U13 Lakers continue to stay unbeaten, overtake first place in ALLIANCE standing

By: Michael Willoughby

The U13 AAA Huron-Perth Lakers remained undefeated with road victories over Waterloo and Brantford last week.

After earning three of four points in two exhibition games against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres at Stratford Rotary Complex the previous weekend, Huron-Perth travelled to RIM Park on Oct. 16 to face the Waterloo Wolves.

The game remained scoreless until fewer than five minutes were left, when Tyler Walker put the Lakers on the board. Soon after an unsuccessful power play, Louis Nadon scored a highlight-reel backhand goal to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead at the 3:08 mark of the second period. Walker scored his second of the game with 7:06 remaining in the middle frame, giving the Lakers a commanding 3-0 lead after two periods.

The Lakers’ offence and power play came alive in the third period. Goals from Reed Henderson, Max Mari, Tripp Matthews and Brooks Wood helped secure a 7-0 win. They went 2-for-4 on the power play and were perfect on the penalty kill, stopping both chances.

After the game, head coach Shawn Walker said he wants the team to play consistently and make better use of its scoring opportunities, especially with the new additions made before the season.

“Pretty good. I still think we're not quite up to our full potential yet. We got a few new kids and are just kind of getting used to lines and playing with some things. We've been playing fairly well, though. It's just that we're getting some tough puck luck in front of the net, and a few kids are gripping the sticks a little tight,” Walker said.

“But we're working hard, and we just ran up against a good goalie tonight. We probably had 50 shots tonight, and he saved a lot of rubber. So yeah, we're just sticking to the process, playing the game the right way, and yeah, we're looking to get the mid-season form here soon.”

Mari discussed his experience with the Lakers with the Times, including comparisons to his playing style and his aspirations for the team this season.

“It's amazing! It's a good group of boys, and I'm proud to be a part of it. I love watching Tim Stutzle. I'm a (Ottawa) Sens fan. Really like the way he plays and moves the puck,” Mari said.

“In my opinion, the focus for the team is to just connect to each other, get some wins, just have fun.”

The win put the Lakers in sole possession of the top spot in the U13 AAA Alliance league, setting up a matchup with the second-seeded Brantford 99ers the following night, Oct. 17, at the TD Civic Centre in Brantford.

Huron-Perth scored the lone goal in the first period with 8:04 left. The Lakers poured on the offence in the middle frame, starting with the only power-play goal of the game 1:06 into the period, then rang up four more to a 5-0 lead. The visitors added a pair of goals in the third, as the Lakers extended their first-place standing with a 7-0 win.

As of press time, the Lakers are 5-0-1 with 11 points, three points ahead of Brantford in the league standings. They have a busy weekend ahead: a road game against the Jr. Rangers at Sportsworld Arena in Kitchener on Oct. 23, a two-day exhibition series in Michigan, and a late-afternoon home game against the Sun County Panthers at the Rotary Complex on Oct. 25.