Win 8-5 on home floor in Game 3
Jul 03, 2008 - 11:23 PM
By Brad Kelly
BOWMANVILLE -- On paper, the Clarington Green Gaels have an excuse to fall back on if things don’t go their way in the opening round playoff series against the Barrie Tornado.
But coach Jason Crosbie won’t have any of it.
Despite missing four significant players off the roster, the Green Gaels have put themselves in a position to advance, just one win away from finishing their East Conference quarterfinal series thanks to an 8-5 victory in Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Thursday night in Bowmanville. With a 2-1 series lead, Game 4 is slated for Barrie on Saturday, and if necessary, a fifth and deciding game would be back in Bowmanville on Tuesday night.
“You can’t have excuses,” said Crosbie just minutes after Thursday’s win. “We have a lot of young guys and they have a job to do. These guys are talented enough to win without (the missing four).
“Would we like to have them here and playing? Sure. The series probably would have been over in three straight. But we have to keep moving forward.”
Three of the missing players off of the roster include Adrian Sorichetti, Zack Palmer and John LaFontaine, who are all in British Columbia representing Canada in the U19 World Field Lacrosse Championships. The fourth, captain Eric Sorichetti, is in attendance supporting his younger brother along with his family.
Without them, the Green Gaels used solid defence and sound goaltending in the third period to take back the lead in the series, as both teams have held serve on their home floor. The Green Gaels jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the first period, but Barrie pulled close at 5-4 through two. Clinging to a 6-5 lead in the third, the Green Gaels scored the final two goals of the game with 7:52 and 5:39 remaining to seal the victory.
Shayne Jackson and Kyle Merrilees had a pair of goals each for the Green Gaels, while Ryan Degerdon, Josh Merzbacher, Ryan Serville and Todd Collins chipped in with one each.
A win on the road Saturday would finish the series, though it’s a huge task considering how well each team has played on their home floor.
“Playing on the road is tough with a lot of first year guys,” said Crosbie of his young lineup. “On the road you have to stay with the other team long enough and squeak one out.
“The guys are comfortable (in Bowmanville at the Rec Complex). The more confident they feel, the less mistakes they make.”
The Green Gaels won the opening game of the series 9-6, but dropped Game 2 by a 10-6 score.
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