Shawn Evans pass at 3:38, followed by Holden Cattoni scoring his second of the night on the power-play also off a Shawn Evans pass at 8:02.

The Excelsiors made a push scoring three times.  Henry Follows scored off a Tanner Thomson pass at 8:32, followed by Carter Zavitz finishing off a James Whiteford feed at 12:55.  Alec Simons continued the Excelsiors comeback scoring off a Carter Zavitz pass at 13:20, but Matt Gilray stopped the Brampton run scoring in transition unassisted at 14:02. 

Brampton’s James Whiteford scored off a Tanner Thomson pass at 17:22 to bring the game within three goals, but it was too little too late.