PETERBOROUGH LAKERS WIN IN WHITBY, SLIMMING WARRIORS’ PLAYOFF CHANCES

Coming into their final game of the season at Iroquois Park on Tuesday, the Peterborough Lakers were 6-2 in their last eight games. A win over the Whitby Warriors would vault the Lakers into a tie with Mimico for second place in the standings. In the final game of the season for both teams, that’s exactly what Peterborough did – beat Whitby 10-8.

Already leading 3-1 after the first period, capped by rookie Matthew Drimmie’s shorthanded goal, fellow rookie Colby Wood opened the scoring for the Lakers just over three minutes into the second period. Moments later, Treysen Stewart, Lucas Littlejohn (on the power play) and Gabriel Sorichetti all scored in a 1:35 span to tie the game at four.

Jake Darlison and Jack MacAlpine also scored for Whitby in what was a six goal run. Peterborough goals from Alexander Hicks and Nick Crowley re-tied the game at six before Littlejohn scored twice in the final four minutes to complete a 7-1 period in favour of the Warriors, and an 8-6 lead after two.

The third period belonged to Peterborough. Nicholas Roode scored twice early on, and added an assist on Drimmie’s goal eight minutes into the period, which would prove to be the game-winner. Nate Sage added one more near the midway point of the third completing a 10-8 win for Peterborough.

Nicholas Roode not only closes out the regular season with back-to-back hat tricks (3+4), but also his two highest points outputs, with Tuesday’s seven a career-high. Matthew Drimmie (2+2) was the only other multiple goal scorer.

Lucas Littlejohn (4+3) scored a hat trick in Whitby’s final three games, and seven points in two of the last three. Gabriel Sorichetti was next with five points (1+4).  The Warriors are hoping for the Mimico Mountaineers to defeat the Six Nations Arrows on the final day of the OJLL regular season to avoid playoff elimination.