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2015 GARNET KNIGHT CUP PREVIEW
2015-07-14
The ECJLL's second season kicks off tonight with all four playoff-bound teams in actions. Click READ MORE for a preview of both series.
PLAYOFF PREVIEW
East Coast Junior Lacrosse League
July 14, 2015
Colin Beiswanger
The regular season is over, and 2015’s second season is about to begin. Four teams are in, and two are left to think about next year. A favourable differential puts the Mi’kmaq Warriors in the playoffs during the inaugural season – no small feat. The top three teams seem as interchangeable as the bottom three.
Dartmouth has beaten Northwest three times.
Southwest has beaten Dartmouth three times.
Northwest has beaten Southwest two times.
The 2015 playoffs will be interesting to say the least.
1 Halifax Southwest Hurricanes vs 4 Mi’kmaq Warriors
The Mi’kmaq Warriors showed moments of excellence, and a season’s worth of toughness. Their hard-nose play mimics that of coach Chet Koneczny from his time in the NLL – gritty, tough, and a group with no shortage of love for one another. These are things the coaching staff and players will need to rely heavily on if they have a fighting chance against the #1 seed Southwest Hurricanes. It is impressive for the Warriors to be in this position in the first place, and is a sign they are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
The Southwest Hurricanes seemed to make things look effortless for much of the 2015 season, and also provided glimpses into their vulnerabilities. The defense seemed to carry this team in big games against the Dartmouth Bandits and Northwest Lions, and the offence seemed to get by after losing their top three from a year ago.
ECJLL Rookie of the Year Alex Pace had a lot to do with the offensive output, working with Nathan Allen along the right side to combine for 90 pts. Team leader in pts Max McBride (28G 36A) started off the year on a scorching pace, but cooled as the offence found its groove after adding Brian Huyghue and Luke Smeltzer. All these players will be key contributors come playoffs, and more importantly in the finals.
The Mi’kmaq Warriors will undoubtedly be relying heavily on rookie and ROY runner-up Bryson Knockwood, who finished with 38 pts (16G 22A). The Warriors must be determined to get him open looks, as the offense seems to mimic his success.
If you took one look at the Regular Season Standings you’d understand how crucial gaining the #1 seed is, as the Bandits and Lions are looking at a long series to play the Hurricanes in the Garnet Knight Cup Finals.
Regular Season Scores
SW 16 – MW 2 | SW 14 – MW 2 | SW 13 – MW 4
Warriors Keys to Victory
Stay smart, stay out of the penalty box, rely heavily on their top scorers.
This matchup favours the Hurricanes substantially. The Warriors have earned respect league-wide for their play this season, and will continue to get stronger. For the Warriors to keep this series close they will need to play smart and tough, rely on scoring from their top players including Bryson Knockwood and Zachary Julian, and capitalize on any mistakes from their opponent.
Hurricanes Keys to Victory
Focus on the fundamentals, keep a sense of urgency, work on complete 60 minutes.
The Hurricanes need to ensure they don’t lose themselves in petty game-play as they did in a last second win over the Moncton Mavericks a month ago. Work on getting the ball in everyone’s stick on offense, and look to build from this series by playing complete games with a sense of urgency should they head to the finals.
2 Dartmouth Bandits vs 3 Halifax Northwest Marley Lions
Heading into the 2015 playoffs this series could very-well decide the eventual GK Champions. The Bandits, despite a lull mid-season, have come on strong to end the season (aside from a drumming at the hands of SW). Dartmouth also seems to have an edge to their game that only comes out when playing the Marley Lions, a brash feeling of dominance that has them unbeaten versus the Lions this season.
Team leader in pts and ECJLL 1st Team All-Star Trey Carvery will have to follow-up on his regular season campaign with a sparkling 2015 playoffs. In the final matchup between these two teams Carvery, along with Breton Penney and Lawrence Lyver combined for 9 goals overall. Along with Bobby Green these four should carry the load offensively for the Bandits.
To counter the Bandits top four, the Lions must also get scoring from their top four scorers in John MacDonald, Gavin Quigley, Chris Walker, and Captain Paddy Quinn. These four have only combined for 12 total goals in the three meetings between these two teams, and that number needs to increase in this series to give the Lions a chance.
With the acquisition of Robbie Grant, the Lions are counting on his services come playoff time. The same can be said for the Bandits acquisition of former Warriors goaltender Bruce Ingraham. Whoever stands out most for their respective team could go a long way in determining the outcome of the series.
The Lions have yet to play a complete 60 minute game against a top tier team yet this season. Three games against Southwest left both teams with improvements to make, and three games against Dartmouth have left the Lions wondering where the offense is going to come from. The potential is clearly there with this group, as hardware was handed to the Lions for both Offensive Player of The Year (John MacDonald) and Defensive Player of The Year (Gee Clarke), it is simply a matter of translating the talent into a game-plan suitable to take on the physical Bandits side.
Regular Season Scores
DB 12 – NW 9 | DB 8 – NW 5 | BD 12 – NW 6
Bandits Keys to Victory
Play their game, never stop shooting, and bury Lions on D.
The Bandits seem to have the Lions number this season, and this can be attributed largely to their physical play on defense. The Lions rely on constant movement from the ball carrier, and the Bandits have done well to play tight man-to-man in all three matchups versus the Lions. This will be essential if the Bandits are to advance past this series. Goals will need to come, top players Trey Carvery and Breton Penney on the right side will need to complement the left-side shooters.
Lions Keys to Victory
Make Bandits miss on O, play smart D, focus on offensive fundamentals.
Goaltenders Pat Keats and Brandon Deveau will need to be sharp playing behind a defense that has the capability to stop the Bandits offense. The Lions offense will really need to rely on the fundamental aspects of the game – good pick and rolls, passing and catching – to ensure they don’t get behind early in games.
Most games will be live streamed online courtesy of Bell Community One.
East Coast Junior Lacrosse League
July 14, 2015
Colin Beiswanger
The regular season is over, and 2015’s second season is about to begin. Four teams are in, and two are left to think about next year. A favourable differential puts the Mi’kmaq Warriors in the playoffs during the inaugural season – no small feat. The top three teams seem as interchangeable as the bottom three.
Dartmouth has beaten Northwest three times.
Southwest has beaten Dartmouth three times.
Northwest has beaten Southwest two times.
The 2015 playoffs will be interesting to say the least.
1 Halifax Southwest Hurricanes vs 4 Mi’kmaq Warriors
The Mi’kmaq Warriors showed moments of excellence, and a season’s worth of toughness. Their hard-nose play mimics that of coach Chet Koneczny from his time in the NLL – gritty, tough, and a group with no shortage of love for one another. These are things the coaching staff and players will need to rely heavily on if they have a fighting chance against the #1 seed Southwest Hurricanes. It is impressive for the Warriors to be in this position in the first place, and is a sign they are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
The Southwest Hurricanes seemed to make things look effortless for much of the 2015 season, and also provided glimpses into their vulnerabilities. The defense seemed to carry this team in big games against the Dartmouth Bandits and Northwest Lions, and the offence seemed to get by after losing their top three from a year ago.
ECJLL Rookie of the Year Alex Pace had a lot to do with the offensive output, working with Nathan Allen along the right side to combine for 90 pts. Team leader in pts Max McBride (28G 36A) started off the year on a scorching pace, but cooled as the offence found its groove after adding Brian Huyghue and Luke Smeltzer. All these players will be key contributors come playoffs, and more importantly in the finals.
The Mi’kmaq Warriors will undoubtedly be relying heavily on rookie and ROY runner-up Bryson Knockwood, who finished with 38 pts (16G 22A). The Warriors must be determined to get him open looks, as the offense seems to mimic his success.
If you took one look at the Regular Season Standings you’d understand how crucial gaining the #1 seed is, as the Bandits and Lions are looking at a long series to play the Hurricanes in the Garnet Knight Cup Finals.
Regular Season Scores
SW 16 – MW 2 | SW 14 – MW 2 | SW 13 – MW 4
Warriors Keys to Victory
Stay smart, stay out of the penalty box, rely heavily on their top scorers.
This matchup favours the Hurricanes substantially. The Warriors have earned respect league-wide for their play this season, and will continue to get stronger. For the Warriors to keep this series close they will need to play smart and tough, rely on scoring from their top players including Bryson Knockwood and Zachary Julian, and capitalize on any mistakes from their opponent.
Hurricanes Keys to Victory
Focus on the fundamentals, keep a sense of urgency, work on complete 60 minutes.
The Hurricanes need to ensure they don’t lose themselves in petty game-play as they did in a last second win over the Moncton Mavericks a month ago. Work on getting the ball in everyone’s stick on offense, and look to build from this series by playing complete games with a sense of urgency should they head to the finals.
2 Dartmouth Bandits vs 3 Halifax Northwest Marley Lions
Heading into the 2015 playoffs this series could very-well decide the eventual GK Champions. The Bandits, despite a lull mid-season, have come on strong to end the season (aside from a drumming at the hands of SW). Dartmouth also seems to have an edge to their game that only comes out when playing the Marley Lions, a brash feeling of dominance that has them unbeaten versus the Lions this season.
Team leader in pts and ECJLL 1st Team All-Star Trey Carvery will have to follow-up on his regular season campaign with a sparkling 2015 playoffs. In the final matchup between these two teams Carvery, along with Breton Penney and Lawrence Lyver combined for 9 goals overall. Along with Bobby Green these four should carry the load offensively for the Bandits.
To counter the Bandits top four, the Lions must also get scoring from their top four scorers in John MacDonald, Gavin Quigley, Chris Walker, and Captain Paddy Quinn. These four have only combined for 12 total goals in the three meetings between these two teams, and that number needs to increase in this series to give the Lions a chance.
With the acquisition of Robbie Grant, the Lions are counting on his services come playoff time. The same can be said for the Bandits acquisition of former Warriors goaltender Bruce Ingraham. Whoever stands out most for their respective team could go a long way in determining the outcome of the series.
The Lions have yet to play a complete 60 minute game against a top tier team yet this season. Three games against Southwest left both teams with improvements to make, and three games against Dartmouth have left the Lions wondering where the offense is going to come from. The potential is clearly there with this group, as hardware was handed to the Lions for both Offensive Player of The Year (John MacDonald) and Defensive Player of The Year (Gee Clarke), it is simply a matter of translating the talent into a game-plan suitable to take on the physical Bandits side.
Regular Season Scores
DB 12 – NW 9 | DB 8 – NW 5 | BD 12 – NW 6
Bandits Keys to Victory
Play their game, never stop shooting, and bury Lions on D.
The Bandits seem to have the Lions number this season, and this can be attributed largely to their physical play on defense. The Lions rely on constant movement from the ball carrier, and the Bandits have done well to play tight man-to-man in all three matchups versus the Lions. This will be essential if the Bandits are to advance past this series. Goals will need to come, top players Trey Carvery and Breton Penney on the right side will need to complement the left-side shooters.
Lions Keys to Victory
Make Bandits miss on O, play smart D, focus on offensive fundamentals.
Goaltenders Pat Keats and Brandon Deveau will need to be sharp playing behind a defense that has the capability to stop the Bandits offense. The Lions offense will really need to rely on the fundamental aspects of the game – good pick and rolls, passing and catching – to ensure they don’t get behind early in games.
Most games will be live streamed online courtesy of Bell Community One.