LANGLEY, B.C. – Dan Dawson put on another virtuoso performance at the Langley Thunder’s expense.
Dawson scored three goals and added two assists as the Brampton Excelsiors beat the Langley Thunder 8-7 Saturday night in Game 3 of the Mann Cup, Canada’s senior lacrosse championship.
It was Dawson’s second-straight five-point night after he missed the first game because of work commitments with the fire department in Brampton, Ont.
“We played well,” said Dawson. “I don’t think we’ve had our best 60 (minutes) yet. It was sloppy at times, but we overcame a lot.”
Brampton took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, which resumes here Sunday night.
“Sometimes you’ve gotta gut out wins, and we gutted that one out tonight,” said Dawson. “It could have gone either way.”
Brampton jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game’s first six and a half minutes but then trailed 6-4 early in the second period.
“We battled adversity and a little bit of everything,” said Brampton goaltender Anthony Cosmo, who made 31 saves. “We went up early and then they came storming back. They got some big transition goals, but I thought we held our composure for most of the game.”
Zack Greer, Frank Resetarits, John McLure, Mike Hominuck, and Kevin Ross also scored for Brampton.
Athan Iannucci led Langley with two goals while Kyle Belton, Brent Mydske, Matt Leveque, Patrick Saunders, and Kerry Susheski provided single markers.
Dawson’s third goal of the game, at 9:07 of the third period, created a 7-7 tie. About a minute and a half later, he assisted on Greer’s winning power-play goal.
“That’s what it’s all about in Mann Cup,” said Langley coach Rod Jensen. “You hope it’s tight and you have a chance to win or tie — and tonight wasn’t our night to execute and get it done.”
Brampton has now won two straight after opening the series with a humiliating 11-3 loss.
The Excelsiors outshot Langley 38-37. Brampton converted three of seven power-play chances while the Thunder were good on two of five.
The Excelsiors are seeking their third Mann Cup crown in four years. Brampton last won the title in nearby New Westminster, B.C., in 2009. Langley, once a perennial doormat, is chasing its first Canadian crown.
The Excelsiors led 3-0 before Langley even had a shot on goal. After Brampton’s fourth goal, 6:21 into the game, Langley starting goaltender Brodie MacDonald was pulled in favour of backup Joe Bell.
The goaltending change, which included a brief warmup for Bell, slowed Brampton’s momentum and the Thunder responded with two goals — one of which was shorthanded — to limit the Excelsiors to a 4-2 lead after 20 minutes.
In the second period, the Thunder scored four goals in the first three minutes to go ahead 6-4. Two of the goals came while Brampton’s Sandy Chapman was serving a double-minor for checking from behind. But the Excelsiors then scored two power-play goals for a 6-6 tie after 40 minutes.
“We came flying back – in typical character of this team,” said Langley coach Jensen. “Overall, we did some good things. We adjusted from Game 2 and we made some corrections, and obviously, we gave them some difficulty on offence.”
Jensen said MacDonald will get the nod as starting goaltender again Sunday. Langley has three goaltenders and Jensen had rotated his backups in the first three games. But, the coach said, with the way Bell played, he has to stay in uniform.
“We’re going to rebound, lick our wounds and get ready to go,” said Jensen.
Notes: Hominuck played his first game after missing the first two because of teaching commitments back in Ontario, while teammate Chris Corbeil, a student, saw his first action after sitting out the first two games because of his educational commitments.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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