Bandits bounce back with first win of OJCLL season

Written By JAKE COURTEPATTE

The Junior C Caledon Bandits are here to play.

The lacrosse club made a bold statement in a blowout of the Halton Hills Bulldogs on Monday, already matching their win total from the 2018 Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League season in just their second game of the year.

It seemed to be the Bulldogs game for the taking early on, going up a quick 5 – 1 on the Bandits after the first period at the Mold-Master Sportplex, with 2018 leading scorer Andrew Rybka notching Caledon's only goal.

Rybka and his squad exploded out of the gate to start the second, managing five goals in the first ten minutes to take the lead, one they never relinquished in an eventual 13 – 9 win.

A staple on the team since April of last year, Rybka led all players on the floor in posting an impressive seven points in the game, including four tallies.

Trevor Wilson picked up his first Junior C win with the Bandits between the pipes.

Caledon's thirteen goals was more than the 2018 incarnation of the team was able to render in a game all season, having only mustered double digits on one occasion.

The Bandit's sophomore game came on the heels of a surprise back-and-forth affair against the Wilmot Wild the previous Sunday, perennial contenders and the eliminators of the Bandits in last season's first round.

With the veterans looking to exact some revenge from the 2018 playoffs, the Bandits took a 6 – 5 lead late into the third period thanks to second-year scorer Jarrett Petrie, though a pair of quick goals from the home team Wild kept the Bandits at bay.

It's a strong statement by the Bandits early in the season, who will be looking to reach the second round of the OJCLL playoffs for the first time in six years. In unfortunate news for lacrosse, yet arguably good news for the Bandits and the rest of the OJCLL's West division, the powerhouse Six Nation Warriors announced in early April they will not be putting a team on the floor in 2019. The Mimico Mountaineers are also taking a leave of absence.

With the addition of the Barrie Bombers, that leaves the Bandits pitted against Wilmot, Barrie, Halton Hills, Oakville, Brantford, and Fergus to battle it out in the West.

Their 1 – 1 record has them in the middle of the pack early on. The next test comes May 15 at Mayfield Arena in hosting the Barrie Bombers, one of a string of Wednesday home games running until the end of May.

Opening faceoff is set for 8p.m.