SIX NATIONS – Asked to explain the Chiefs’ 9-7 loss to the Peterborough Lakers, Saturday night at the ILA, star attacker Cody Jamieson did not waste any words. “They were just the better team tonight,” he said matter-of-factly. Two nights earlier, Peterborough could have said the same thing after the Chiefs beat them 10-8.
The defending Mann Cup Champions are still in second place in the OLA Major Series standings, although they have played three games more than first place Brooklin and third place Kitchener-Waterloo.
The Chiefs started out the right way, taking a 2-0 lead on goals scored by Kasey Beirnes and Billy Dee Smith. But suddenly the Lakers came to life with goals by Aaron Wilson at 11:03, Scott Evans at 14:22, Josh Gillam at 14:48 and Shawn Evans at 16:07.
The Lakers continued to steam past the Chiefs early in the second period on goals by Brad Self at 13 seconds, and Scott Evans at 1:43 to take a 6-2 lead. Jamieson got the Chiefs rolling at 3:33 with a pass from Roger Vyse followed by a pair by Jeff Shattler at 10:17, assisted by Jamieson and Vyse, and at 17:50 assisted by Craig Point. The Lakers led 6-5 at the end of 40 minutes.
Point tied the score at 6-6 from Shattler and Vyse, 51 seconds into the third period but Brock Sorensen answered with an unassisted goal to retake the lead. Jamieson netted his second of the game from Point and Shattler at 4:25 to even it up at 7-7. The Lakers then tightened up their defense and David DiRuscio kept the ball out of the Peterborough net for the rest of the game.
Josh Gillam took the 8-7 lead, scoring on Evan Kirk at 6:02. The Chiefs did everything but score to come back, but it would be the Lakers’ John Grant pinning the game on the win column for the Lakers at 10:24.
Thursday, in Peterborough, the Chiefs found themselves behind 4-0 before Jeff Shattler and Roger Vyse scored late period goals to end the first 20 minutes of play with the Lakers leading 4-2.
Randy Staats and Shattler drew even, and Jamieson took the lead 5-4 by the 3:20 mark of the second period. Brock Sorensen tied it at 4:31 and Staats wrestled the lead back at 17:23, from Shattler.
With 20 minutes left, Staats added one at 3:55 before Vyse put another cushion under it at 10:33. The two teams traded goals from that point on with the Chiefs earning the two points.
Next up for the Chiefs will be a road trip to Brampton for a date with the Excelsiors at 8 pm, Thursday night July 3. Next home action at the ILA is Saturday night, 7 pm, when the KW Kodiaks are visiting.
