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

Green Gaels acquire Brendan Muise

The Green Gaels Junior B Lacrosse Club acquired Brendan Muise from the Mimico Mountaineers in exchange for Mitchell Wilde, Shane Morlock, and the Junior B rights to two non-rostered players.

Muise, who had 33 goals and 35 assists in 2010, comes to the Green Gaels with four years of OLA Junior B experience with Mimico, also quarterbacked Mimico’s power play during his tenure there, registering 39 points on the man advantage over the past two seasons.

Muise brings additional Founder’s Cup experience to a Gaels squad that last visited the national championship in 2009. The 6’1, 190 pounder was the 2010 Founder’s Cup tournament MVP, leading the tournament with 30 points in five games, while helping Mimico to the finals where they lost 4-3 in triple overtime.

“Muise is a guy that has been a consistent scoring threat his entire junior career,” Green Gaels head coach  Jason Crosbie said.. “We are very fortunate to get a player of his offensive talent. As an organization we are thrilled.

“He is going to bring an extremely high offensive IQ along with a major league shot that as an organization we lack,” he said. “He is in his last year of junior so I am looking for some leadership and maturity that can help the younger kids excel, especially on our left side. To get a kid like this you have to give in return and the skilled players we are losing are solid players but even more solid individuals. We wish them the best and are sad to see them go.”

Morlock, a 5’8, 175 pound right shot, is currently playing for NCAA Division 2 Chestnut Hill College in Pennsylvania, where he is fourth on the team in scoring. Morlock joined the Gaels in 2010 after playing two seasons in the Mississauga. In 2010, the right-handed shot had six goals  and 12 assists during a season that saw injuries limit him to 13 games.

Wilde, whose rights reverted back to the Green Gaels this past off-season after playing a year for the Orillia Rama Kings on a conditional release, is currently studying and playing lacrosse at NCAA  Division 1 Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania. Wilde was part of the 2009 Green Gaels team that travelled to Edmonton for the 2009 Founder’s Cup tournament. In 2010, after joining the Orillia Kings four games into the season, the 6’3, 175 pound left handed shot put up 19 goals and 34 assists for the Kings. Wilde has subsequently been involved in a 10 player transaction between Mimico and the Mississauga Tomahawks.