Lakers Hockey gearing up for Homecoming game

After a tough weekend for the Nipissing Lakers hockey team, the players and coaches will be looking to get in the win column this weekend facing RMC in the Homecoming Game on Friday night. The Lakers dropped both games this past weekend, going down to UQTR in a very close 3-2 loss in the home opener on Friday night, and falling to the Toronto Blues 5-2 on Sunday.

In the UQTR game, the Lakers battled hard to tie the game after UQTR built up a 2-0 lead.  The boys in blue and green managed to even up the score on goals by Sam Hopewell and Jacob Verheyden, before the Patriotes notched the winner midway through the third period. Despite some quality chances and a lot of effort down the stretch, the Lakers weren’t able to manage the third goal.

In Toronto on Sunday, the Lakers ran into penalty problems, allowing the Blues two five-on-three advantages that proved dire as Toronto turned a close 3-1 game into a 5-2 win.

The two losses certainly hurt the Lakers, as the expectations are that the OUA East division will be a close race this season, making every game and every point important.

“I think the league is going to be very, very even this year,” said head coach Mike McParland. “There will be no easy games, no guaranteed points. With the league being so even, I think everybody will be beating everybody and probably 32 or 33 points will get you fourth place. I don't think you'll see as high a point total this season, with the exception of maybe UQTR.”

With a 1-3-0 record heading into Friday’s Homecoming game, you can bet the Lakers will be fired up and looking to notch a win.