There is still a week to go, but the Prince Albert Predators are ready for the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League (PGLL) playoffs.
The playoffs will be run in a single elimination format in Moose Jaw with the semi-finals on Jul. 8 and the league final on Jul. 9
The Predators were within one game of a league title last season before losing in the league final 13-7 to the Saskatoon Jr. Swat.
Predator head coach Lucas Wells says Prince Albert enters the postseason with a chip on their shoulder from a year ago.
“I think we’re going to have to rely on our experience from last year in single elimination. We won (in the semi-final) last year and that was great. We lost in the final. I want them to remember how that feels because I know that it doesn’t feel good, and I know that those boys know that.”
Throughout the season, Wells has been encouraging the Predators to embrace adversity. He says he has seen a vast improvement in the team throughout the season, which will help them in the postseason.
“I think it’ll help us tremendously going into the year. Going into the year to this year, this group of guys had never played from behind where they’ve come back or tied and won. We’ve done that a couple times.
“It’s kind of been my motto this year where we take any type of adversity and we try and play through whether that is the refs or it is the crowd or how slippery the floor is or anything like that just to try and change the guys mindsets into it doesn’t matter what is going on, we are the better team and we will win.”
Prince Albert finished the regular season with a record of 11-1-1 with a goal differential of +89. The only loss and tie for the Predators came against the Swift Current Wolverines.
The Predators will be running a fan bus for the league final on Sunday Jul. 9, if the team qualifies. More information can be found on the team’s social media platforms.
sports@paherald.sk.ca
