Major Series Lacrosse team in first place in East Division

WHITBY — Given the scores of the past three games in the Major Series Lacrosse East Division, it’s difficult to say where the Brooklin Redmen are going to fit in come playoff time.

Through nine regular season games, the only thing that has become readily apparent is that the Redmen will play up or down to the level of their opponent.

That’s certainly the only way to explain the past two Redmen games, which saw them battle powerhouse Peterborough but fall 11-9 at home last Wednesday before scraping out a 12-11 overtime win over the lowly Rock in Ajax Friday. In between, the Lakers pummelled the Rock into dust, 21-4 in Peterborough Thursday.

Through it all, the Redmen (6-3) have put themselves in a good spot to grab the first-round playoff bye in the three-team East Division, as they are currently tied with the Lakers (6-4) in first place, but with a game still in hand.

The Rock (1-10), whose lone win came at the hands of the Redmen, have wrapped up last place, but that didn’t stop them from giving their Durham rivals all they could handle Friday at the Ajax Community Centre.

Still reeling from the embarrassing loss the night before in Peterborough, the Rock battled back from a 4-1 first-period deficit to take a 10-8 lead midway through the third before goals by Geoff Griffiths and Derek Hopcroft — with 1:01 remaining and an extra attacker on the floor — forced overtime.

Griffiths scored again, his fourth of the game, 3:29 into the extra period and Shawn Williams notched what proved to be the winner less than four minutes later.

Kyle Davis countered for Ajax with 1:11 left in OT, but Redmen goalie Aaron Bold held the lead from there.

Williams had six assists to go along with his goal and now sits second in league scoring with 50 points in nine games.

Full story at http://www.durhamregion.com/sports/article/1392279–brooklin-redmen-claw-out-overtime-win-over-ajax-rock