It's all hands on deck at the Mann

The importance of getting off on the right foot played out again for the third consecutive game at the 2017 Mann Cup championships in New Westminster.

For the first time at the national final, it was the Peterborough Lakers that got off to the quick start, and although the host Salmonbellies rallied to tie the contest on six separate occasions, it was the eastern club that prevailed 13-12 at Queen's Park on Monday.

The Lakers' win narrowed the series deficit with the Salmonbellies to a single game with New West holding a fragile 2-1 edge in best-of-seven championship.

With a third defeat staring Peterborough in the face, the Lakers' top players were their best performers in the all-important third game.

Shawn Evans led the Peterborough attack, tallying a hat trick along with four assists, and in doing so moved into a tie for sixth place with his older brother Scott Evans on the all-time Mann Cup points list.

Curtis Dickson also had another big game for Peterborough, adding three goals in Game 3 to his player-of-the-game four-goal and eight-point start in the Mann Cup opener.

Peterborough also got better contributions from the likes of Kyle Buchanan and Brad Self that certainly helped the Lakers to their first win of the series.

For the first time in the final, Peterborough had contributions from more of its role players, a recipe for success that has paid off on the score sheet for both teams so far in the series.

New Westminster, on the other hand, got multi-goal games from just three of its players.

Kevin Crowley had his best outing of the final, with four goals and four assists, in a string of solid prime-time performances so far at the Mann.

Logan Schuss and Mitch Jones, with six and eight points, respectively, in the Game 3 loss, are also helping to keep the 'Bellies a force to be reckoned with in the final. Schuss and Jones currently lead the final series in scoring with 19 points apiece.

In the ultimate team sport of lacrosse, it's not a stretch to maintain the club with the most hands on deck is almost certainly the one, in this equally-matched final, to be ultimately raising the coveted Mann Cup into the air at the end of this exceedingly entertaining and competitive match up.

Bring on Game 4.

Photos courtesy of Garrett James