Halton Hills and Clarington off to perfect starts through four games
May 06, 2008 - 05:00 PM
By Brad Kelly
BOWMANVILLE -- Something is likely to change for the Clarington Green Gaels and Halton Hills Bulldogs.
The OLA Jr. B lacrosse teams are on a crash course Thursday night at the Recreation Complex in Bowmanville, where both will put their perfect 4-0 records on the line.
The game promises to be just what the young Green Gaels need in the early going.
"It's much better for our team down the road to have a one goal game," said assistant coach Jonas Derks following last week's big win over Markham. "I'll take one or two goal games any day of the week, win or lose, because the kids will take a lot from that."
The Green Gaels have turned close games into lopsided finals in their two home games, stretching a 5-2 lead into a 15-3 win over Mississauga, and then doing more of the same against Markham, building on a 5-4 lead after two periods and turning it on for a 12-4 victory with seven unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes. The two road games in Cornwall and Akwesasne were a little closer, with the Green Gaels returning home with 12-9 and 9-4 wins respectively.
Halton Hills should provide a stiffer test.
While they share the identical 4-0 mark as the Green Gaels, they have scored more (58-48), and are virtually the same in the goals against department, with Halton Hills allowing 22 to the Green Gaels 20.
Halton Hills features the top scorer in the league, as Pat Saunders has 19-12-31 totals to lead the way. They also have a couple of other snipers in the top-10, as Nic Grasby sits third with 8-19-27 numbers and Kyle Davis is fifth at 7-13-20. The only Green Gael to be included in that mix is Ryan Serville, who leads the team with six goals and 10 assists to sit seventh overall.
With so many rookies in the lineup, the perfect start to the season may have come as a surprise to some of the followers of the Green Gaels. The team lost Mark Matthews and his 99 points, along with second leading scorer Ryan Degerdon (27-38-65) to the Whitby Warriors Jr. A club, among others.
But, according to Derks, the team is right about where he thought it was capable of being at this point.
"No, we're not a little better than we thought. We're as good as we thought," he said when asked if the team was over achieving.
"I'm excited about it and happy with it. I never said I wished we would lose, I just wished if we are going to lose three games that we are going to lose them before the playoffs come."
Last season, the Green Gaels went 20-0-0 during the regular season and won nine in a row in the playoffs before losing three straight to Six Nations in the league championship series.
Recommend :
Latest News
Durham drug cops announce $3M bustDURHAM -- Dozens of people have been arrested and drugs with an estimated street value in excess of $3 million have been seized in a massive strike by Durham police against...
Newcastle area asked to conserve water nowDURHAM -- Anyone connected to municipal water in Newcastle is asked to conserve use immediately. The Newcastle water supply plant, which also serves Newtonville, has had...
Pickering fireworks vendors robbed on Canada DayPICKERING -- Two armed bandits made off with cash after they robbed fireworks vendors in Pickering on Canada Day. Durham police said the two employees had closed their storage...
Hijacked rig unloaded in AjaxAJAX -- A trucker who was hijacked in Mississauga was taken to Ajax where his cargo of electronics was unloaded and stolen, police have confirmed. The incident occurred on the...
Boy, 15, charged in Pickering sex assaultPICKERING -- A 15-year-old boy has been charged with the sexual assault of a woman who was attacked in her Pickering home in February. It's believed the suspect is a former...
Suspect in numerous Durham break-ins bustedDURHAM -- A suspect in more than 40 break-ins in Durham Region has been arrested and police continue to investigate potential links to other incidents. Durham police picked up...
Sentenced to life in Pickering murder, Cyr denies guiltWHITBY -- Even as he was being sentenced to prison with a judge's recommendation he never be released, convicted killer Paul Cyr forcefully denied any role in the murder of a...
Five Durham beaches posted unsafe for swimming
DURHAM --Five beaches in Durham Region are considered unsafe for swimming after the most recent water quality tests. Elgin Pond has been posted with a caution against...
Cops disperse pot party in Oshawa
OSHAWA -- A small crowd which gathered for what was billed as a "Cannabis Day" celebration at Alexandra Park in Oshawa has been met by almost a dozen police...
NewsView map shows Canada Day 2009 events in Durham RegionDURHAM -- From fireworks to music in the park, there is plenty to do on Canada Day in Durham Region. Waterfront events are big in several communities. And...