The Peterborough Timbermen moved to 2-0 on the 2019 Arena Lacrosse League season with a 19-15 win over the Toronto Monarchs on Saturday afternoon at Children’s Arena in Oshawa.
While The Timbermen have a lot of new faces in the lineup this season, it was a quartet of veterans leading the way offensively. Mark Vradenburg and Blake Kenny had four goals each, Fred Hartley scored a hat trick, and Tim Bergin chipped in a pair of goals and seven assists.
“The offense was very well distributed today which is a big improvement over last year,” Hartley said. “Last year we generally didn’t move the ball as much as I would have liked but we’re looking great this year. We have some stellar new guys on offense. If it keeps going I think [could be] the best in the league.”
The Timbermen were energetic right off the bat, taking a 2-0 lead four minutes in. That held for over five minutes of play as the Timbermen won every loose ball battle and caused the Monarchs to turn over the ball with some feisty play.
Toronto got on the board with 5:09 left in the first but Brett Coons won the ensuing faceoff to himself and restored the two-goal lead. The Monarchs then sandwiched Hartley’s first of the game but Peterborough led 4-3 after one.
One thing already working for the Timbermen is a culture change in the dressing room. Sullivan has instituted morning shootarounds before home games, and if a player doesn’t make the shootaround, he doesn’t play that afternoon.
“We have a very large group so there are some dynamics we still have to work through,” Sullivan said. “Winning is first and foremost but we’re trying to develop and do the right things. We’re sitting with 32 players right now and each of them can play so that’s a challenge but a good challenge and a healthy place to be. I need to give guys the chance to play. I don’t want somebody sitting two weeks in a row. That’s what I’m trying to commit to these guys is that everybody will be part of it, everybody will grow together as a group.”
Hartley put the Timbermen up 5-3 early in the second but the Monarchs rattled off three straight to take a 6-5 lead. Vradenburg got one back for Peterborough but Toronto scored twice more to lead 8-6 at the half. Coons fought former teammate Riley Morgan in the period.
Vradenburg opened the third quarter with a penalty shot goal after Tanner Poole was interfered with on a break. Vradenburg threw one fake then gently tucked the ball past Craig Wende stick-side. The Monarchs answered each of the first three goals Peterborough scored in the frame before the Timbermen’s late-period three-goal run that put them up 12-11. Kenny had a hat trick in the frame.
“He fed me a couple times, beautiful passes, and I fed him as well,” Hartley said of Kenny. “I play with him in Ottawa as well with the (Sr. B) Axemen so I’m very familiar with his play.”
The Timbermen pulled away in the fourth quarter as each team appeared to battle some fatigue. They scored seven to the Monarch’s four as Brett Perras held strong in goal. Perras, who led the ALL in GAA last season, played the second half of the game after Nick Damude played the first.
Damude split time with Ethan Woods in the Timbermen’s opening win in Six Nations, and Sullivan says he’s sticking with the time split for the time being.
“Both goalies now feel a little more a part of what happened instead of one guy getting it and the other guy being supportive,” Sullivan explained. “With the NLL growing the way it is they all want an opportunity. I don’t feel to sit a guy is worth it. We’re going to try to give the goalies a fair shake right to the end of it.”
The Timbermen are back at Children’s Arena next Saturday, January 12that 3 p.m. to host the Oshawa Outlaws.
Scoring for the Timbermen:
Mark Vradenburg (4-5)
Blake Kenny (4-1)
Fred Hartley (3-2)
Tim Bergin (2-7)
Cameron Simpson (2-0)
Lyman Beatty (1-0)
Leland Powless (1-0)
Brett Coons (1-0)
Doug Utting (1-0)
Colton Armstrong (0-3)
Zack Thompson (0-2)
Tanner Poole (0-1)
