LaRue eyes tricky three-peat as Canadiens take aim at….

Lakeshore Canadiens’ forward Trevor LaRue is eyeing a tricky three-peat.

LaRue helped the Lakeshore Canadiens to the team’s first Schmalz Cup provincial title in 27 years in 2022.

Last year, he moved up to junior B and helped the Leamington Flyers capture the club’s first-ever Sutherland Cup provincial title.

The 21-year-old LaRue opted to return the Canadiens this season and the club is now one series away from another Schmalz Cup title.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have good teams, good coaches and good players,” LaRue said. “You can’t complain about playing in May and it’s special.

“Nine of the guys on this team were here when we won the Schmalz (Cup in 2022). It’s a good group of guys, I grew up around some of their houses and we’ve been best buddies for countless years.”

Lakeshore lost the coin flip to determine home-ice advantage and will open the best-of-seven Provincial Junior Hockey League final on the road Thursday against the Clarington Eagles at 8 p.m. Game 2 is Saturday in Lakeshore at 4 p.m.

“We know they’re a really good team,” Canadiens’ head coach Anthony Iaquinta said of the Eagles. “The play hard, physical and tough.”

Lakeshore beat Clarington 3-2 in overtime to win the Schmalz Cup in 2022 when the event was held as a Final Four knockout tournament in Guelph following the COVID-19 pandemic. Clarington lost last year’s final 3-2 to Wellesley, which beat Lakeshore 3-2 in the semis, in last year’s Schmalz Cup final when it was again held as a four-team event in Woodstock.

“It’s more exciting to have a seven-game series because you get chance to play in front of the home crowd,” LaRue said. “I don’t think Lakeshore’s gotten a chance to do that and play for a title in front of a home crowd.”

Since wrapping up its semifinal series in six games on Saturday, Iaquinta opted for just a Tuesday team meeting with no practice ahead of Thursday’s opener.

“We know they’re a really good team,” Canadiens’ head coach Anthony Iaquinta said of the Eagles. “The play hard, physical and tough.”

Lakeshore beat Clarington 3-2 in overtime to win the Schmalz Cup in 2022 when the event was held as a Final Four knockout tournament in Guelph following the COVID-19 pandemic. Clarington lost last year’s final 3-2 to Wellesley, which beat Lakeshore 3-2 in the semis, in last year’s Schmalz Cup final when it was again held as a four-team event in Woodstock.

“It’s more exciting to have a seven-game series because you get chance to play in front of the home crowd,” LaRue said. “I don’t think Lakeshore’s gotten a chance to do that and play for a title in front of a home crowd.”

Since wrapping up its semifinal series in six games on Saturday, Iaquinta opted for just a Tuesday team meeting with no practice ahead of Thursday’s opener.

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The Canadiens haven’t focused on film work or done a hard study of the Eagles heading into the series.

“For us, we don’t want to look into things too much,” LaRue said. “It’s a matter of feeling it out the first five or 10 minutes and playing our style and overcome whatever challenges we face.

“I think we’re a more experienced team than in the past. We’ve always just worked hard. From what we’ve always done, our biggest thing is effort. As long as you’re working hard and doing your best, you should be rewarded.”

Both teams have several players on the roster that have made a title run the past two years and Iaquinta said those are the players that will set the tone.

“If you look at the teams left, there’s a couple of guys that have played many years in junior B or junior C and those are the guys you win with,” Iaquinta said.