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WAXERS PUT AN END TO
WINLESS DROUGHT Losers of four straight games and five of its last six, the Waxers got back on the winning track after defeating the host Wexford Raiders on Sunday. "When you're slumping things go against you. But the guys battled through it and I thought we did a good job. We didn't get frustrated," assessed Herrington after Sunday's triumph.
Herrington conceded Lawson's presence between the pipes played a key role in curbing the losing skid. "He has to be the heart and soul of the team," Herrington pointed out. "With him back in the lineup everyone else go a lift." Lawson made his presence felt immediately as he made several key saves in the opening frame. That effort, combined with two goals within a 35-second span midway through the opening period by Brett Barrer, on a power-play effort, and Daniel Sisca, staked the Waxers to a 2-0 lead. The Raiders got one goal back before the end of the period to cut its deficit to 2-1. But the Waxers struck for two goals within a 90-second span by Ian Malcolm and Chris Petracco, on a shorthanded effort, to pad its advantage to 4-1. The Raiders replied with a goal before the end of the period but could get no closer before time expired. Not only did Lawson's presence provide a spark as Herrington felt his charges elected to play better defence, something it had not done during the slump. "We talked before the game about taking care of our own end. When things were going well earlier in the year we took care of our own end and I thought that we played solid in all zones." The same two clubs took to the Centennial Arena ice Friday with the Raiders prevailing 7-3. The final tally was not indicative of the effort the Waxers put in as the game was close entering the final frame. Herrington felt his club deserved a better fate were it not for the puck taking some untimely bounces. "I thought we played well enough to have a chance to win. But when you're in a losing streak things don't go your way." "They got three lucky bounces on pucks that went in during the final period and we couldn't buy one. One of their goals went off one of our defencemen and another went in off of our goalies' skate from a shot taken behind the net. When you're slumping these things go against you," said Herrington. In Friday's outing, goals by Kevin Tompkins and Locky Gelinas staked the Waxers to a 2-0 lead. But the Raiders scored twice on netminder B.J. Forsyth, who made his debut in a Waxers' uniform, before the period concluded to even the count at 2-2. The Raiders carried that momentum into the second period by scoring twice to take a 4-2 advantage.
In the third period, the Raiders opened the scoring before the Waxers cut its deficit to 5-3 on a goal by Rob Mazzuca. But the Raiders potted two more goals to put the game on ice. Now 14-8-1-2 on the season, the fourth-place Waxers host the Spirit of Stouffville on Friday and then play in Shelburne on Saturday. With the losing streak now a thing of the past, Herrington hopes Sunday's triumph will be the start of big things for the Waxers. "Hopefully we can get on a roll now. I think last night's game helped our confidence. Hopefully we can string together an eight- or nine-game win streak."
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