Lakers men’s hockey wrap regular season with goal scoring frenzy

One thing is for sure, the Nipissing Lakers’ offence is clicking heading into the playoffs. The Lakers wrapped up the regular season this past weekend with a pair of road games in Quebec, facing the McGill Redmen and the UQTR Patriotes.

Despite not coming away with a win, the Lakers put up 12 goals and earned two points in the process, thanks to a pair of extra time losses. In their past four games, the Lakers have scored 25 goals and have earned four of a possible six points, thanks to a 2-0-2 record.

Friday night, after allowing the first goal to McGill just 11 seconds into the game, the Lakers scored the next three to take a 3-1 lead. Brandon Warmington, Andrew Marcoux and Dorian Peca found the back of the net to give the Lakers the lead. 

The Redmen would answer back, making it 3-2, but a late first period goal by Lucas McKinley had the Lakers up 4-2 going into the second period.
The lone goal of the second came off the stick of Peca, who fired home his ninth of the season to give the Lakers a 5-2 lead. Peca would complete the hat trick early in the third period putting the Lakers up 6-2, but following that goal, things would take a turn for the worse.

The Redmen would scored the next five goals, including two in the final two and a half minutes and one in overtime to earned the 7-6 victory. Peca finished with four points, while Grant Toulmin, Conor O’Donnell, Kevin Rebelo, Dale Deon and Brendan Mitchell also had multi-point games.Kirk Rafuse was busy in net, making 42 saves in the loss.

On Saturday, it was, unfortunately, a similar situation for the Lakers, as they faced the powerful Patriotes. O’Donnell, McKinley and Toulmin all found the back of the net within a two and a half minute span of the first period and Peca would add his fourth goal of the weekend a little later to give the Lakers a 4-0 lead by the 14 minute mark of the first period. The wheels would come off following Peca’s goal, however, as the Patriotes would score the next four goals to even things up. O’Donnell scored his second of the game late in the second to give the Lakers the lead after 40 minutes.

Two goals less than a minute apart put the Patriotes back on top, 6-5, before Rebelo tied things up with just over two minutes remaining in regulation time.

Overtime solved nothing, so the teams went to a shootout.

Toulmin, Warmington and Rebelo were stopped, while Peca and Brogan Bailey scored for the Lakers, however, Yannick Dube scored what would be the deciding goal to give the Patriotes the victory.

Rafuse was busy once again, making 48 saves in a losing cause.

O’Donnell and McKinley led the way with four points each, Toulmin had three and Peca and Rebelo each added a goal and an assist. 

The Lakers finish the regular season in eighth place, good enough for a berth in the playoffs. They’ll face off against the first-place Carleton Ravens in post-season action starting tonight, Wednesday, February 19, at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.