The Olds Stingers junior lacrosse team split a pair of games over the weekend in Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League action, winning the season-opener 10-7 over the Brooks Drillers on April 27 and dropping an 11-9 decision the next day to the Lethbridge Cudas. Both games were played at the Olds Sports Complex.
In the season opener, the Stingers got off to a slow start, trailing the Drillers 2-0 before Lucas Howard got the home side on the board at 8:45 of the first period. The Drillers added goals by Brad Stephenson and Darin Bain before the end of the first period.
In the second, Josh Walsh, Logan Niemayer and Howard pulled the Stingers within one at 5-4, with Stephenson scoring in the second for the Drillers.
In the third, Travis Layden got a quick strike just 11 seconds in to tie the game at 5-5. That was quickly followed by three more goals within 30 seconds of each other by Jordan Clarke, Tanner Pochapsky and Conor O'Neill to give the Stingers an 8-5 lead. Walsh, with his second of the game, and Howard, with his third, finished the scoring for the Stingers. Net minder Keifer Olson managed to keep the Drillers at bay for most of the third except for two goals by Brody Preston.
Following the game on April 27, Mike Bouma, the Stingers' head coach, said the team played better after having a full team on the floor beginning in the second period. The Stingers racked up 11 minutes in penalties in the first, allowing the Drillers to score two goals on the power play.
"I think the biggest thing for the game is that they figured out that they had to stay out of the penalty box,î he said. "Once they stayed out of the penalty box, then we were able to play our game.î
Bouma said the third period was much better following a discussion during the second intermission about executing the game plan.
"The biggest thing was, No. 1, to stay out of the penalty box and No. 2 was slow the game down so they can control it and get the momentum built up,î he said. "And the way the boys came out in the third period was very impressive in the fact that they stayed out of the penalty box Ö and they controlled the ball,î he said.
Bouma said the group is fairly new this year, with most of the players having played lower level lacrosse.
"We got a little bit of gelling to do. All the boys have played at one time or another, but to gel as a team is going to take us a little time,î he said.
The team will next be travelling to Calgary on May 3 to take on the Axemen-Mavericks and returning to the Olds Sports Complex the following day at 6 p.m. when they will take on the Medicine Hat Sun Devils.
