The Peterborough Lakers boarded a bus at 7 a.m. Thursday at the Peterborough Memorial Centre and headed west. A short trip to the airport followed by a flight to B.C., as the Major Series Lacrosse champions are travelling to New Westminster to play the western champion Salmonbellies in the Mann Cup national championship series.
“It’s tough to play out west in front of their fans. It’s a hostile environment, but a challenge I look forward to,” said Lakers forward Curtis “Superman” Dickson.
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The Lakers defeated the Six Nations Chiefs in six games to capture the MSL title. The win earned them a berth in the Mann Cup after a disappointing collapse in the MSL Final in 2016.
This will be the Lakers’ second trip in three years. They came up short in Victoria in 2015.
“We remember what it felt like to lose. We were bummed out,” said Dickson. “We’ve been sitting on it for two years. We have to be ready to go this year.”
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This will be the fourth time the Lakers will face the Bellies in the Mann Cup. The last time was in 2010, when the Lakers won the championship in front of their hometown fans.
“We beat them in six. It was a great series. This year will be too. It can go either way,” said assistant coach Bobby Keast.
The Lakers last won the Mann Cup in 2012. The Salmonbellies’ last championship was way back in 1991.
Mann Cup schedule:
Game 1: Friday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m. PST
Game 2: Saturday, Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. PST
Game 3: Monday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m. PST
Game 4: Tuesday, Sept 12, 7:30 p.m. PST
* Game 5: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. PST
* Game 6: Friday, Sept. 15, 7:30 p.m. PST
* Game 7: Saturday, Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. PST
* if necessary