Troops staying positive heading into Game Five

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Battalion Head Coach Stan Butler did not seem too concerned that, in order for his team to continue their playoff run, it would have to travel to Erie on Saturday night and beat the Otters in their own rink, the notoriously raucous Tullio Arena.
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"We don´t have any choice," said Coach Butler when asked about playing Game Five in Erie. "That happens to be the location of the game and we can´t be too concerned about that."
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Despite being shut out for the first time in over a year Friday night at the Bunker and falling behind 3-1 in their best-of-seven playoff series, the Battalion has adopted a positive attitude heading into Saturday night´s game in western Pennsylvania.
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"It´s ´do-or-die´, ´the biggest game of the season´, pick your poison, call it what you want," said defenceman Jay Harrison. "We just have to roll with it and we know if we lose one more game our season is over. This isn´t an easy league to win in but we just have to go out and win."
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"This could be our last game of the year and we don´t want that because we have worked too hard this season," said Harrison´s blue line partner Paul Flache. "We just have to go out and put it all on the line, we can´t hold anything back."
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The Battalion outshot the Otters 36-32 on Friday night and had many excellent scoring chances and Assistant Coach Derrick Smith felt that this was a good sign heading into Game Five.
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"Looking at our chances and work ethic on Friday is a positive thing," Smith said. "If we come out with the same effort in Erie it could be a different story. We have to stay positive, not get down and realize that it takes four wins to win the series."
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"We know we can play with them and we had a lot of great chances in Game Five," echoed Captain Jason Maleyko. "We have to go out Saturday night and be positive and I think if we can get a couple of goals past (Otters netminder) Adam Munro we´ll be alright."
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Battalion goaltender Brian Finley, a veteran playoff campaigner during his days with the Barrie Colts, was outstanding in Brampton´s 4-3 win in Erie in Game One and he said that Saturday´s game "is going to be tough but we have to come out hard. If we stay with them early, take the momentum away and keep it close, anything can happen."
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"Brian´s a real competitor and I´m sure he´ll come in and play a good game Saturday night," said Coach Butler.
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During the first three games of the series, Erie forwards were going aggressively to the Battalion net, but Friday night the Brampton defence was able to keep the Erie forays to a minimum, much to Finley´s satisfaction.
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"We knew after the first three games that they were crashing the net a lot so we worked in it in practice and the defence did a good job Friday night and that makes my job easier. I´m not as worn down and I also feel a lot better after the games."
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