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BULLDOGS PLAYOFF PREVIEW Thursday, June 28, 2012 The Independent & Free Press Special pullout section 8 Pages Bulldogs primed for another playoff run By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer If the Halton Hills Bulldogs are going to make it to the Ontario Jr. B Lacrosse League championship series for a third consecutive year, the road to get there will probably be tougher than they've ever faced. A franchise-best-tying 17-2-1 regularseason record that included a 14-game unbeaten streak heading into the playoffs was only the third best record in the league's East Conference behind front-running Akwesasne and the second-place Green Gaels, so, barring an upset elsewhere, the Bulldogs won't have home-floor after the first round. And just getting through the first round against 10-10 Kahnawake hasn't been easy, even though the Bulldogs won the first two games at home last weekend. The hard-charging Hunters nearly won game two before the 'Dogs prevailed in overtime and the series now switches to Kahnawake this weekend for the next two games. If a fifth-and-deciding game is required, it will be played in Georgetown Monday night. Coach Blaine McCauley's side doesn't mind the underdog role, however, and a good core of the team that won the Founders Cup Canadian championship in 2010 remains, including the MacDonald brothers, Brendan and Mike, along with the Laidlaw clan, consisting of siblings Peter, Seth and cousin Luke, the team's leading scorer. "Sometimes we hold our group to a high expectation, but in the end, the character and what these guys have been able to accomplish is a real feather in their caps," said McCauley, in his seventh year as Bulldog bench boss. "It's great to see that they put the sweater first. You look at the number of our players who could be playing elsewhere or getting more minutes with another team, and they suck it up because they do what's best for the team." General manager Mike Hancock made several moves at the trade deadline to put the club in position for another championship run and there's a certain swagger about this year's squad. Losing to the Six Nations Rebels in the fifth-and-deciding game of last year's Ontario championship after failing to clinch the title at home in game four probably has a lot to do with that determination. In a game here on June 2 against their chief rival, the then-unbeaten Gaels, Halton Hills trailed 9-5 with seven minutes to play in the third but rallied to tie the game and eventually win 10-9 in overtime. It marked the first regular-season victory for the Bulldogs against the Gaels since 2005 and sets the stage for another classic matchup in the next round between the two teams for the sixth consecutive post-season. In past years, getting past the Gaels usually was the biggest obstacle in winning the OJBLL East Conference, but there's a new contender in the picture. After dropping to Jr. B from Jr. A in the off-season, the Akwesasne Indians have emerged as the East's top team, posting a 19-1 record, with their only loss of the year coming to the Gaels. See NO, pg. 3 Goalie Dustin Hanzelka shrugs aside a scoring attempt by a Kahnawake shooter during game two of their OJBLL East Conference in Georgetown last Sunday. The Bulldogs lead the best-of-5 series 2-0 heading into Kahnawake for what they hope will be just one game this weekend. Photo by Eamonn Maher Ontario Jr. B Lacrosse League East Conference Halton Hills leads best-of-five quarterfinal series 2-0 Game 1 June 23: Halton Hills 12, Kahnawake 7 Game 2 June 24: Halton Hills 10, Kahnawake 8 (OT) Game 3 Saturday, June 30 @ Kahnawake, 8 p.m. x-Game 4 Sunday, July 1 @ Kahnawake, 2 p.m. x-Game 5 Monday, July 2 @ Georgetown, 8 p.m. x-if necessary Follow 'Dogs on the web Wow e! Pric For the latest news and scores from the Halton Hills Bulldogs during the Ontario Jr. B Lacrosse League playoffs, visit our website www. theifp.ca for updates after the game. Wow THIS SATURDAY ONLY 9 AM - 5 PM Wow e! Pric Wow e! Pric Wow e! Pric $ Stk# 02261 + 10,500HST $ Stk# 02256 + 18,500HST $ Stk# 02257 + 15,500HST $ Stk# 02250 + 13,500HST 2008 FOCUS SE Auto, fully loaded, 70,587 kms. 2012 FOCUS TITANIUM 4 door, auto, fully loaded, 36,723 kms, daily rental. 2011 FIESTA SES Auto, fully loaded, alloys, 37,053 kms, daily rental. 2008 ESCAPE XLT FWD, 4 cyl., fully loaded, w 77,897 kms. CONCEPT 361 Guelph St. (Hwy. #7), Georgetown More vehicles online at: www.conceptford.com Discloser: All sale prices are plus HST, and Licensing, O.A.C 905-873-1626