Harrogate, Vipers Eye Sutherland Cup

The LaSalle Vipers, including rookie sensation Brendan Harrogate of Chatham, Ontario, are eying a Sutherland Cup berth as they begin their GOJHL Western Conference Final.

To reach the Sutherland Cup, LaSalle would need to either defeat the Leamington Flyers, or hold the best overall playoff winning percentage among finalists to earn the Sutherland Wild Card spot.

Currently the 8-2 Vipers are not in the wild card position, making an outright win all the more important.

Harrogate, who turned 17 in February, is currently leading the LaSalle Vipers in playoff scoring with 5 goals and 7 assists for 12 points in only 10 games.

The former Chatham-Kent Cyclones forward, who was a 7th round draft pick by the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads last spring, had 21 goals and 17 assists for 38 points, while playing 37 regular season games this season.

The Vipers, who defeated the Sarnia Legionnaires in the Western Conference semi-final to advance, will open their best-of-seven series against Leamington Thursday at 7:10pm in Leamington. Game two is Saturday, March 28 in LaSalle.