Another year, another playoff date – this time, however, the Nipissing Lakers men's soccer team is looking to put together a long run and make a statement.
The Lakers will hit the road Tuesday night and be ready for Wednesday's first round matchup with the Carleton Ravens, set for 3 p.m. at MNP Park in Ottawa.
The Ravens took four of a possible six points from Nipissing, but don't let the regular season fool you, this Lakers team is well-rested, coming off a win and ready to go.
The loss to the Ravens came in just the third game of the season and was before Nipissing went on an eight-game undefeated streak.
In the second meeting, in the middle of that impressive streak, the Lakers and Ravens played to a 0-0 draw.
At the end of the day, the Lakers put together a solid season, finishing fifth in the OUA East Division.
With the playoffs almost assured, Nipissing rested players and went 1-3-1 down the stretch, but the team gained valuable experience, as the rookies took over and played the majority of the minutes.
Nipissing is led by veteran captain
Jean-Michel Paulin who had a breakout season, scoring eight goals and posting 10 points.
Fellow fifth year athlete
Brandon TeBrake scored five goals this season, while Any Bago posted three,
Connor Speers had two and both
Matthew Anderson and
Jamal Brown each scored their first OUA goals during the 16 game campaign.
Grainger Munro, in goal, was steady this year, posting a record of 4-2-5 with three shutouts.
The Lakers are a more complete team now than when they kicked off the season, with several players contributing, even if those contributions don't necessarily show up on the scoresheet.
Players like Alex Zero,
William Tsilkas,
Darius Tignanelli and
Christopher Anderson are all key players as Nipissing looks for a win Wednesday.
Round 1 of the playoffs begin Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Ottawa, as the Lakers face the Ravens at MNP Park.
| NIPISSING LAKERS | HEAD-TO-HEAD | CARLETON RAVENS |
| 5 | W | 8 |
| 5 | L | 2 |
| 6 | T | 6 |
| 21 | PTS. | 30 |
| 21 | GF | 26 |
| 26 | GA | 11 |
| 4-3-3 | L-10 | 4-1-5 |
| 2-1-5 | HOME | 4-1-3 |
| 3-4-1 | AWAY | 4-1-3 |
| SEPT. 4 - L 3-0 @ CARLETON | HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS | SEPT. 4 - W 3-0 @ CARLETON |
| SEPT. 20 - T 0-0 @ NIPISSING | | SEPT. 20 - T 0-0 @ NIPISSING |
| JEAN-MICHEL PAULIN - 8 GOALS, 10 POINTS | LEADING SCORER | ANDREW BRYAN - 8 GOALS |
| GRAINGER MUNRO - 4-2-5, 1.64 GAA, .769 SV %, 990 MIN., 3 SO | TOP GOALKEEPER | FELIX DAIGLE - 6-1-5, 0.56 GAA, .875 SV %, 1,125:45 MIN., 7 SO |
| 8 GAMES - 3-0-5 - SEPT. 13 TO OCT. 11 | LONGEST POINT STREAK | 6 GAMES - 4-0-2 - SEPT. 9 TO SEPT. 26 |
