Fresh off their appearance at the 19th Annual CCH Crusaders Cup Classic in London last weekend, the Lasalle Lancers took only a period to get back on track in SDSSAA league play.
Trailing the Bishop Carter Gators 2-1 after 15 minutes of play, the Lancers roared back, posting a 5-2 win as Zack Matheson netted a pair of goals to show the way.
Adam Hinds, Nick Jeffery and Mike Lemieux rounded out the scoring for Lasalle, with Trevor Boimstruck and Stetson Troscinski replying in a losing cause for the Gators.
The win moved Lasalle into a second-place tie with the Confederation Chargers, both with nine points, while Bishop Carter appears destined for Division II status in the second half of the 2013-2014 season, dropping to 1-5 on the year.
The front-running St. Charles College Cardinals joined Lasalle at the Crusaders Cup tournament, matching their northern counterparts with a 2-2 record. The Cards dropped their opener, falling 2-0 to the London Central Golden Ghosts, but rebounding with a 5-3 win over the Humberview Huskies from Bolton.
Ryan Liinamaa led the way for St. Charles with a pair of goals, with singles coming courtesy of Tyler Smith, Nathan Scruton and Tyler Dominelli.
The Cardinals were knocked to the consolation draw following a loss at the hands of the host Catholic Central Crusaders of London, before returning home on a winning note with a victory over the Wallaceburg Tartans.
The Cards had hoped to prep for the tournament with a couple of top-end exhibition games against teams from Sault Ste. Marie the previous weekend, but ran into some challenges along the way.
A matchup with the St. Mary's Knights was cancelled when the power went out at the Thessalon Arena. A later contest with the Korah Colts produced a 5-1 win for the locals, though coach Darren Michelutti noted their opponents were dealing with a serious bout of the flu, missing a number of top players, including their No. 1 goalie.
Jacob Leore enjoyed a two-goal effort, nonetheless, for St. Charles, with Liinamaa, Scruton and Blake Purcell rounding out the attack.
Boys high school hockey action continues today as Lasalle closes out a two-game week in the Valley with a key game against Confederation at 3:30 p.m. at the Ray Plourde Arena in Val Caron.