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Airdrie senior lacrosse teams prep for post-season

Third place and a preferable first-round playoff series is in the bag for the Rockyview Knights senior B lacrosse team, after beating the Calgary Sr. Mountaineers 7-6 in overtime July 13.

“The game was on the line – we were down 4-1 – but there was no quit in the team,” head coach Gareth Barley said. “A lot of guys played key minutes or were put in situations or scenarios that they hadn’t been in.

“There were few minimal mistakes, and winning the game in the fashion we did – in overtime – was very nice to see.”

It’s always a fierce battle when the Knights and Mounties square off, according to Barley, and the July 13 contest was no different. The game rendered 23 penalties, with the Mounties chalking up 40 minutes in the sin bin compared to the Knights’ 14.

“There was a lot of pushing and shoving afterwards, but we didn’t have any back-down from us,” he said. “That was different to see from us. I’m not saying we’re a weak team, but we try to stay out of the penalty box and away from the rough stuff.”

Barley added the Knights have the fewest penalty minutes in the league.

“But, being able to stand up for yourselves when the game is on the line and you don’t have a full roster – it showed the character of the guys who were there,” he said.

The victory means the Knights will kick off its Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL) playoff run with a best-of-five series against the second-place Mountaineers.

It’s a preferable matchup, according to Barley, as it means Rockyview won’t have to travel to Edmonton for the first round – and it means more games against the team’s biggest rival.

“The Mounties have six losses this year, and three of those were against us,” he said. “We definitely won the season series against them, but you have to throw all that out the window when it comes to playoffs.”

Rockyview will need to be at the top of its game to stop the Mounties from progressing, according to Barley. The series kicks off July 19 at 9 p.m., when the Knights play the Mounties at Stu Peppard Arena in Calgary. Game two is also at Stu Peppard, July 21 at 4 p.m.

“Their best players available will come to play, and it will be a battle from start to finish for us,” he said. “Top to bottom, they have some very good players offensively and defensively. We’ll have to have some key matchups on these players and be on our best, because we know they’ll be on their best.”

The series winner will vie for the championship against the victor of the North Division semi-final, between the first-place St. Albert Miners (14-1) and the fourth-place Beaumont Outlaws (7-9).

While the Miners – the three-time-defending national Senior B champion – will be the clear favourite to take that series, Barley said not to rule out Beaumont.

“…The Outlaws were the only team this year to beat the Miners. They’re the ones who took that scratch and [disrupted] the Miners’ perfect record,” he said.

Mohawks still dominant

In the Senior C division, the Airdrie Mohawks ended the regular season with its fourth consecutive unbeaten record, concluding the 2019 campaign with 15 wins from 15 games.

Having enjoyed a bye through the first round of playoffs, the ‘Hawks – unbeaten after more than 60 games – will play the Okotoks Erratic in the South Division final. The best-of-three series kicks off at the Plainsmen Arena July 20 at 8 p.m. and July 21 at 1 p.m.

“We don’t want to look past the Erratic,” said Barley, who plays for the team. “We’ve had some good games against them this year. They’re always a challenging team that comes out and works hard.

“They have some players on their squad who should probably be playing senior B, as well, [so we] don’t want to get over-confident.”

If Airdrie overcomes the Erratic, the team will take on the victor of the North Division final series – between the Blackfalds Silverbacks and the Edmonton Warriors – for the RMLL Senior C championship. Airdrie is chasing its fourth consecutive provincial title.

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