Lakers Close Regular Season With Dominant Win Over North Stars

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers head into the Major Series Lacrosse playoffs riding plenty of momentum after cruising to a 14-2 victory over the Owen Sound North Stars in Thursday night's regular season finale at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

peterborough lakers ryan lanchbury had a big game in the team’s regular season finale, picking up four goals and three assists in a 14-2 win at the memorial centre (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The win caps off the regular season with four straight victories, as the Lakers finish 11-7 and will face the second-place Oakville Rock in the opening round of the playoffs.

Peterborough wasted little time taking control, erupting for seven goals in the opening 10 minutes before pulling away for its most lopsided win of the season.

The North Stars' first goal came from a familiar face. Peterborough native and former Peterborough Jr. C Laker Adam Churchill, a two-time Meredith Cup champion with the club in 2015 and 2018, scored against his hometown team after getting the call around 5:30 p.m. that he would suit up for the game just a few hours later.

Ryan Lanchbury led the Lakers' offence with four goals and three assists, while Brad McCulley recorded a hat trick and three assists. Mike Robinson added a pair of goals, while Frank Coyle, Matt Gilray, Nate Sage, DJ Clark and Thomas Hoggarth also found the back of the net.

Hoggarth finished with a team-high five assists, while Sage collected four points with a goal and three helpers. Clark added three points, Gilray had two, and Justin Sykes and goaltender Deacan Knott each recorded two assists.

Knott, playing his first game back after serving a four-game suspension for his July 9th fight with Owen Sound goaltender Andrew Kidd, stopped 38 shots to earn the win and was named the game's third star.

The Lakers now turn their attention to the playoffs, opening their best-of-five first-round series against Oakville on Tuesday before hosting Game 2 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday.

The Major Series Lacrosse regular season wraps up Saturday when the Owen Sound North Stars host the Cobourg Kodiaks. If Cobourg wins, the Kodiaks will finish fourth and face the first-place Six Nations Chiefs in the semifinals. If Owen Sound pulls off the upset, the Brooklin Lacrosse Club will claim fourth place and earn the semifinal matchup with the Chiefs.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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