When the Junior C lacrosse playoff pairings were announced two weeks ago, there were a few around the league that may have mused over the question why not save the bus money and floor rental fees and just have Shelburne 'mail-in' the series to the 2008, 2009 champion Caledon Bandits and call it a day.

But those few obviously don't know the Shelburne Vets very well.

Now heading into game four of this best of five series, the Bandits have had to battle tooth and nail with Shelburne for every goal and point in what is turning out to be a very exciting series.

In game one, the two teams traded a number of times, only to have Caledon come out on top of a 9-8 decision.

Game two of the series found the teams back in Vets territory at the Dundalk Community Centre. This time, the Vets won 9-8.

Picking up where they had left off only few nights before, the two teams continued to play some close, hard fought lacrosse.

Caledon would open the scoring just 36 seconds into the game only to have Shelburne come right back less than a minute later with Jordan Monahan scoring for the Vets.

David Irons stepped into the fray, with two of four he would score on the night, before Caledon's Chris Sehl made it 3-2 to end the first.

Second period saw Shelburne widen their lead to two as Ben Syme, Tyler Greer and Daniel Craig joined Irons, who also added two more on the scoresheet heading into the final 20 minutes of regulation time.

With the Bandits pressing at every opportunity, the Vets defense held tough with Dylan Sheard allowing just a single goal in the third as Shelburne hung on to take an 8-7 win and even the series at one game a piece

Playing game three in Mayfield on Monday who were first to the board with Irons and Craig finding the back of Caledon's net before the Bandits answered back with one of their own.

Again the teams waged an end-to-end battle, swapping goal for goal, with Craig notching his second before Sehl would score for Caledon.

In the third, the Bandits looked to finally be in control of the game, scoring three unanswered markers, before the Vets Midget call-up ,Craig slipped into a zone of his own, scoring three to regain the lead heading into the third.

Again as they had in the second, Caledon cranked it up in hopes of crushing Shelburne But, once again, the Vets answered the call.

Battered and bruised, the Shelburne players still found a bit more gas in the tank and added another pair off the stick of Craig to draw back within striking distance only to have that drive quashed by the final buzzer, giving Caledon game three by a final score of 10-8.

Speaking after the game, Craig was rather at a loss for words on his performance. When asked about the game and his play to date, he replied matter of fact, "I don't know, good game I guess" Craig went on to say that since the first game of the playoffs "I have been trying to bring my all to the games. Now I am getting the swing of it, things are coming easier every game."

One think Craig does know for a fact as well as the rest of his team mates, Caledon will be looking to close out the series when the two squads meet again Friday night in Dundalk for game four of the series. And if you can expect just one thing from this Shelburne team, they have plans to be back in Caledon for a fifth and deciding game.