Lakers tie longest season win streak at 15 games with Shield

It's been 15 long games, elapsing 63 days between Nov. 8 and Jan. 11, and the Innisfil Lakers still haven't lost.

They are riding a 15- game winning streak, tying the South Muskoka Shield for the longest run of the season, after easily beating the shorthanded King Wild, 9-0, at the Innisfil Recreational Complex Sunday.

"The win streak feels outstanding and the kids deserve every bit of it," said Laker Head Coach Shane Hicke.

"Our goal now is to win every game until the end of the season before the playoffs," said Laker forward Max Douglas.

The Lakers scored six goals in the first period, including three on the powerplay. The goal scorers in the frame were forwards Brian Davidson, Jonathan Dew, as well as a pair apiece from Alex Kulikouskiy and Douglas.

The Lakers didn't stop in the second, as Davidson added his second, while Kulikouskiy scored his hattrick marker on the powerplay.

With the game long over in the third, forward Max Newman added a goal. Newman returned to the Laker lineup after nursing a shoulder injury and having emergency bladder surgery.

Defenceman Jamie Wicks (right) passes the puc k while falling down to fellow blue-liner Dustin Timm during the Lakers' 9-0 shutout win o ver the King Wild at the Innisfil Recreational Complex. Photo by Jon Yaneff The Wild struggled, though they lost a pair of players to injuries. Forwards Nick Leggieri (possible broken finger) and Tom Coukos (stitches for finger) both sustained injuries and exited the game.

Goaltender Geoffrey Sadjadi earned his first Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League shutout, stopping 26 shots in the victory.

The Lakers were scheduled to have a home game against the Tamworth Cyclones Friday, but it was canceled.

Innisfil will try to extend the season winning streak Friday (Jan. 16) against the North Division seventhplace Espanola Kings (4-23- 1, nine points) in Innisfil, starting at 7:30 p.m. The Lakers also play the South Division third-place Deseronto Storm (19-8-3, 41 points) Saturday at the Deseronto Community Centre, also at 7:30 p.m.

From the front office: At the Jan. 10 trade deadline, the Lakers sent defenceman Garrett Simmons to the Minden Riverkings.

GMHL All-Star Game: The GMHL All-Star Game is this Tuesday at the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre (hosted by the South Muskoka Shield), starting at 7:30 p.m., as the South Division takes on the North Division.