Lakers Athletics

OTTAWA - Win or the season is over.

That's the situation facing the Nipissing Lakers Friday night when they return home for Game 2 of their OUA East quarter-final series against the Ottawa Gee Gees.

The sixth-place Gee Gees skated to a 5-2 win over the third-place Lakers in Wednesday's series-opener.

A similar effort Friday night in Game 2 and the Lakers' season could be over.

"I thought our energy wasn't enough to come out with the push we needed," said Lakers head coach Mike McParland. "We had a number of guys under the weather tonight and it looked that way in phases, but I also thought in phases, we were the better team.

"But at the end of the day, I thought (Gee Gees goalie Russell) Abbott was the decisive player tonight."

The Lakers outshot the Gee Gees 28-27, but Abbott made a few big stops when needed, particularly robbing Nipissing's Grant Toulmin in the second period, snaring a point-blank shot.

The game was there for either team, until the Gee Gees pulled away with a 4-1 lead early in the third period.

Ottawa's Matthieu Methot opened the scoring for Ottawa 1:45 into the game, before Nipissing's Sam Hopewell tied the game a minute later.The Gee Gees went ahead 3-1 in the second period on goals from Alex Touchette and Stephen Blunden.


The Lakers had their best chance to get back in the game during a five-on-three power play with 14 minutes emaining, but Abbott shut the door. As the second penalty expired, Touchette scored on a breakaway to make it 4-1 Ottawa.

The Lakers' Jason Gray brought the visitors to within two with 5:56 remaining, but Touchette sealed the win with his hat trick goal into the empty net in the final minute.

The Lakers seemed to play with a sense of urgency in the final eight minutes, but it was too late.

"One of the other differences was, that we have to change in North Bay on Friday, is our willingness to win the free pucks," McParland said. "Around the front of the net and in the corners at both ends of the ice, I thought they (Ottawa) came away with 75 per cent of the pucks."

The Lakers face elimination Friday unless they can bring a greater level of intensity.

"I didn't think much was missing tonight," McParland said, noting he will be counting on players who have led the team all season to show up Friday."I just think we didn't have enough 100% healthy bodies to give us that little extra push that we needed."

The Gee Gees now have two chances to put away the Lakers and Ottawa coach Real Paiement still sees room for improvement in his team's play.

He said scoring the first goal early was important in giving his team some confidence and working to shut down the Lakers.

"Contrary to how we played against UQTR or McGill, we were able to close the middle tonight against (Nipissing)," Paiement said. "It didn't open up as much. They are just as good offensively as McGill or Three Rivers, but we were able to close that middle faster. And Abbott played well, he gave us a very solid performance."

Paiement said his team will have to do a better job "managing the puck" and limiting scoring chances.

"Nipissing is a team that, if we keep giving them the puck, our goalie is going to have to stand on his head," he said. "We have to manage the puck better and be patient for opportunities.

"But there is no magic formula. We know it is going to be different there, a different atmosphere. It's a cliche, but that last one is always the toughest one to get through. They are a strong team and we're going to have to be close to perfect, which we weren't today, but our goalie was able to bail us out of a lot of trouble."

Game 3 of the series, if necessary, would be played Saturday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.