Saturday night wasn’t what we had hoped for as a 3-1 loss to the University of Victoria Vikings knocked your Lakers out of first place in the BCIHL. Once again, the Lakers outshot the Vikings but this time by a relatively close 32-26. Regardless, at the end of the game it is the scoreboard that counts and the Lakers have now dropped 2 to the Vikings. The game started well for the Lakers as GijsDe Schepper (Nemethy) scored a spectacular short-handed goal with 6:18 remaining in the 1st period. Unfortunately, it was short lived as the 4-minute kneeing penalty by Chamberland was followed by a De Schepper slashing penalty. The Lakers normally stout penalty killing squad could not contain the Vikings in a 5 on 3 situation as Owen Evers scored to tie the game and the tide started to turn. The Vikings scored the next 2 goals by getting behind our Lakers defensemen in a rare momentary lapse and a somewhat of an unfortunate play where a Laker defensemen knocked a high puck out of the air right on to the stick of Daniel Booker who swept in behind him to score the insurance goal.

The game was dominated by defensive play throughout by both the Vikings and your Lakers. After the 5-3 power play goal by Victoria, the Lakers penalty killers combined with another stellar performance by goaltender Jaden Little shut down the Vikings on the rest of their 5-4 opportunities. Unfortunately, the Vikings did one better. Their penalty killers combined with the play of goaltender Shawn Parkinson to shutdown an ineffective Lakers power play- not letting 1 puck into the net during the 15 minutes when the Lakers had the man advantage. Their stellar defensive play was really the determining factor that resulted in the loss, especially in the third period. When the Vikings Tom Sweeney took a 5-minute major and a game misconduct, all the fans were hoping that this would provide the opportunity for the Lakers to get back into the game. It didn’t happen. Kudos must go to the Vikings penalty killers as they held the Lakers to only 2 shots on goal over the 5 minutes to douse the Lakers hopes and secure the win.
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Certainly not the outcome your Lakers wanted, but I am sure we will learn from the loss.
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Next up for the Lakers is a home game against the University of Vancouver Island Mariners Sat November 18 at 6:15 in the Capital News Centre rink 1. Come out and cheer them on.