Schedule Set for First Round Playoff Series Between Peterborough Lakers and Oakville Rock

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are playoff bound, with dates now set for their best-of-five first-round Major Series Lacrosse series against the Oakville Rock.

the peterborough lakers will face the oakville rock in the opening round of the MSL playoffs, with game 1 set tuesday, august 4th, in oakville and game 2 at the peterborough memorial centre on august 6th (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

Peterborough secured third place in the regular season with a 10-7 record and will open the postseason against the second-place Rock, with Game 1 taking place in Oakville.

The Lakers' first home playoff game is scheduled for Thursday, August 6th at 8pm at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Oakville swept the three-game regular season series, including a 13-12 victory over the Lakers at the PMC on July 16. Peterborough, however, heads into the playoffs on a three-game winning streak after closing out the regular season by securing third place.

Fans looking to attend every home playoff game can take advantage of the Lakers' new Pay As You Play ticket option. The program allows fans to reserve the same seats throughout the playoffs, with their credit card charged only after each home game is officially confirmed. If a home game is not played, there is no charge.

The deadline to register for the Pay As You Play program is Monday, August 4th at 9am

Single-game tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 5th at 10am through the Peterborough Memorial Centre box office and Ticketmaster.

First-Round Schedule

• Game 1 – Tuesday, August 4th at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, 8pm

• Game 2 – Thursday, August 6th at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, 8pm

• Game 3 – Saturday, August 8th at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, 7pm

• Game 4 (if necessary) – Sunday, August 9th at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, 7pm

• Game 5 (if necessary) – Tuesday, August 11th at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, 8pm

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

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Lakers Clinch Third Place with Overtime Win Against First Place Six Nations Chiefs

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are heading into the Major Series Lacrosse playoffs on a high note after knocking off the Six Nations Chiefs 7-6 in overtime Tuesday night to secure third place in the Major Series Lacrosse standings.

the peterborough lakers secured third place in the msl standing with a 7-6 overtime road win against six nations tuesday night and will face second place oakville in the opening round of playoffs (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The victory improved Peterborough to 10-7 on the season, secured third place in the Major Series Lacrosse standings and extended the Lakers' winning streak to three games. The win also locked up a first-round playoff matchup against the second-place Oakville Rock.

Ryan Lanchbury played the hero, scoring the overtime winner 3:17 into overtime. The Lakers led for nearly the entire game, building an early 2-0 advantage and never allowing the Chiefs to take the lead.

The win was especially significant as Peterborough became the only team to beat Six Nations on the floor during the regular season. While the Chiefs officially finished with two losses, their other defeat came by league forfeiture after an ineligible player dressed for a game against Oakville.

Justin Sykes scored twice for the Lakers, while Lanchbury finished with two goals, including the winner. Colton Armstrong and Mike Robinson also found the back of the net. Thomas Hoggarth picked up two assists, while Holden Cattoni and Braedon Saris added one each.

Goaltender Drew Hutchison turned in another strong performance, helping the Lakers hold off one of the league's highest-scoring offences.

Peterborough closes out the regular season Thursday night when the Owen Sound North Stars visit the Peterborough Memorial Centre for Fan Appreciation Night before the playoffs begin.

The playoff schedule and ticket information for the Lakers first round semifinal series against Oakville have not yet been released. The other series will feature Six Nations versus either the Brooklin Lacrosse Club or the Cobourg Kodiaks.

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

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Peterborough Jr. C Lakers Move Within One Win of Meredith Cup Final

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers are one victory away from the Meredith Cup Final after opening their semifinal series with a pair of home wins over the Cornwall Celtics this weekend.

birthday boy braxton howard celebrates as the peterborough jr c lakers take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series with the cornwall celtics (photo courtesy of the jr. c lakers, via christine liu)

Peterborough earned an 8-5 victory in Game 1 on Saturday before following it up with a 10-5 win on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Goaltender Braden Hockaday picked up both wins, helping hold the Celtics to five goals in each game. The Lakers also outshot Cornwall 43-34 in Saturday's opener and 51-42 in Game 2.

Saturday's series opener was a tightly played game early, with Peterborough carrying a 1-0 lead into the second period before pulling away with seven goals over the final two periods. Kennen Withers scored twice, while Ryder Perry and Braxtin Howard each finished with two goals and two assists. Logan Giroux and Jordan Garfat also scored.

The Lakers carried that momentum into Sunday's game, building a 2-1 lead after the first period before extending their advantage with four goals in both the second and third periods. Perry led the offence with a hat trick and three assists, while Howard scored twice. Kennen Withers, Ryder Evans, Owen Thake and Ricky Bevan also found the back of the net.

Peterborough will have its first opportunity to clinch a berth in the Meredith Cup Final when Game 3 is played Friday at 8:30 pm in Cornwall. If necessary, Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday at 5 pm, with a deciding Game 5 set for Sunday at 2 pm, also in Cornwall.

The winner of the series will advance to the Meredith Cup Final. The other semifinal between the Whitby Warriors and Six Nations Stealth is tied at one game apiece.

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

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Lakers Move Back into Fourth With Big Win Over Kodiaks

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers strengthened their playoff position Thursday night, defeating the Cobourg Kodiaks 8-4 to move back into fourth place in the Major Series Lacrosse standings while keeping their hopes of a third-place finish alive.

the peterborough lakers defeated the cobourg kodiaks last night to mive back into fourth place in the msl standing. prior to the game the lakers honoured the 1986 peterborough jr. a maulers (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The win gives Peterborough the season series and tiebreaker over Cobourg, leaving the Lakers just two points behind the third-place Kodiaks with three regular season games remaining.

The highest the Lakers can finish is third. That would set up a first-round playoff series against the second-place Oakville Rock. If they remain in fourth, they'll open the postseason against the undefeated Six Nations Chiefs, who have yet to lose a game this season.

Peterborough pulled away in the third period after a tightly contested game through the opening 40 minutes.

The Lakers led 3-1 early before Cobourg battled back to make it 4-3. Peterborough then took control, scoring four unanswered goals in the third period to seal the victory.

Colton Armitage continued his strong play with the Lakers, recording his second straight hat trick while adding two assists for a five-point night. Thomas Hoggarth also had a big offensive performance with two goals and two assists, while Holden Cattoni chipped in a goal and two helpers.

Justin Sykes, Daniel Clark and Braedon Saris each scored once, while Ryan Lanchbury recorded two assists. Rob Hellyer, Brad McCulley and Dylan Hutchison each added one assist.

Drew Hutchison signing autographs after his 49 save first star performance at the peterborough memorial centre thursday night (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The biggest difference, however, came in goal.

Drew Hutchison turned aside 49 shots to earn the win and was named the game's first star as he repeatedly frustrated the Kodiaks' offence.

Before the game, the Lakers recognized the 1986 Peterborough Jr. A Maulers with a pre-game ceremony. Members of the Minto Cup championship team were honoured on the floor, while current Lakers wore throwback jerseys during warmups that were later presented to the alumni.

The Lakers now have three regular season games remaining as they continue their push for playoff positioning.

Peterborough is back in action tonight when it visits the Brampton Excelsiors before travelling to Six Nations on Tuesday. The Lakers will then wrap up the regular season next Thursday at home against the last-place Owen Sound North Stars on Fan Appreciation Night.

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

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Peterborough Lakers Bringing Toonie Dog Night Back for Tonight's Retro Night Game Against Cobourg

By Scott Arnold

After setting a Peterborough Memorial Centre record earlier this season, the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are bringing back Toonie Dog Night for tonight’s Retro Night game set to take place at 8pm against the Cobourg Kodiaks.

craig meredith set the individual record during the lakers inaugural toonie dog night last month, eating 18 hot dogs. he says although he will be attending tonight’s game, he’ll be taking it easy on the dogs as he wants to give somebody else a shot at the title.

Fans snapped up 924 hot dogs during the team's first-ever Toonie Dog Night on June 4th, setting a new record for the most hot dogs sold during a lacrosse game at the PMC.

Now, the promotion returns on Thursday, July 23rd, as the Lakers host Retro Night presented by Lansdowne Place.

This time, the team has set its sights even higher. The goal is to sell 1,386 hot dogs, a number chosen to honour the 1986 Lansdowne Place Maulers, who will be recognized during the evening's festivities.

The original promotion drew long concession lineups and created a lively atmosphere throughout the game, with fans taking advantage of the $2 hot dog special while cheering on the Lakers.

The team also recognized the support of Maple Leaf Foods, Levy Canada, The Real Canadian Superstore and the City of Peterborough for helping make the promotion possible.

The fifth place Lakers (7-7) will host the third place Cobourg Kodiaks (9-7) for tonight’s Retro Night game, with tickets for the game are available through the Peterborough Memorial Centre Box Office or online via Ticketmaster.

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

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Jr. C Lakers Set for Meredith Cup Semifinal Series Beginning at Home on Saturday

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers will begin their Meredith Cup semifinal series this weekend when they host the Cornwall Celtics at Healthy Planet Arena.

The peterborough jr. c Lakers won the central division championship friday night in whitby. they will play cornwall in the semifinals, with game one set for SAturday at 8:30pm at the healthy planet arena (photo courtesy of the jr. c lakers, via christine liu)

After capturing the Central Division championship with an 8-7 win over the Whitby Warriors on Friday night, the Lakers will now turn their attention to the best-of-five semifinal series against Cornwall.

Game 1 is set for Saturday, July 25 at 8:30 pm at Healthy Planet Arena, with Game 2 scheduled for Sunday, July 26 at 8 pm in Peterborough. The start time for Game 2 could be adjusted to 7:30 pm.

The series then shifts to Cornwall for the remainder of the schedule. If necessary, Game 4 will be played Saturday, August 1 at 5 pm, following Game 3 on Friday, July 31 at 8:30 pm. If the series reaches a deciding Game 5, it will be played Sunday, August 2 at 2 pm in Cornwall.

The Lakers are now just one series win away from another appearance in the Meredith Cup final as they continue their pursuit of a third straight league championship.

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

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Peterborough Jr. C Lakers Capture Central Division Championship

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers are Central Division champions after defeating the Whitby Warriors 8-7 on Friday night to win the best-of-five series in four games.

The peterborough jr. c Lakers won the central division championship friday night in whitby. they will now await the winner of the Kahnawake-Cornwall series to learn their semifinal opponent (photo courtesy of the jr. c lakers)

Peterborough earned the road victory at the McKinney Centre to claim the Central Division title and advance to the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League Meredith Cup semifinals.

The Lakers will face the winner of the series between the Kahnawake Hunters and Cornwall Celtics. Cornwall currently leads that best-of-five matchup 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Monday.

The other Meredith Cup semifinal will feature the Six Nations Stealth and the Whitby Warriors. Although Whitby fell to Peterborough in the Central Division Final, the Warriors earned the league's wild card berth as the highest-ranked unsuccessful division finalist from the division with the strongest overall regular season winning percentage.

Friday's game was another tightly contested battle between the longtime rivals. Whitby held a 4-3 lead after the opening period before the Lakers responded with three goals in the second to take a 6-6 tie into the third. Logan Giroux gave Peterborough the lead early in the final period before Ryder Perry scored the game-winning power-play goal with 2:26 remaining.

Jordan Garfat scored twice for the Lakers, while Braxtin Howard added a goal and an assist. Ryder Perry, Kennen Withers, Hayden Heigh, Owen Thake and Logan Giroux also found the back of the net.

Heigh finished with two assists, while Quinn Jacobs recorded two assists. Charlie Evans, Charlie Donald, Kyson Campbell, Kennen Withers and Ryder Evans each added an assist.

With the Central Division title secured, the Lakers will now await the winner of the Kahnawake-Cornwall series to learn their semifinal opponent.

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

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Lakers Drop Heartbreaker to Rock as Playoff Race Tightens

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers came within seconds of knocking off one of the Major Series Lacrosse's top teams Thursday night, but a late Oakville goal handed Peterborough a 13-12 loss that keeps the playoff race as tight as ever.

it was little lakers night at the pmc on thursday with funds raised during the game going to five counties children centre (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The loss drops the Lakers to 7-7 on the season. They remain in fourth place in the MSL standings with 14 points, holding the tiebreaker over the fifth-place Brooklin Lacrosse Club (7-8) after winning the season series. Cobourg's win over Brampton on Friday night moved the Kodiaks to 8-5 and four points ahead of Peterborough for third place, while the second-place Oakville Rock improved to 10-4 and now sit six points in front of the Lakers. Undefeated Six Nations (14-0) continues to lead the league with 28 points and has already clinched a playoff berth.

Only the top four teams qualify for the postseason, while Brampton (2-12) and Owen Sound (1-13) have both been eliminated from playoff contention.

Thursday's game looked like it could go either way from start to finish.

The two teams traded goals throughout the opening half, with the score tied six different times before Oakville pulled away with five straight goals to open a 10-6 advantage.

Peterborough answered with a six-goal run of its own spanning the end of the second period and the start of the third, turning a four-goal deficit into a 12-10 lead.

Oakville responded with two quick goals in a span of 44 seconds to tie the game before Jake Darlison scored the winner with just 32 seconds remaining after intercepting a pass and breaking in alone.

The Lakers had one final opportunity to force overtime, but former Peterborough goaltender Landon Kells, who entered the game in relief for Oakville, stopped Brad McCulley's late chance to preserve the victory.

One of the night's biggest stories was the performance of newcomer Colton Armitage. Playing his first game as a full-time member of the Lakers after appearing earlier this season as a call-up, the 22-year-old recorded the first hat trick of his MSL career while adding two assists for a five-point night.

Braedon Saris also had five points with two goals and three assists, while Rob Hellyer finished with six points on a goal and five helpers. DJ Clark scored twice, Ryan Lanchbury had a goal and four assists, and singles came from Holden Cattoni, Liam Patten and Dylan Hutchison. Justin Sykes and Brad McCulley each added two assists.

With starting goaltender Deacan Knott serving the first game of a four-game suspension, Drew Hutchison got the start before Nick Rose came on in relief and held Oakville scoreless for more than 20 minutes.

Jake Withers also missed the game while serving the first of his two-game suspension after last week's altercation with Owen Sound goaltender Kaleb Martin. Knott received his suspension following his fight with North Stars goaltender Andrew Kidd during the same stoppage in play.

The Lakers have four regular season games remaining, beginning with what could be their biggest game of the season next Thursday when the Cobourg Kodiaks visit the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Peterborough will then travel to Brampton on July 24 before closing out the regular season with games at Six Nations on July 28 and at home against Owen Sound on July 30.

Next Thursday's game will also feature Retro Night, celebrating the 1986 Peterborough Maulers with throwback jerseys, an 80s and 90s soundtrack and the return of the popular Toonie Dog promotion. The Lakers are aiming to top the Peterborough Memorial Centre record of 924 hot dogs sold during the team's first Toonie Dog Night earlier this season, with a new goal of selling 1,386 hot dogs in honour of the 1986 Maulers.

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

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Peterborough's Shawn Evans Earns Place in NLL Hall of Fame

By Scott Arnold

One of Peterborough's greatest lacrosse players is officially headed to the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame.

after an illustrious national lacrosse league career, Peterborough native shawn evans will be inducted in the nll hall of fame in september (photo courtesy of the nll)

Just one month after being named one of this year's Hall of Fame nominees, Evans has now officially earned one of the sport's highest honours.

Shawn Evans is among the eight members of the National Lacrosse League's Hall of Fame Class of 2026, earning one of the sport's highest honours following a remarkable 17-season professional career.

The Peterborough native and former Laker is joined in this year's class by Dan Dawson, Mark Steenhuis, Sandy Chapman, Mike Accursi, Jake Bergey, Gavin Prout and broadcaster John Gurtler.

While Evans is the local headline, Peterborough also has ties to three other members of this year's class. Accursi, Prout and Steenhuis each spent part of their playing careers with the Peterborough Lakers, adding even more local flavour to this year's Hall of Fame class.

Evans built one of the most accomplished careers in NLL history. A two-time league Most Valuable Player and a 2007 NLL champion with the Rochester Knighthawks, he finished his career with 1,358 regular-season points, ranking sixth all-time. He also sits fifth in league history in assists with 879 and is among the top 10 all-time in goals and games played.

Selected second overall by Rochester in the 2005 NLL Draft, Evans played for the Knighthawks, Calgary Roughnecks, New England Black Wolves, Buffalo Bandits, Halifax Thunderbirds and Vancouver Warriors before retiring following the 2023 season.

The NLL Hall of Fame is the league's highest honour, recognizing individuals whose careers have made a lasting impact on professional box lacrosse. This year's class includes four players, three veterans and one builder from the media category.

Evans is being inducted alongside fellow player category members Dawson, Steenhuis and Chapman. The veteran category includes Accursi, Bergey and Prout, while Gurtler was selected in the builder category for his longtime contributions to broadcasting the game.

Evans becomes the third Peterborough native inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame, joining Tracey Kelusky and John Grant Jr., who were inducted in 2016 and 2021 respectively.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to take place this September at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino in New York.

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

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Lakers Move Into Third Place After Wild Win Over North Stars

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers climbed back above .500 and into third place in the Major Series Lacrosse standings Thursday night, defeating the Owen Sound North Stars 13-5 in a game that featured plenty of offence, as well as a goalie fight late in the second period.

the two goalies went at it thursday night, with owen sound’s Andrew kidd (left) and peterborough’s decan knott squaring up late in the second period

The victory improves Peterborough to 7-6 on the season, moving the Lakers past Brooklin and into third place in the MSL standings with a game in hand.

While the final score was lopsided, the game will likely be remembered for what happened late in the second period.

With the Lakers leading 12-2, Jake Withers was involved in a scrum after being high-sticked in the corner. As officials escorted him away, Owen Sound starting goaltender Kaleb Martin, who had already been pulled earlier in the game, left the North Stars bench to challenge Withers, with the two exchanging several punches after breaking free from the referees who were doing their best to keep them apart.

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Seconds after officials separated them, Owen Sound goaltender Andrew Kidd left his crease and sprinted the length of the floor to challenge Lakers netminder Deacan Knott. After both goalies removed their upper equipment and squared up in the Lakers zone, they exchanged punches at the same time. Knott's punch landed flush, sending Kidd stumbling backwards before falling to the turf. All three goaltenders involved in the altercations were ejected from the game.

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Before the fireworks, the Lakers had already taken complete control.

Peterborough built a 5-0 lead after the opening period behind two goals from Holden Cattoni, along with singles from Rob Hellyer, Justin Sykes and Mike Robinson. Robinson also made history with one of the night's highlight-reel goals, scoring on a beautiful dunk play from behind the net.

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The Lakers stretched their advantage to 12-0 before Owen Sound finally broke through, with Dustyn Birkhof scoring twice in the second period. The veteran defenceman finished with a career-high three points, including the first multi-goal game of his MSL career.

Birkhof downplayed his rare offensive outburst and gave all the credit to his teammates, saying “we’ve just got hard working guys all around on our team, getting all the loose balls and they’re the ones making the play and I just got lucky and got the ball a few times”.

Braedon Saris and DJ Clark also scored twice, Robinson added his second of the night, and Hellyer capped his two-goal performance with Peterborough's final goal in the third period.

Knott stopped the first 35 minutes without allowing a goal before his ejection, while Nick Rose came on in relief to finish the game.

Peterborough received balanced scoring throughout the lineup. Saris led the way with six points on two goals and four assists, while Hellyer recorded five points (2G, 3A). Robinson and Clark each finished with four points (2G, 2A), Cattoni had four points (2G, 2A), Birkhof collected three (2G, 1A), Sykes added two (1G, 1A), Thomas Hoggarth chipped in two assists, and Dylan Hutchison recorded an assist.

The Lakers outshot Owen Sound 59-43 and converted three of six power-play opportunities in front of a crowd of 2,185 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Peterborough returns to action next Thursday when the second-place Oakville Rock make their only regular season visit to the PMC for Little Lakers Night in support of Five Counties Children's Centre.

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

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