Spots still open for Lincs’ Spring Camp, Apr. 29-May 1 at PRC (subhead)
By Pat Payton
St. Marys Lincolns will open a best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series against the first-place Leamington Flyers this Thursday in Leamington at 7:10 p.m. Game 2 is Friday at the PRC at 7:30 p.m.
Game 3 is Sunday in Leamington at 2:10 p.m., with Game 4 back in St. Marys at 7:30 p.m.
Second-place London Nationals are playing the third-place Chatham Maroons in the other conference semi-final, likely beginning Wednesday in London.
–Lincs made seven long trips to LaSalle this season (including the regular schedule) and came home with six victories.
–Lincolns’ penalty-killing units were outstanding in the LaSalle series. Vipers went 0-for-31 in the seven-game quarter-final.
–Due to a lower-body injury, Lincs’ leading scorer Ethan Lamoureux was unable to play the final two games of the LaSalle series. St. Marys is obviously hoping to have the 19-year-old Ilderton native back for the semi-finals.
–In the first six games of their quarter-final series with the Vipers, Lincolns scored a total of just eight goals. After the 2-1 overtime loss last Friday night at home, assistant coach Nathan Perrott was asked what Lincs had to do to generate more offence.
“We played well tonight; the effort was there, but LaSalle’s goalie stopped a lot of pucks,” Perrott said. “We just have to get more traffic in front of Sbrocca; he’s a good goalie. We have to keep getting pucks to the net, keep driving, and get rebounds. He makes most of the initial saves.
“It’s tough to win games when you’re not scoring a lot of goals. We’ve been good defensively because LaSalle has only scored 12 goals (in six games). We just need more offensive production.”
–Last Friday, it was announced that forward Kyle Morey is Lincolns’ Quadro Communications Player-of-the-Month for March.
The Kitchener native, who doesn’t turn 17 until June, clicked for five goals and 11 points last month. He’s a fifth-round draft pick of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, and averaged almost a point a game during the regular schedule.
–There are still spots available at Lincs’ Spring Camp on the weekend of Apr. 29, Apr. 30 and May 1 at the PRC.
As of last week, just under 60 prospects had signed up for the three-day camp, which will consist of a series of intra-squad games. Players are guaranteed three games, a team info session, lunch and a team shirt.
Lincolns’ GM Greg Smale says he’s hoping for enough players to ice four teams that weekend. Contact Assistant GM Mike Glover at: MGlover@Lincs.ca., with date of birth, height, weight, position and current team. E-transfer $150 to club treasurer Stew Grant at: Stewartgrant16@gmail.com, using password “Lincolns”.
–A couple of other important dates on Lincs’ calendar are: the team’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday, May 9 at the Royal Canadian Legion, and Lincolns’ Golf Day on Friday, June 10 at St. Marys Golf and Country Club.
–Former Lincs’ scoring leader Alessio Luciani (2016-17) recently helped Adrian College in Michigan capture the NCAA Division 3 men’s hockey title in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Luciani and the Bulldogs defeated SUNY Geneseo, of New York State, 5-2 in the championship game. It’s the first national title in school history. They were the top-ranked team (31-1) going into the tournament after putting together a 30-game winning streak.
Luciani, 23, and a Junior from Woodbridge, led Adrian in scoring this season with 17 goals and 48 points in 30 games. He was also a plus 40.
After his one season in St. Marys, Luciani finished his Junior career in the OJHL with the Markham Royals.
