Third period makes the difference — Junior C Bandits squeezed out in home opener

May 23, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart
After playing to a 4-4 tie in the first period, and going down by one at the end of the second frame, the Caledon Junior C Bandits lost their first home game of the season when the Fergus Thistles got the edge in the final 20 minutes of lacrosse.
It was a tight game, with the score being tied three times in the first period.
The Fergus squad took a two-goal lead in the second period, but the Bandits came back to tie it up again.
The second frame ended with the Thistles having a one-goal advantage.
Going into the final period, the Fergus squad scored two quick ones to take a three-goal lead before the Bandits could notch a third period marker.
Three more Fergus goals followed, with Caledon scoring one final single to end the game at 15-11 for the Fergus team.
The Bandits’ roster had only one practice as a team, according to head coach Mike Gillan.
While the squad turned out a decent performance, Gillan said there is going to be adjustments when it comes to player performance and attitude.
With players dropping out of Brampton Junior B, and moving to the C level, Gillan said they will have to realize that C level play is just as tough as the higher tier.
“We weren’t ready,” he said. “We had guys coming in late, we had guys coming in with the mentality that they were made to play the game and they belonged here regardless, and that’s not the case. That’s something I’ve got to beat out of some of these kids.”
The affiliation with the Brampton Junior B club means some players who don’t make the cut will filter down to the C level.
“They (Brampton) said ‘we will send you our cuts,’”Gillan observed. “There’s a couple that think they should be playing B, and we’ve got to prove to them that this is just as good a league.”
The squad has not had enough time to work on systems, Gillan said, and the result was a lot of individual play on the floor with the team not having the time to gel as a unit.
With the regular season now underway, the squad will have no choice but to start working together.
Gillan summed it up by saying, “There’s an attitude adjustment that we need to fine-tune real quick.”
The Bandits played their second game of the season last Wednesday night May 7) on the road against Halton Hills. That’s where they suffered their second loss when Halton scored five in the second period to gain a 5-3 lead.
Three more Halton goals in the third and single from Caledon ended the game 8-4 for the Bulldogs.
The Bandits will return to their home arena in Bolton May 20 to host the squad from Wilmot.
Game time is 8 p.m.

The Caledon Junior C Bandits battle it out with the Fergus Thistles during the Bandits’ home opener at the Bolton arena last Tuesday (May 6). The Caledon squad came up short, taking a 15-11 loss to the visitors to start the season.
Photo by Brian Lockhart