The Orillia Mister Transmission Kings began their Jr. B lacrosse season with a convincing 11-5 victory over the Mimico Mountaineers on Saturday night at Rotary Place.
It took the Kings 20 minutes to get rolling as they were tied with the visitors after the first period, 1-1. Newly named captain Jack Marwick admits there was a nervous energy in the locker room on opening night.
"We were excited and nervous," he said. "We were eager to start the season and it went well for us."
Marwick says the Kings fed off a packed Rotary Place crowd in the second period.
"The crowd was awesome," he said. "They made every goal electric for the guys on the floor. It was really fun."
After two periods, the Kings led the Mountaineers 7-4. They tacked on four more while allowing only one in the final frame.
"I think we moved the ball well in transition," Marwick said. "We buried them in shots and took the win."
The Kings racked up 40 penalty minutes in penalties in the Ontario Lacrosse Association opening night match-up.
"I think there was some high anxiety going into the game," Marwick said. "The high intensity led to some penalties. We have to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Despite having several new faces in the locker room this year, Marwick says the Kings have had no issues with chemistry early on.
"I think we've already gelled from practising together," he said. "We definitely had some rhythm to us out there tonight."
One of the newest Kings on the floor on Saturday evening was forward Kaleb Parkhurst. The lefty netted a hat-trick in his first game with his new team.
"I didn't expect to get a hat trick," he said. "I just wanted to play the best I could."
Parkhurst says the hat trick naturally happened and was the result of being given plenty of opportunities by his teammates.
"Getting a hat trick in your first game with your new team is pretty special," he said. "I don't take it for granted."
Parkhurst hopes his performance on Saturday will set the tone for the rest of the season.
Parkhurst previously played Jr. A and Jr. C in his hometown of Peterborough. He was convinced to play this spring in Orillia by his now teammate, Colson Maracle.
"I love the group of guys here," he said. "It didn't take much to convince me to come here."
Head coach Jim Meredith says the Kings controlled the game on opening night.
"In the second period, we got our legs and we started transitioning well," he said. "It was a good start."
Meredith says the team defence played well, but he'd like to see his team improve on the offensive side of the ball.
"We have to work on our patterns," he said. "It's going to take a little time to get there."
Getting off to a good start to the season is "huge," Meredith says.
"When you look at the schedule and figure what games you should win, you can't give those up," he said. "We did that a few times last year and that was our killer. It was the difference between finishing eighth and fourth, fifth, or sixth, which makes a big difference."
Next Sunday, the Kings head to the Ottawa region; they will battle Nepean, the 2022 Founders Cup champions, on May 4. The next night, they will clash with Gloucester.
"I think we can come home with four points," Marwick said. "We have to take no penalties and make our shots."
The Kings return to Orillia on May 11 to take on the Oshawa Green Gaels at 7 p.m. Marwick hopes the Kings will have the same fan support as they did on Saturday night.
"I think having the fans here to support us played a big part in our win tonight," he said. "The guys love it when the fans bring the energy."
