Lakers Team White edges Team Blue

Memorial Gardens was the site for the Nipissing Lakers Blue-White exhibition game to give the coaches a better look at players during in-game situations. Each team was coached by one of the club's assistant coaches. (Blue – Mark Kosturik; White – Darren Turcotte).

It took eight minutes and 42 seconds for the first goal to be scored in this two-period exhibition match-up as Mike Vezina scored on a rebound in front of the crease from former Skyhawk, Justin Villeneuve and Port Hope Predator, Chad McQuaid. Team White answered back less than two minutes later when Matt Lahey, who played last season with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, scored an unassisted marker at 10:37 of the first period – the period would end with that same score.

The game’s second period was home to a plethora of offence. Team White went up 2-1 when Andrew Marcoux, who spent part of last season with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs, scored and Matt Lahey had one of the assists on the goal. The 13:09 mark of the second period was when the offence really took full force, as between that time and the 14:49 mark, 5 goals were scored to tie the score at 4’s.

Finally, with 26 seconds left in the game, Matt Lahey scored his second of the game on a slap-shot from the top of the right circle to give him three points on the night; and clinch the win for Team White, 5-4.

Team White coach Mark Kosturik was very pleased with how the game took shape.

“I think it was a pretty good game all-in-all,” Kosturik said. “They seemed pretty nervous in the first period, they they got their legs and had a good second.”

Even though it was a high-scoring affair given it was only a two period game, Kosturik felt there wasn’t really any player who stood ahead of the pack, but likes the group of players as a whole.

“There’s some good, heavily recruited guys… we’re going to hope they step up and lead the way for these guys, but we’ve got a very good group all-in-all.” Kosturik said with enthusiasm.

As for the rest of the season, Kosturik is hoping for the best.

“We’re gonna plug away and be the best we can, and try to compete every night.”