Considering the nature of the game, it's fitting the two teams left in the hunt for the Prince George Senior Lacrosse Association are nicknamed the Assault and the Bandits.
The College Heights Pub Assault is locked into a tough PGSLA championship series with the BX Pub Bandits and the best-of-seven series has been intense, hard-hitting, and even bloody at times. Violent contact aside, the series has also been a showcase for the city's top players to demonstrate their offensive skills -- the sheer footspeed, pinpoint passing, and thread-the-needle finish that make Canada's national summer sport fun to watch.
"It's exciting lacrosse," said Assault forward John Makowsky. "The games have been really fast with lots of action and whoever's not there is missing out."
The Assault took the first game of the final 8-7 in overtime, then beat the Bandits 17-16 in Game 2, rallying from a seven-goal deficit in the second period. The Bandits won Game 3 on Wednesday 9-4, and tied the series 2-2 with a 12-8 win on Thursday. Game 5 is set for tonight (8 p.m., Kin 1).
The Assault came dangerously close to playoff elimination in the semifinal round against the Shooters Pub Devils. College Heights lost the first two games of the best-of-five series then beat Shooters three times to advance to the final.
"We're kind of used to being the team that fights back and now that the series is tied we just have to hunker down and keep fighting and hopefully we'll be able to take the series win," Makowsky said.
"It's been a lot rougher than the series with Shooters. These guys like to play tough and play hard and we've seen a lot of guys after the games go home with bruises."
For more, see Monday's Citizen.
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