They are here!  

It is that time of year again!  The hair is dyed, the beards are starting to form, the dusters are reappearing after nearly two years off, the odd mohawk can be spotted and the regular season is thrown out the window.  Time to "up the intensity" and "play like there is no tomorrow."  

Saturday night in Parkhill is a quiet affair in February with only Tim Hortons and the Chinese Food restaurant for entertainment so the locals were out in numbers to recapture some of last years magic as the playoffs were underway Saturday night.   

I detected a slight squirm in the seats when Nick West scored on MVP Bedard early in the first but a sense that reasonableness had been restored after Royackers and later Clarke scored to end the first frame with a 2-1 lead.  The beer was cold and the chatter up as the patrons recalled some of the memories of last years Championship run up in the lounge.  Something was not right and the 1-2-2 employed by the visitors seemed to frustrate the Allstar defensemen playing for the hometown Stars and when Sakellis notched his first of the playoffs midway through the second to tie the score it was game on.  MVP Bedard was sharp but the hard work by the opposition and his own teams frustration with their inability to overcome the simple trap kept things close until Bulgin went off for a slash at 10:04 of the period.  Four seconds later Korakiantis launched a rocket that beat Bedard low and on the blocker side.  It was then kitty bar the door as the patience of the Lancers and their comittment to Gabe's systems had them heading for home with a 3-2 victory.

  It was Sunday night and right off the hop the visiting Stars were determined to take the body and take the body they did.  Hit after resounding hit boomed through the arena as our boys were under attack and yet were determined to hold off their opponents and employ Ali's rope a dope tactic that worked against Frazier and later Foreman back in the 70's hoping the Champs would tire or make a mistake.
The shots were pretty even in the first and with Knight and Royackers in the box, Sakellis notched his second of the playoffs on the powerplay.  Another powerplay marker at 4:58 of the opening frame by Wiggell had the boys up 2-0 at the break holding an 11-10 edge in shots.  The second period was much the same as the first and when Hall and then Bent tallied at 14:30 and 12:59 of the period it was time to start over with the scored tied at 2 apiece.  Lambeth marked another powerplay goal with Korakiantis creeping in from the blueline and burying a perfect feed from Sakellis.  Lucky Louis Luciani marked at 3:45 on their very own powerplay and it looked like we were going to the break all even.  With the score tied 3-3 and Chris Wilson in the box Kevin Pennington had other thoughts.  Penny won the battle for the puck in the corner and fed a wide open Wiggell cross crease to bring new life into the hometown underdogs.   

The third period saw Riggin stand tall in the net and more of the same from the hardworking Lancers.  Corrado scored early and Sakellis late at the period and game ended with the Lancers holding a 6-3 margin on the scoreclock and a 2-0 lead in the series.  The tone may have been set for the rest of the series by David Gibbs when he delivered a blow to the head of Jeff Cornell late in the game.  Cornell had both arms held by the linesman when Gibbs took the opportunity to get in one last punch on the defenseless forward.  It's playoff hockey and the underdogs take a week off to enjoy the 2 wins and prepare for a very good team coming back next weekend.  Next Lancer home game is Sunday February 28th at 7:45 pm.

Penultimate Weekend

You can smell the playoffs.   The 89's are moving a bit faster and hitting a bit harder.  This is the time of year and time of their life the older boys have dreaded. The hockey means something now.  When St George came to town Sunday afternoon for a SOJHL league game finishing right before the Superbowl started you could sense the change in atmosphere.  The home team got started by its sole graduating player this year when Eric Corrado slipped one between the legs of Lucas Farraway with less than three minutes gone in the game.  Brodie Quinton and Nick West had the boys up 3-0 when the Zamboni hit the ice.

  Boys will still be boys and everybody knew that as few whistles possible meant a quick trip home to watch the Superbowl and the fans were treated to only 2 minor penalties for the visitors and 6 minutes for the home team.  

With 5 minutes gone in the second, Jeff Cornell put a move on the left defenseman and tucked a nice goal into the short side of Farraways net and that was all for him.  Riley Carr was happy to come in and only 22 seconds later the Dukes tallied for the first time when Alex Whiffing ripped a beauty over Trudells left shoulder from a tough angle.  After missing on a few glorious chances, Nik Sakellis scored with 8 minutes left and once again as it has all season, the Zamboni came out to signal the end of the second period. Jeff Cornell scored his second of the contest with 4 minutes gone in the third and by rights the boys from Brant County should have folded up and began planning a Superbowl dinner stop on the road back home but a couple quick ones and not until Steve Korakiantis scored a PP marker with 5 minutes left was the game pretty much settled.  Final Score Lambeth 7 St George Dukes 5.

Next weekend has a rare home double header Saturday and Sunday nights to round out the season. Both games go at 7:45 pm  

Tough Weekend  

Lots of things going on in Lancerland and all of them positive.  Heading into the playoffs the boys are fine tuning lineups and pairings looking for that perfect mix they will need to compete with the high flying Bulldogs and Stars.  

Welcome additions to the team are Steven Korakianitis, Andrew Talbot and Jeff Lamb.  David Cote has retired from hockey for medical reasons and we all wish him well at UWO.  A quick look back at the year as The London Nationals affiliate shows us with 16 man games for our boys and countless practices shared with the Junior B Club which all helps with the boys development and future aspirations.  

Chris Yandt and Blake Hylands made their coaching debut in Mt Brydges on Saturday night and you could tell the playoffs were around the corner.  The intensity was up and the cat and mouse games were under way.  Mike Herman and the Bulldogs got the best of his old students that night with a 6-4 victory  (EN) but with a wink in their eye you can tell a first round matchup with the Lancers is not really what Herman is interested in.  

Sunday night had the Hawks from Exeter in town and they jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as Colin Thompson and Chad Hackett counted in the first frame.  Wearing number 2 and seeing his first action as a Lancer, Steven Korakianitis tallied on the power play into the second and after Nick West  scored at 12:08 of the second we had a new game heading into the third.  

The game broke open in the third and the back and forth action saw Kevin Pennington  notch his 19th goal of the season and Nick West his second of the game.  Reid and Anstett counted for the visitors and as the game wound down another exciting overtime or shootout looked like it was in the cards.  The faithful were sent home a little early and a little disappointed after Matt Dawdy tallied with 3 minutes to go.  

The Lancers are right at .500 and are still shooting for a 20 win season.  Be sure to get out for some exciting SOJHL action next Sunday night as St George comes to town.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The boys were no sooner back to the books when they had a conference tilt lined up with the Stars of North-Middlesex. It had been nearly a month since all the boys had been together and so 2009 was in the books and we could begin to look ahead to some playoff action in 5 or 6 weeks.  

If you could pick an opponent to come out of the break you would NOT pick the undefeated at home North-Middlesex Stars on a Saturday night.  True to form and 29 seconds into the game it was 1-0 Stars with Knight tallying for the home team.  After Utman scored to get the new year off and running for the Lancers, David Reschke scored in the dying minutes of the first frame of the year and the home team was up 2-1 going into the break..  When the Star's talented 16 year old Shawn Grogan scored into the second period it looked like the home record streak would be intact and perhaps they could begin to think about an undefeated at home season following an OHA Cup win in 2009.  Steve Grimminck was playing in London last year and had no idea who won the OHA Cup and he seemed to care less about the Star's hopes for an undefeated season at home when he made things close at the end of two while on the power play.  The third period brought very little offensive fireworks as Lambeth tallied 5 shots and the Stars 7.  Things got real interesting when Brodie Quinton marked with under ten minutes remaining in the game to tie it up.  Riggin was solid in net and had to be sharper than his 23 saves would indicate.  The game went into OT and then a shootout with the Lancers coming out on top for an exciting 4-3 OT victory and two points that move them closer and closer to a playoff spot.  

Sunday night back at home had the boys feeling abit giddy being back together after 20 hours and facing the Irish this Sunday night.  Lucan got off to a flying start as the boys still had Aleshia Keyes ringing in their ears coming out of the locker room.  Lucan did not let up and provided Riggin with 34 shots this night.  Despite a tally at 5:14 of the first by newly appointed Captain, Joe Wiggell, the home team found themselved down 2-1 at the end of one after a goal in the dying seconds by Van Kasteren.  A lone tally by Lucan in the second frame and the boys went to the locker room down 3-1 heading into the third.  The two extremely hard earned points earned the night before were not going to be squandered and Gabe rallied the boys for the third period as they mustered 12 shots on net and Cousins was sharp and held off the rally until Joe Wiggell scored with a minute to play in the game with Riggin heading to the bench.  OT settled nothing and when Lamb scored in the shootout the boys could now head back to the room with a win.  

The Lambeth Canadian Oldtimers are entertaining next Sunday in Lambeth so the boys travel to Wellesley on Friday night and over to Port Dover for a Sunday afternoon tilt against the pesky Sailors.  Time to put the whip to it and build some steam heading to the playoffs.

Applejacks had plenty of snap, crackle, pop  

Fourteen skaters in the lineup at the end of a holiday season weekend was not what the Lambeth faithful were hoping for when they saw the boys warming up at 7:30 pm at the end of Beattie Street this past Sunday.  You gotta play em all though.  

The first period was a stalemate after Conor Chilvers tied things up with a power play tally midway through the first.  We are not sure what Gabe told his charges at the break but the second period was all Lancers all the time.  First Sakellis notched his 7th of the year and then Billy Eansor stepped into one in the high slot putting the boys up by two and when Joe Wiggell scored shorthanded at 11:48 of the second, the boys had themselves the dreaded 3 goal lead.

The third period opened and the jar of whatever Gabe opened after the first must have been empty and the boys were determined but there legs were burning I am sure.  Wellesley with a 4 man advantage slowly chipped away at the lead and with 2:09 to play Justin Rodder tied the game at 4 and sent the Lancers to OT for the second time in two games.  

The four on four action came down to three on three and the rink was buzzing as both sides had 2 or 3 glorious opportunities to end it with a single shot but it all came down to the shootout.  Wiggell beat the tender, went backhand and just missed the crossbar high.  Wade was in disbelief as he had the goalie out in the lobby he was deked so bad but slid the puck just wide.  Trudell was solid on all three shots and it came down to Conor Chilvers and a move on the goalie and a flip upstairs and the Lancers are two games above 500 again. 

Friday Night Lights

Seven forwards made the trip north on the 11th and when Gabe asked Nick Spitters to move up for the game he had no idea he was taking the lid off a barrel of monkees. Nick was on fire and energized the boys who never trailed in the contest. Wiggell got things rolling at 3:45 of the first and into the second with the scored deadlocked at 1 apiece, Sakellis moved the Lancers back in front with an unassisted beauty. Despite the hard work and inspirational play of Spitters it took Joe Wiggels second and third markers of the game to complete the hat trick and establish a two goal lead. Hard work on the part of the Hawks saw them tie this hard fought game late in the third and we were off to OT when Brodie Quinton took the boys home with a great tip from a Chen rocket fired on Siddall just a minute into the extra frame.

Lots of hockey left a few exams and its home for a break.

The 500 Club

The twentieth game went into the books with a 5-2 win over the visiting Tavistock Braves and the team now sits at an even 500.  Ten wins and ten losses and lots of excitement for the players, their families and the fans of the Lancers.  

The Lancers got the game started off on the right foot when Jeff Cornell notched his 4th of the year early in the first.  The markers were spread around abit and Brodie Quinton marked his 3rd and 4th of the year as well since joining the Lancers a few weeks ago.  Pennington with his twelfth of the season and Chilvers with his second rounded out the scoring..  Exams, travel and various aches and pains have kept the boys from maintaining that winning rythm they had a few weeks back but they have 5 games left before the Christmas Break to finish the year off with a bang. 

Way to go Dale!  

Dale Morningstar made his Junior B debut on Wednesday night for the St Thomas Stars and thirty minutes after putting on his new jersey he had 3  GOJHL points.  Congratulations coaches and management for developing another up and coming star in the Junior B loop.  

Not to be outdone by the "kid" Cote, Dudnick and Wade all continue to help where they can with The Nationals push for a Sutherland Cup Championship next year.  Eansor and Trudell are also included in the practice regimen of The Nats and we look for them to make the jump one day soon.

Sunday afternoon Shootout  

Another Sunday afternoon matinee game had Lucan in town to face the Lancers on the 15th.  Another Minor Hockey promotion had the stands and lobby brimming with excitement on a beautiful sunny November afternoon.  Very quickly the Irish were up 3-1 and the faithful were perhaps wondering if they should be home putting up Christmas lights rather than enjoying the local SOJHL action.  David Wade and Eric Corrado tied the score but Lambeth still needed Kevin Pennington's goal at 18:31 of the first to send the boys back to the lair with a 4-4 tie.  Thirty one seconds into the second frame and Rob Brock kept the party going with a clapper from the line and when Eansor went off for tripping a few seconds later it looked like the fireworks would continue.  Little did the crowd know that it would be Sakellis that marked his 1st of the year on the penalty kill.  With his first under his belt number 2 and 3 followed to complete the natural hat trick and finish up the second with a four goal lead. Morningstar kept things rolling and then Sakellis buried his 4th of the game earning him First Star for the game.  The Lancers are now off to North-Middlesex on Thursday where Dale Timmermans has his boys atop the Yeck Conference and a perfect 8-0 at home.  It does'nt get any easier when Thamsford comes calling on Sunday night with their 3-1 road record and 9-2-1 record overall.

Lots of hockey left!

Lancer Update

It was all Hagersville all week for the Lancers.  A home and home series with Lambeth was good medicine for the boys from Hagersville.  Members of the league since 1993 and Denny Wilson has never let his team miss the playoffs.  His hard work was rewarded with an OHA Cup in 2005 for the Hawks.  With all this history, the Hawks have never been to Lambeth and the Lancers were gratious hosts on Sunday night finishing up the week with delivery of 2 more points to the leagues most easterly team.

  Wednesdays action saw the Hawks eke out an exciting 6-5 victory where special teams were the difference.  Lambeth was 3 of 9 on the power play and Hagersville was 2 of 15.  It was a shorthanded goal by Hagersville with Abbot in the box that proved to be the winner.  Grimminck with a goal and two helpers 3 and Pennington with 2 points led the way for the Lancer's offense on the long mid-week roadtrip. 

  Home on Sunday night with the Hawks making the long trip and you would have thought the Lancers were the ones with the bus legs.  Two quick tallies to open and the Hawks were in flight.  Things settled down and when Nick  West marked his first tally of the year, the period ended with the hometown boys down only 2-1.  With Finucci and Cote in the box early in the second, the Hawks marked two power play goals and the 4-1 deficit was too much despite outshooting the oppostion 27-19 over the final two frames.

  Off to Ayr for a Thursday night tilt against the Centennials and home again Sunday for a matinee against Lucan with a game start time of 3:45 pm.

Lancer Update

Another great weekend of SOJHL action. The 2009/2010 season will mark the end of the Burford Community Centre as it has been for the past number of years. A grand facelift is planned but we shall miss those friendly confines. The boys were away for a Halloween night tilt against the Bulldogs and despite outshooting the opposition 47-26, they found themselves in quite a game eventually coming out on top 4-2. Riggin had to be sharp when called upon as the gouls and goblins were controlling the bounces a little west of Brantford just south of the 403 highway. David Wade had his mother in town for a visit making sure her little boy was all settled in London and safely under the care and control of U.W.O and  The Lambeth Lancers. If you know anything about hockey players at all you know that they play hardest for their teammates but next in line is their mom. David did not disappoint and was plus 4 on the night with 3 points in the win. Sunday night at home brought another 2 points in the standings but the 5-1 score was no indication of how the game was played. Back and forth action saw Morningstar pick up 3 points showing displays of brilliant speed and skill. Dudnick, West, Pennington,Corrado,Sakellis and Cornell all dug in and brought home a real team win. Not to be outdone by those fleet footed forwards, Steven Grimminck counted his tenth of the year with what might be the toughest jaw dropping wrister in the league. Despite the 5 game winning streak the boys find a mountain ahead of them as they remain in third place and in fact find themselves one spot lower in the standings over the past week with 4 wins over the span. North-Middlesex and Mt Brydges remain out in front with lots of hockey left. Get yourself out next Sunday as Hagersville comes into town to complete the back end of a home and home. Gametime is at 7:45 and the popcorn is hot and fresh!

Quarter Pole

The boys entered the weekend with an away game scheduled against the McConnell Conference leading Delhi Travellers and a Sunday tilt slated at home against the Bauer Conference leading Ayr Centennials with both high flying teams leading their respective conferences in goals scored.  Fast paced SOJHL action was expected and was certainly delivered.  If you were at both games you had to be a Lancer fan and if you paid ten bucks admission in total you could not have spent ten bucks any better!  

This is a young and very fit group of hockey players and when Gabe explained the "kitty bar the door" tactics they should adopt for the weekend they no doubt heard his words but it appears they did not listen.  Firebrand end to end action was more to their liking and the boys delivered with 3 periods and 7 goals  in Delhi vs. The Travellers.  With that style of play enjoyed by the fans squeezing every bit of value out of their $5.00 admission fee, they found themselves still heading off to OT to settle the score and fight for that second point as Delhi managed 7 tallies of their own.  Left back in Lambeth to prepare for a Saturday morning exam was the scoring touch of  Wade, Pennington and Corrado and the steady play of Chen.  The Lancers still dominated the extra frame but still had to move onto the shootout to settle things.  A goal each  by Grimminck and Cornell and two saves by Trudell finally settled the matter and sent the boys back to the lair with their two points.  

Sunday held the same value for the paid  $5.00 admission fee and it is hard to say if Gabe's hair is growing grey or not but a 5-5 regulation tie coming back from a 4-1 deficit had the fans holding their breath as OT got under way.  The boys from Lambeth were outshot  throughout but Morningstar's third tally of the night with 35 seconds left in the 4th left the boys a perfect 4 for 4 points on the weekend outscoring the opposition 14-12 in the process.

At the quarter pole the boys are 6-3 having some success as a team both on and off the ice.  They are showing both character and determination in each game they play and teams around the SOJHL gotta earn the points Lambeth will undoubtedly give up as the season moves along.  Next up is a trip to Burford to meet up with the 2009/2010 version of "The other Bulldogs" and back at home for a reunion with our old friends from the northwest, The Exeter Hawks.  

Lots of hockey left!