Playoffs are just around the corner
Jun 22, 2007 - 11:32 AM
By Brad Kelly
BOWMANVILLE -- The streak lives on, but the focus is starting to shift.
For the first time, the 'P' word -- as in 'playoffs' -- started to circulate around the Clarington Green Gaels following their latest victory on the OLA Jr. B season Thursday night at the Recreation Complex.
A 13-4 thrashing of the visiting Huntsville Hawks improved the Green Gaels to a perfect 18-0-0, leaving the club just two wins shy of a perfect season. It also leaves them with just two games remaining until the post season and march to a Founder's Cup national championship begins.
"In these last games, we are going to try and get ourselves mentally focussed and make sure we are sharp for playoffs," said coach Jason Crosbie. "It's coming up fast so we have to get ourselves sharp mentally and physically both on and off the floor. Everything involved in the game has to be devoted to how we are going to play in the playoffs."
It took the Green Gaels just 47 seconds to get the lead, and they never trailed throughout, building a 4-1 advantage by the end of the first period, and building it to 8-4 after the second. As has become their trademark on their home floor, the third period was all the homeside, outscoring the visitors 5-0.
A couple of players had big nights. The biggest was turned in by Mark Matthews who served as the setup man, contributing nine assists. Adam Derks had a four point night, including three goals and an assist, with two markers in the third period.
"Our coaches have been stressing that we haven't been playing to our calibre," said Derks. "We've only been scoring 10 goals a game and when we came in after the second period, the coaches said we really needed to step it up in the third."
Blake Bremner, Mike McCusker and Matt Cockerton scored twice each, with single tallies to Mike Cudmore, Ryan Degerdon, Mike Thomas and Todd Collins.
The Green Gaels hosted Cornwall last night (after our deadline) and will close out the regular season with a visit to Markham on Tuesday.
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