BROOKFIELD – The Brookfield Elks know once you think you’ve got an opponent beaten, the tables can quickly turn.
So even though they hold a 3-1 lead over the Bay Ducks in their best-of-seven NSJHL Fred Fox Division semifinal, the Elks will take nothing for granted in Game 5 tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Don Henderson Memorial Sportsplex.
“It’s very important for us to stay focused,” Elks captain Connor Baker said. “We have a good aged team but not a lot of playoff experience. The guys we picked up from Cumberland earlier this year do, and they’ve really been helping us realize winning games doesn’t mean much if you don’t win the series.”
So instead of looking at the big picture, the Elks have been going game-by-game and focusing on the task at hand. It seems to be working. After opening a 2-0 series lead, the Elks dropped Game 3 before rebounding to win Game 4 Saturday in St. Margaret’s Bay.
Baker, a 20-year-old Stewiacke resident, said everyone on the Elks roster has been working toward the same goal, in part, thanks to head coach Hughie Matheson, who replaced Kevin Harvey in January.
“Everyone has really bought in,” Baker said. “He has a different style and for everyone to get on board late in the season, it just shows everyone wants the same end result.”
Baker said he feels playing a physical game tonight will be key for the Elks.
“I think we need to play the body,” he said. “We played a physical game there on Saturday and their goaltender has been standing on his head, so we’ve got to find a way to beat him.”
Spencer Scott has been even better in the Brookfield crease. The 20-year-old Bible Hill resident leads the league with a sparkling .930 save percentage and 2.21 goals-against average.
Liam Carr, one of the players acquired in the deal with Cumberland County, is tied for second in the league with nine points in the postseason.
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