How the Jr Adanacs landed Fryer

Here's an interesting read on how the Coquitlam Adanacs landed former Brampton goalie Steve Fryer.
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In their quest to defend their Minto Cup title, the Coquitlam junior A Adanacs have found help in unexpected places.
On Thursday, the club addressed one of its biggest needs when it acquired the playing rights to Brampton, Ont. native Steve Fryer, a six-foot-one goaltender.
"I talked with (Coquitlam head coach Curt Malawsky) today and felt great," Fryer told The NOW in an exclusive interview. "I hopped right on the computer to book the earliest flight I could."
The acquisition came just days after a Canadian Lacrosse Association ruling appeared to stop the 21-year-old's ambitions of playing in Adanac gold.
Coquitlam and the Brampton Excelsiors took part in a conference call Monday with the CLA over their dispute over Fryer's rights. At the end of the meeting, the CLA ruled in Brampton's favour.
The turning point came, Coquitlam general manager Ken Wood noted, when an Adanac supporter stepped forward and worked out an agreement with Brampton over Fryer's playing rights. The amount paid was not disclosed.
"This one move really puts our season in shape," said Wood. "Prior to that, there was some serious concerns on our ability to defend the Minto Cup title... So we gained a quality, starting goalkeeper and got an unbelievable offer of support from this one individual. I can't say how grateful we are."
To read the rest of the story from Coquitlam Now click here  http://www.thenownews.com/sports/Adanacs+little+help+from+friends+signing+goalie/4658828/story.html#ixzz1KlyoDCbX

Adanacs open BCJLL with win over Salmonbellies

The Coquitlam Adanacs kicked off the BCJLL season with a convincing 9-4 win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

The Adanacs never trailed in the game, despite being outshot by New West 49-40. Coquitlam jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of power play goals by Eric Ransom and Travis Cornwall. Brandon Goodwin got one of those back for the Salmonbellies late in the first period, beating Adanacs goalie Steve Fryer off a set up by Drew House.

Wesley Berg restored Coquitlam's two-goal advantage with 48 seconds left in the frame.

Luke Gillespie's unassisted goal got New West back to within a goal eight minutes into the second period. Matthew Dinsdale made it 4-2 for the Adanacs but 24 seconds later Justin Goodwin scored for the 'bellies. That's as close as they got, as Coquitlam outscored their rivals 5-1 the rest of the way.

Leif Mydske led the Salmonbellies' scorers with a goal and an assist. Cornwall added three assists to his goal and Berg had a four point night to lead the Adanacs.

OLA Junior A schedule finally released

I guess it's better late than never.
For some reason the Ontario Lacrosse Association seems to be slow about everything, including releasing schedules. After weeks and even months of anticipation, the OLA Junior A schedule is online.
The season will kick off Saturday May 7, when the Mississauga Tomahawks  head to the Anowarako:wa to tangle with the new-look Akwesasne Indians at 8 p.m. On Monday May 9, the Peterborough Lakers will host the Toronto Beaches at 7:30 p.m.
Here's the linkfor the entire schedule  http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/leagueschedule.html?leagueid=619&seasonid=6896
Now if only we can get an MSL schedule and website up.

Holdon Vyse goes back out west to Coquitlam

As reported by Teddy Jenner from Off The Crosse Bar today, the Coquitlam Adanacs announced that the Six Nations Chiefs from Major Series Lacrosse have agreed to allow Holdon Vyse to join the Adanacs for the upcoming season.  Vyse played out west last season with the North Shore Indians and joined the Adanacs for the remainder of the season when his team was eliminated from playoffs.  
He played fourregular season games with the Adanacs before playing in the playoff series against the Victoria Shamrocks. 
Prior to last season, Vyse played with the Six Nations Arrows for five seasons, where he won the Minto Cup in 2007.
“We are very happy to have Holdon back here.” Adanacs general manager Les Wingrove said. ”He gave our back end a big boost last year going into the playoffs and having him here for most of the season will add to our depth. He was a good fit and has already made the transition onto our team and he is another young versatile player.  We are thankful to Six Nations for the opportunity to have him here.”
Vyse is 22 , stands  5’11” and weighs 215 pounds. He is a right-handed defender who can transition the ball well and play both ends of the floor if needed. He is also plays on the short man team.  
He has spent some time this winter with the Buffalo Bandits and Rochester Nighthawks in the National Lacrosse League. In May, Vyse will be a member of the Iroquois Nationals team who will compete for the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship (WILC) in Prague. 
Vyse will join the Adanacs the first week of June at the completion of that tournament.

In other Adanacs news, Ginny Capicchioni will attend the Adanacs training camp in order to prepare herself for the WILC Championships in Prague. Capicchioni was named as one of the goaltenders for Team USA.  The American team is also one of the stronger teams in the competition.  Capicchioni made history last season by being the first female goaltender to play in the Western Lacrosse Association and has achieved one of her goals to represent her country in international competition.  She resides in New Jersey.

Kahnawake hunts down Knights

While many of us were at work Monday, the Kahnawake Hunters netted five unanswered goals in the third period to spoil the Nepean Knights’ OLA Junior B season opener.

The Knights lost the game 9-7 at the Merivale Arena after controlling the play for most of the way until the Hunters offensive onslaught.

With the score tied 4-4 heading into the final frame, the Knights went ahead on goals by Eric Albert, Keeghan McLeod and Brett Lewandowsky and looked to be well on their way to victory.

Tokwirihson Goodleaf, Arontase Paul, Nick Angus, Oran Horn and Atewennio Deer allowed the Hunters to catch their prey.

To read the rest of the story by Daniel Nugent-Bowman from  http://www.yourottawaregion.com click here 

http://www.yourottawaregion.com/sports/local/article/998050--knights-edged-in-season-opener-by-hunters

TOJLL kicks off with a Raiders win

The Kamloops Venom opened the Thompson-Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League regular season with a 4-3 loss to the host Kelowna Raiders.
Kelowna only has one team this season after the amalgamation of the Kelowna Warriors and Rutland Raiders, and it appears to be a favourite. The Venom are the defending league and provincial champion.
Tyler French, the defending league MVP, opened the scoring for Kelowna, before Venom rookie Jerome Thorne tied it. Scott Renner and Kamloops’ Blaine Boomer again traded goals to make it 2-2, before Riley Donahue made it 3-2 for the Venom.
French scored again before the second period was finished, and Brendan Urban scored the lone goal of the third for Kelowna.

Miller, Lindsay Sanderson to be inducted into Orangeville Sports Hall of Fame

The Orangeville Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced its list of inductees for 2011.

Lacrosse figured prominently in the selection process with two of this year’s inductees having made their name wearing the black and silver of the Orangeville Northmen.

Nominated under the athlete category, Kyle Miller began playing lacrosse at the age of three, making his way up through the Orangeville lacrosse system, which included a stint with the Junior A Northmen.

Backstopping the Canadian U19 Field Lacrosse team to silver in Australia, Miller was off next to Cornell University where he had received a lacrosse scholarship. 

A diagnosis of cancer in his sophomore year couldn’t keep Miller from the game he loved. After a year of treatment including chemotherapy and radical surgery that saw his knee joint and part of his tibia replaced, Miller returned to school and helped coach Cornell to a championship. 

In 2006, Miller was back on the field where he joined with another future Orangeville Sports Hall of Fame member — Chris Sanderson — and was part of the team that won gold at World Men’s Field Lacrosse Championships in London, Ontario.

Chosen as both an Athlete and as a Builder, Lindsay Sanderson needs little introduction. 

Known as both a leader and fierce competitor on the floor, Sanderson saw action with Brampton and Owen Sound, as well as Orangeville, before moving from on the bench to behind it.

He has coached every level from minor through Junior and on up to the National Lacrosse League, in addition to being a part of many provincial and national championship teams. 

In 2010, Sanderson was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame under the Builder category and has been touted by many as one of the driving forces behind the success of the Northmen program.

Lakers ink Evans brothers

Here's a story from Mike Davies of the  Peterborough Examiner.

The Peterborough Lakers have insured two big pieces to their puzzle won’t be going anywhere in the near future.
The Lakers have agreed to four-year contracts with Mann Cup MVP Shawn Evans and older brother Scott, a two-time MSL scoring champion.
Shawn Evans, 24, the 2010 MSL scoring champion, set a Mann Cup record for assists and tied the points record in the Lakers’ six-game win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies in September.
Scott Evans, 29, scored 12 goals in the final two games of the series.
“ We’re both Peterborough kids and we’re going to be here for our whole careers,” said Scott Evans, who lives in Peterborough but works for Ontario Hydro in the Ottawa area and plays pro lacrosse in Edmonton. “We’re both home bodies.”
The brothers have been an integral part of the Lakers resurgence which began nine years ago and has resulted in four Mann Cup titles and five Ontario championships in the past seven years.
“I’ve seen it grow from my first year when we had 200 people at the game, friends and family,” said Evans.
“I think I’ve been a big part of that and the core guys who came up with me, us Peterborough guys, have really built something here. It’s good to see it through.”
Since teams are only allowed to assign player cards one year at a time, it’s not been a common practice to sign players to multiyear contracts.
 To read the rest of the story click here http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3092568

Shamrocks find a new way to build a winner

Here's a good read from Sharie Epp of the Times Colonist about the Victoria Shamrocks new philosophy on building a winner.


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The days of ring chasers and hired guns are over in Senior A men's lacrosse, according to Victoria Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch. As the Shamrocks prepare to open their training camp on Monday, Welch said the fact the Mann Cup is in the West this season, won't change the team's development strategy.
"We're about making household names, not buying household names," Welch said.
The national championship series alternates between East and West each season. Previously, that meant teams would bulk up with the sports elite, such as legendary snipers John Tavares, Jim Veltman or John Grant Jr., while anchoring a home-floor run to the Cup.
Now, however, the rules regarding cross-country player movement have tightened up, and teams aren't as willing to bankroll a top player who won't become a long-term addition.
"Teams have been built that way and had success, but it's almost impossible to do that now. You don't have the ring-chasers like in the past," Welch said. "We have to round out our team with imports, but today's import tends to be a young guy trying to make his way up."
A good example of a talented young import from Edmonton rather than Ontario is the Shamrocks' latest acquisition, Jamie Shewchuk. A Minto Cup winner with the Burnaby Lakers in junior, Shewchuk is in his fifth pro season in the National Lacrosse League, and is now playing with the Minnesota Swarm. In 80 career games in the NLL, he has 126 goals and 167 assists.
To read the rest of the story click here  http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Shamrocks+ready+build+winner+from+inside/4666990/story.html#ixzz1KVLrGtxk

OLA Junior B rundown

The first full weekend of OLA action took place this weekend and here's a rundown of hte action.
Click on thescores to read the boxscores
Green Gaels 19 Orillia 4
Six Nations 13 Welland 3
Wallaceberg 17 Hamilton 12
Spartans 7 London 6
Halton Hills 9 Kahnawake 7
Windsor 16 Sarnia 9
Oakville 19 Orillia 2

Akwesasne 6 Halton Hills 4

Bellies TV

The New Westminster Salmonbellies are blazing a trail that will hopefully be duplicated by other lacrosse teams across the country.

The WLA team is launching Bellies TV,  a brand new initiative for the 2011 season. 

Six of the team’s regular season games will be available as a live webcast through the team’s website and in conjunction with their new partner Sportwave.ca. Fans will be able to visit salmonbellies.com and click on the new Bellies TV icon to watch any of the feature games for free.

Veteran announcer Steve Erickson and his crew from Sportswave will be doing all sxi games of exciting WLA action free of charge. 

Sportswave is based in Delta, BC and promotes amateur sports at all levels. Visit www.sportswave.ca to find out more.

The Bellies TV schedule for the upcoming season will be:

• June 2Maple Ridge at New Westminster (Home Opener)
• June 9Victoria at New Westminster (Seats for Soldiers) Sponsored by Sierra Sil
• June 23 Victoria at New Westminster
• **June 26New Westminster at Nanaimo Sponsored by Rivers Reach Pub
• June 30 Coquitlam at New Westminster  
• **July 8 New Westminster at Victoria Sponsored by Rivers Reach Pub

** The Rivers Reach, a proud sponsor of the Salmonbellies and Bellies TV, will be showing both road webcast games live at the pub.

There are opportunities still available for webcast game sponsors. Please contact Dan Richardson at generalmanager@salmonbellies.com for further details.

Shewchuk a Shamrock

The Victoria Shamrocks made a big splash prior to the WLA season, acquiring Jamie Shewchuk from the Burnaby Lakers for their first round pick in the 2013 draft."We're thrilled to add Jamie to our group,"  Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch said. "Elite left shooting offensive players don't exactly grow on trees these days so we feel very fortunate that we were able to find one in Jamie who will step right in and immediately make us better."
Shewchuk, 25, is currently playing for the Minnesota Swarm in his fifth season in the National Lacrosse League. In 80 career NLL regular season and playoff games to date with the Swarm and the Colorado Mammoth, he has scored 126 goals and added 167 assists for 293 points. He led Colorado in scoring in 2010 with 66 points in 16 games before being dealt to Minnesota earlier this year.
Originally from Edmonton, Shewchuk played his final two years of junior lacrosse with the Burnaby Junior Lakers in 2005 and 2006. He was a Minto Cup champion in 2005 and he was the leading scorer in the BC Junior A league in 2006. The Senior Lakers drafted him fifth overall in the first round of the 2007 WLA Draft but he opted instead to play Senior B close to home in Alberta for two years before he relocated to Denver while playing for the Mammoth.
"The Lakers were holding Jamie's WLA playing rights on their holdout list,"  Welch said. "When we learned he was relocating to BC and was looking to play in the WLA, we made it a priority to get him. We certainly think he is worth the price of a first round pick at this point because he's a proven player who is still very young and has a lot of good lacrosse left in him. We look forward to his WLA debut as a Shamrock and seeing him in the green and white for years to come."

- Victoria Shamrocks release

Derek Dickson joins Junior Bellies coaching staff

The New Westminster Junior A Salmonbellies announced the addition of Derek Dickson to their coaching staff.  Dickson had a very successful 10 year playing career both in junior A and the WLA. He won two Minto Cups with Burnaby Cablevision (1977 and 1978) and in his fiour years of junior A, was a league First Team all-star twice.  He played in the WLA with the Salmonbellies for six years, winning one Mann Cup in 1981, a runner up on three other occasions and earning a Second Team all-star in 1982. Dickson was named a director for the Sr Salmonbellies in 1990 and in 2006 he became the club’s Junior Scout. He has six years coaching experience in the minor ranks coaching his son, former Junior ‘Bellie’ and current NLL Calgary Roughneck, Curtis. Head coach Dan Perreault and Dickson have known each other for quite some time, being teammates on the Minto Cup teams. Perreault feels Dickson will bring a unique aspect to the team.  "I am extremely excited to have Derek as part of our coaching staff. Derek brings a savvy blend of knowledge, communication and leadership," general manager Doug Zack said. "Derek was a great teammate; he was a player that brought passion and a thirst for winning. Derek’s ability to not only teach the fundamentals but provide a vast degree of experience on the bench will be a huge bonus for Dan and our entire coaching staff. Derek brings to our organization an aggressive and competitive coaching style but with a very positive attitude with a unique sense of humour.”

OLA junior B season kicks off

The OLA season kicked off with a pair of junior B games Sunday.

The Six Nations Rebels have a new coaching staff and several new players but they delivered the same old message when they opened their 2011 regular-season schedule Sunday night.

The Rebels defeated the Welland Warlords 13-4 in an Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior “ B” League game between South West Division rivals.

The victory extended the Rebels’ regular-season unbeaten streak to 24 games. They haven’t lost since June 7, 2009 when they were edged 7-6 by Owen Sound.

The Rebels won for new head coach Ron Chatelain and assistant coaches Cam Bomberry, Jason Johns and Murray Porter. Goalie coach Derek General is the only member of last year’s coaching staff returning to the team this year.

The Rebels never trailed the Warlords.

They led 2-1 at the end of the first period on goals by Tony Doxtator and Randy Martin.

The Rebels were off to the races when Brandon Montour and Vaughn Harris scored unassisted goals early in the second period.

Goals by Chris Attwood, Jacob Bomberry, Carney Johnson, Danny Vyse and Montour built the lead to 9-1 by the end of the second period.

Johnson, Attwood, Harris and Martin scored goals in the third period.

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In Guelph, a lapse in the second half of the first period proved costly to the Guelph Regals in their Ontario junior B lacrosse season opener Sunday at the Victoria Road arena.

The Regals surrendered five goals in the final 10 minutes of the first period, including four in the final five and a half minutes, in a game they eventually lost 10-8 to the St. Catharines Spartans.

“We’re definitely disappointed,” Guelph’s Jamie Speck said. “We ran with them the whole game and they’re expected to be one of the top teams this year. We really thought we had them in the third when we had it tied up, but what can you do? Two minutes left in the game, that’s lacrosse. It happens.”

“They’re not happy with the loss, they wanted the W,” Guelph coach Jimmy Leworthy said. “Spartans are a very good team. They’re expected to be one of the top teams in the province so they can take some pride in knowing that they’re running with these teams.”

After scoring the first three goals of the game, the Regals trailed 5-4 at the end of the first period and 7-6 at the end of the second. They did have the score tied twice in the third period, but the Spartans netted a pair of goals in the final 1:34 – the last one into an empty net – to claim the win.

To read the rest of the story by Rob Massey of the Guelph Mercury click here http://www.guelphmercury.com/sports/local/article/518293--guelph-regals-edged-in-season-opener

Some lacrosse struggles

I thought this was an interesting read.


For years lacrosse was the little known, yet very Canadian, national sport.
Now splitting that title with hockey, it's easy to forget about the pride of Canada's little cousin.
It's even easier in Fort McMurray.
Lacrosse is, quite simply, struggling in Fort McMurray. It is in most communities a grassroots sport, and is always fighting to get off the ground. But in the isolation of Fort McMurray, it's struggling to stay on the ground.
The Fort McMurray Minor Lacrosse Association averaged between 60 and 80 registered players in the league over the past few years.
By contrast, minor baseball is expecting to break the 500 mark this season.
Even on the high end, at 80 players, that's barely enough to form teams. Spread out over a variety of age groups, many teams play mainly outside tournaments and inter-squad scrimmages.
"Lacrosse cycles. It's a 10-year cycle, but I think we're at the bottom of the cycle," said Wes Price, former league president and coach of the Junior 'B' Wolves.
"Hopefully we can keep it alive so we can climb back up."
To read the rest of the story by Greg Downs from Fort McMurray Today click here http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3071244

A look at the Elora Mohawks

The Guelph Mercury's Rob Massey spoke with the Elora Mohawks new head coach during a pre-season workout.

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While they enter the Ontario junior B lacrosse season with a new coach, the style of play for the Elora Mohawks will be pretty much the same as it always. Just a little quicker.

“We’re going to tweak it a little bit,” head coach Rick Wilson said Saturday. “I want to push the ball a little more, like a run-and-gun style. I want the goalies to move the ball a little more and a little more offense generated off the back end, but other than that, it’s going to be (the same).

“It’s the same game. I don’t want to throw too much at them. They had a great coach the last two years in Dean George. I’m not going to come in and change the world, just tweak it.”

Wilson takes over as the bench boss from George, who has moved on to be the head coach of the Brampton Excelsiors of the Ontario junior A league. While George left the Mohawks for junior A, Wilson joined the Mohawks from junior A as he had been the general manager of the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves the last two seasons.

To read the rest of the story click here http://www.guelphmercury.com/sports/local/article/514799--mohawks-hit-floor-to-start-workouts

Four in a row for Webster

Quinnipiac University freshman men’s lacrosse midfielder Dylan Webster was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week for the fourth time in the last five weeks. 
The four Rookie of the Week awards are the most by an NEC freshman in the two years of the honor, doubling the prior high of two, established by two different players last season.
The Brampton resident scored a highly improbable goal to put the Bobcats up two goals late in regulation of Quinnipiac’s 13-12 victory against Bryant Friday. After Webster had the ball checked out of his stick, he picked up the ground ball and slipped an elusive shot past two Bulldogs defenders and the goalie. Webster has now scored a goal in each of the Bobcats’ last five games.

Weekend pre-season tourneys

Several teams held pre-season junior B tournaments this weekend.

Rod Mawhood wrote about the Spartan pre-season junior B tune up for the St. Catharines Standard.

A few players performed their way onto the team and a few played themselves off.

All in all, however, Matt Attwood, St. Catharines Spartans junior B head coach, was pleased with his team's 2-1 performance at the Spartans annual pre-season tournament Saturday at Merritton Centennial Arena.
"I was really happy with the three games," Attwood said. "I'll be honest, I didn't know what to expect when we started.
"We jelled throughout the day. Our defence was really good. Our offence came around as the day went on and our goaltending was pretty good all day.
"I think we the coaching staff realized we have a lot to work with this year."
As for standouts or possible players who earned spots from their performances, Attwood didn't want to name anyone specific because of ongoing junior A tryouts.
To read the rest of the story click here http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3068071

In Windsor, the Clippers hosted a one-day pre-season tournament on Saturday at the Windsor Arena.

Here are the results

Wallaceburg 9 Windsor 6

Sarnia 6 London 3

Wallaceburg 8 Sarnia 2

London 8 Wallaceburg 8

Windsor 15 London 1

Windsor 1 Sarnia 0 (default)*

* Sarnia defaulted in the final game due to a shortage of players.

At the Green Gaels Classic the results were 

Green Gaels 8 Kahnawake 5 

Kahnawake 12 Newmarket 4

Mimico 5 Newmarket 4

Kahnawake 2 Mimico 0

Green Gaels 9 Newmarket Saints 4   

Green Gaels 13 Mimico 2  

The new wood floor in Burnaby

The Mayor of Burnaby Derek Corrigan unveiled the new wood floor at Bill Copeland Arena Saturday in Burnaby. 
The wood floor made from Maple will make it the largest of what are only the two wood floor surfaces in Canada.

Saying goodbye to Whipper

Here's a great story by Margaret Sheridan from the Toronto Sun leading up to Bob Watson's final regular season game at home.
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In pro sports, there’s longevity, and then there’s loyalty.

Very few athletes have managed to epitomize both quite the way Toronto Rock goaltender Bob ‘Whipper’ Watson has.

Watson will play the final regular-season home game of his stellar career Friday night against the Buffalo Bandits at the Air Canada Centre. And chances are, there won’t be a dry eye on the Rock bench during his pre-game farewell ceremony.

“It’s going to be quite an event,” said Pat Campbell who, as the Rock’s backup goaltender this season, had arguably the best seat in the house to watch Watson work. “It’s one of those novel things where a superstar retires at the top of his game.

“You see so many where they play until they’re too old to put up the big numbers they do in their prime. But it’s unbelievable to see a guy wanting to leave at the top of his game.”

To read the rest of the story click here http://www.torontosun.com/sports/lacrosse/2011/04/07/17916821.html

Timbermen getting set for camp

The senior lacrosse season is almost here and local papers are getting primed. Greg Sakaki from the Nanaimo Bulletin writes about the Nanaimo Timbermen getting set to break camp.

They call it the fastest sport on two feet, so lacrosse players in Nanaimo are about to start limbering up.

The Nanaimo Timbermen senior A lacrosse team starts training camp April 19 at Fuller Lake Arena in Chemainus.

The Western Lacrosse Association club has a pretty good idea of the bodies who will be reporting for camp this year.

“I think we’re pretty well there,” said Earl Nicholson, general manager of the T-men. “We were happy with the way we finished last year so we’ve basically been just trying to address the holes.”

To read the rest of the story please click here http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/nanaimonewsbulletin/sports/119353959.html

Grant earns Player of the Week honours

Colorado Mammoth forward John Grant was named the National Lacrosse League Overall Player of the Week for week 13 of the regular season.
In a two game weekend series against Edmonton that would have a major effect on whether or not his team will make the playoffs, Grant recorded six goals and four assists for 10 points in the two games combined. He had four goals and two assists in a 14-10 loss at Edmonton on Friday. Grant then tallied two goals and two assists, including an assist on the game winner, in a 7-6 victory against Edmonton. The weekend split kept the Mammoth in playoff contention, with a chance to clinch a playoff berth this upcoming weekend.
Shawn Williams of the Rochester Knighthawks is the league's Offensive Player of the Week. In a game in which the Knighthawks could clinch a playoff berth by winning, Williams scored four goals and added four assists for a total of eight points in Rochester's 19-8 win over Boston. Williams also assisted on the game-winning goal.
Washington Stealth goaltender Matt Roik won the Defensive Player of the Week honors. Roik made a season-high 48 saves on 57 shots faced against the Buffalo Bandits in a 10-9 overtime win for the Stealth in Buffalo. He made 43 saves in the final three quarters, holding the Bandits to just four goals in that span. Roik was also credited with an assist on the goal that tied the game with just 20 seconds left in regulation. Roik did not play in the Stealth game vs. Toronto, as Tyler Richards played the entire game in the Stealth net on Friday.
Jordan Hall of the Rochester Knighthawks is the Transition Player of the Week. Hall scored four goals and picked up four loose balls, netting three goals in an eight-goal second quarter to help the Knighthawks take a 9-3 lead in a game they would eventually win 19-8 at Boston, clinching a playoff berth.
Minnesota Swarm transition player Andrew Suitor wins Rookie of the Week honors. Suitor finished with a career-high four goals on only four shots taken on goal and collected eight loose balls in a 13-8 victory against Calgary that clinched a playoff berth. Suitor did not play in Friday's 15-12 loss at Calgary.


- NLL.com

Finally, an OLA schedule - Junior B

With the junior lacrosse season quickly approaching, the Ontario Lacrosse Association has finally posted a master schedule of some kind.
April 17 is the big day, when Junior B lacrosse hits the floor with a pair of games.
The Guelph Regals host the St. Catharines Spartan at 2 pm, at the Victoria Road Arena, while the Six Nations Rebels will break in its new home - the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena - when they host the Welland Warlords at 7 pm.
Five days later, the Rebels will again host the Warlords, while the Green Gaels host Orillia on April 21.
The OLA Junior B schedule will get into full swing on April 23 with five games. For the complete schedule click here http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/leagueschedule.html?leagueid=794&seasonid=6897

Wray's juggling act

Like all National Lacrosse League players, Taylor Wray has a day job. Here's a nice story from Nick Pison of Brown and White on Philadelphia Wings player who juggles life as an NCAA Division I coach and an NLL player 
Being a professional athlete is a daunting task within itself. With workouts, practices, playbooks to memorize and games to play, it is a lot for one person to handle.
The life of a NCAA Division I coach is no different. Put the two together and it would seem near impossible to juggle. 
However, the men's lacrosse team is lucky to have two coaches, head coach Kevin Cassese and his defensive coordinator, Taylor Wray, who have found success in both.
To read the entire story click here http://media.www.thebrownandwhite.com/media/storage/paper1233/news/2011/04/05/Sports/Playing.Professionally.And.Coaching.All.In.A.Days.Work-3990299.shtml

Plenty of pre-season tourneys this weekend

With the OLA Junior B season inching closer, there are several pre-season tournaments going on this coming weekend.

The Windsor Clippers will be hosting its pre-season tournament on April 9. The tournament will feature division rivals Wallaceburg Red Devils, Sarnia Pacers and the London Blue Devils. 

All games will be played at Windsor Arena. 

Here's the schedule

10 am Windsor vs. Wallaceburg

11:30 am London vs Sarnia

1 pm Sarnia vs Wallaceberg

2:30 pm Wallaceberg vs London

4 pm London vs Windsor

5:30 pm Windsor vs Sarnia

The Green Gael Classic is also taking place on April 9, at Garnet B. Rickard Arena Pad B. 

This year, the Mimico Mountaineers, Newmarket Saints, and Kahnawake Hunters are making the trip to Bowmanville to take part in the pre-season tune up.
Admission is the purchase of a 50/50 ticket, or the donation of a non-perishable food item at the door.
The schedule is as follows.
9 am Kahnawake vs. Green Gaels
10:30 am Kahnawake vs. Newmarket Saints
12 pm Mimico vs. Newmarket Saints
1:30 pm Mimico vs. Kahnawake Hunters
3 pm Newmarket vs. Green Gaels
4:30 pm Mimico vs. Green Gaels 

And in St. Catharines, the Spartan host its tournament on April 9, featuring the Oakville Buzz, Guelph Regals, Halton Hills Bulldogs, Welland Warlords and Mississauga Tomahawks.

Here's the schedule

9 am Spartan vs Oakville

10:15 am Guelph vs Halton Hills
11:30 am Welland vs Mississauga

12:45 pm Spartan vs Halton Hills
2 pm Welland vs Oakville
3:15 pm Mississauga vs Guelph 

4:30 pm Halton HillsS vs Welland 
5:45 pm Oakvillevs Guelph 
7 pm Spartan vs Mississauga

Adanacs nab Harnett

The Coquitlam Adanacs announced that defender/transition player Jon Harnett will join its team for the 2011 season.  
Harnett  23, played his minor and junior lacrosse in Orangeville and is currently playing for the Calgary Roughnecks. He joined the Roughnecks this season along with Adanac scorer Darryl Veltman in a blockbuster , trade involving former Adanac Josh Sanderson moving to the Boston Blazers. 
Harnett joined the Blazers in 2009 as a 20-year-old playing every game  and being named to the NLL All-Rookie team. He was still playing Junior A lacrosse in Orangeville, where he eventually won two Minto Cups. He was a finalist for the Canadian Junior Defender of the Year in 2009. Last summer he suited up for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks. He also played field lacrosse at the University of Guelph, where he was  named an  All-Canadian by the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association. He also spent two years at Adrian University in Michigan.

Harnett is a 6’ 2” 195 lbs left-handed shot. He is known as a shutdown defender and a speedy transition player who excels at getting the ball out of his end.  

“Jon will be a big asset in shoring up our back end which was the main weakness that we had assessed for our team based on last season,” Adanacs general manager Les Wingrove said. “He is a great fit for our club. He is currently playing with a lot of our players in Calgary and it will be an easy transformation for him as well as the team. Jon has a lot of experience for a young player. ”

Harnett will join the Adanacs at the conclusion of the NLL season.

Saints add Stroup to coaching staff

The Port Coquitlam Junior A Saints announce the addition of Dan Stroup to its coaching staff for the 2011 season. Stroup will assume the role of assistant coach in charge of player development. He brings with him an extensive knowledge of the game from his many years in the WLA and NLL as well in his current position as a member of the coaching staff with the Washington Stealth of the National Lacrosse League. Dan’s playing career included many years in the WLA with the Coquitlam Adanacs, including the 2001 Mann Cup championship team, as well as being a four-time NLL champion (three with Toronto and one with Colorado). He finished his distinguished career in the NLL as the 12th leading all time goal scorer in league history.

Lakers load up for season

Peterborough Lakers general manager Jamie Batley made a pair of deals to help them get ready for another run at the Mann Cup.

The Lakers first move was when they traded Ryan Cousins to the Six Nations Chiefs for Brandon Francis.

“Brandon will add toughness to the Lakers and he is a noted faceoff man in lacrosse,” Batley said. “We thank Ryan for his past contribution and wish him well iun the future.”

The Lakers then traded Jeff Gilbert and a second round draft pick in 2012 to Brooklin for Gavin Prout and Steve Hutchins.

“Again we thank Jeff for his Laker work and wish him well,” Batley said, “with both brothers Brock and Kyle Sorensen ready on D for the Lakers this year coming and transition player Brad Self returning to the Lakers, we felt that Jeff could be a trade possibility.”

- Peterborough Lakers release

Six Nations Rebels Spring Showcase

The Six Nations Junior B Rebels hosted its 4th Annual Spring Showcase Saturday at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena with more than 750 lacrosse fans attending the one-day event.
The pre-season tournament gives players a chance to make an impression on their respective coaching staff, general managers and fans of each team under game conditions.
This year the eight teams attending the tournament were the defending Founders Cup champion Halton Hills Bulldogs along with the Hamilton Bengals, Kahnawake Hunters, Mississauga Tomahawks, Newmarket Saints, Oakville Buzz, Windsor Clippers and Rebels.
Results
Game 1 – Kahnawake Hunters 4 Hamilton Bengals 4
Game 2 – Oakville Buzz 5 Mississauga Tomahawks 1
Game 3 – Six Nations Rebels 6 Newmarket Saints 0
Game 4 – Windsor Clippers 6 Halton Hills Bulldogs 3
Game 5 – Hamilton Bengals 8 Mississauga Tomahawks 4
Game 6 – Six Nations Rebels 9 Kahnawake Hunters 2
Game 7 – Oakville Buzz 5 Halton Hills Bulldogs 1
Game 8 – Newmarket Saints 7 Windsor Clippers 6
Game 9 – Oakville Buzz 7 Kahnawake Hunters 4
Game 10 – Mississauga Tomahawks 6 Windsor Clippers 6
Game 11 – Newmarket Saints 7 Hamilton Bengals 7
Game 12 – Six Nations Rebels 5 Halton Hills Bulldogs 3