tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91494025110063201772024-02-21T02:01:50.270-05:00Major Series LacrosseOfficial website of Major Series LacrosseBlack Wolf Sports Grouphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07901696558675337918noreply@blogger.comBlogger441125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-36176866735989775762017-06-17T13:18:00.002-04:002017-06-17T13:56:42.338-04:00Redmen to Honour All-Time Great Shawn Williams Before Lacrosse Day in Durham Game Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eG1u39J6zRja3JB0ahXN63PSGNDEZZe0n7q3o7xWcAQrRMg8_xjLI6ZIBmzJfi75KtxN43OfKlWrm9c_pwCkq3LYfBSWNFW7vf0agMnmg1tCtBTdzbgPwTZXOlz6IbTSvzPCPJK_wAQ/s1600/williams_shawn_brooklin_prothero.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="304" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_eG1u39J6zRja3JB0ahXN63PSGNDEZZe0n7q3o7xWcAQrRMg8_xjLI6ZIBmzJfi75KtxN43OfKlWrm9c_pwCkq3LYfBSWNFW7vf0agMnmg1tCtBTdzbgPwTZXOlz6IbTSvzPCPJK_wAQ/s400/williams_shawn_brooklin_prothero.png" width="346" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Shawn Williams playing for Brooklin. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
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The Brooklin Redmen were already planning for “Lacrosse Day in Durham” and all that comes with a day full of lacrosse at Iroquois Park. As part of the festivities, the Redmen are excited to announce the honouring of long time Redmen player and all-time goals, assists, and points leader, former team captain #51 Shawn Williams.<br />
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As part of the celebration of Shawn’s career as a Redmen, he will sign a player’s card prior to the game and dress against the Cobourg Kodiaks. The Redmen, in agreement with their Jr. “A” affiliate, the Whitby Warriors, will also dress Shawn’s son Dyson as part of what shapes up to be a memorable evening.<br />
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Williams was always a scoring threat, finishing in the top 10 in Major Series scoring in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, while capturing the Bucko McDonald Memorial Trophy as the top scorer in MSL in 1999 (90 PTS), 2001 (93 PTS) (co-winner), 2004 (124 PTS), 2007 (99 PTS), 2011 (120 PTS) and 2012 (80 PTS). Williams also captured the Jim Murphy Memorial Trophy as MSL MVP in 2005, 2007 and 2011.
On July 26, 1999, Shawn set an MSL record for points in a game with 21 against the Ohsweken Wolves.<br />
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Williams has won the Mann Cup twice, once as a member of the Brampton Excelsiors, and at home in 2000 when the Redmen swept the Victoria Shamrocks 4-0.<br />
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“Every time you get to put on a Redmen jersey is very special. I am so proud to be a Brooklin Redmen. I am honoured and excited for the opportunity to not only put on the jersey one more time but to have another lifetime goal fulfilled and play with my oldest son Dyson just like I did with my dad," said Williams. “I am honoured to once again play for my youngest son Tucker as well as Scotty and the rest of our fallen lacrosse brothers and sisters.”<br />
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The Redmen invite former teammates, friends and all lacrosse fans to Iroquois Park to assist in honouring Shawn. The Redmen anticipate that pre-game ceremonies will begin at 7:50 pm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-42813663460008747672017-06-16T13:55:00.000-04:002017-06-17T13:56:14.011-04:00Lakers Down Chiefs in Battle of the Unbeatens<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT48YURegIgOyiEH2MSOcTF-F2VnP2GoIjvx8VX4pcAjOYhYn877fu_5rMlRBlsSBcP0gyaK-4bebLTDa52AiVKLqXNX8lcU7x_5xQSDNQv5RufplIFPeSPqIZmN8XShyphenhyphenxUupDcJ1O4aA/s1600/llord_ian_lakers_kendalltaylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT48YURegIgOyiEH2MSOcTF-F2VnP2GoIjvx8VX4pcAjOYhYn877fu_5rMlRBlsSBcP0gyaK-4bebLTDa52AiVKLqXNX8lcU7x_5xQSDNQv5RufplIFPeSPqIZmN8XShyphenhyphenxUupDcJ1O4aA/s640/llord_ian_lakers_kendalltaylor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Ian Llord and the Lakers defence did what they had to do - including blocking shots like this one - to hold Six Nations in check as Peterborough won a battle of MSL's unbeaten teams 7-6 Thursday. (Photo: Kendall Taylor)</i></td></tr>
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The matchup of Major Series Lacrosse leaders Thursday resembled a doughnut for the Peterborough Lakers: it was delicious on the outside but had a big hole in the middle.<br />
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The 3-0 Lakers jumped out to a 4-2 lead over the 5-0 Six Nations Chiefs in the first period, then saw that turn into a 6-4 deficit when they were able to score only once in a stretch of 39 minutes from late in the first to late in the third. They got things going in time to pull out a 7-6 win by scoring three goals in the final 2:20 for their fourth win and to become the only unbeaten team in the league.<br />
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The decisive sequence began when Thomas Hoggarth scooped up a loose ball in Peterborough's end and took off. He passed to Holden Cattoni coming off the Lakers bench and promptly buried a low shot when Cattoni passed it back to him.<br />
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With goalie Matt Vinc pulled as the clock ticked into the final minute of regulation time, Kyle Buchanan took a cross-floor pass from Turner Evans and tucked it just between Dillon Ward and the post to tie the game.<br />
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Overtime appeared imminent until the ball scooted out of a scrum just inside the Lakers' restraining line towards the Six Nations' end of the floor. With Ian Llord expertly getting between the Chiefs David Brock and the ball, Bryce Sweeting took a perfect angle to get to the ball first.<br />
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"I got a lucky bounce, scooped up a
loose ball and realized I was on a breakaway," Sweeting said. "I play with Wardo in
the winter in the NLL so I kind of know him a little bit. He gave me
the far side and I found that corner somehow."<br />
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The goal was Sweeting's first in MSL and it's hard to imagine him topping it. "Don't know if I'll get a bigger one in
MSL. Six Nations to win the game. Cherry on top, that's for sure," Sweeting said.<br />
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More importantly, he said, was the two points the Lakers earned with the win that could prove critical at the end of the season, even though both teams were playing without several of the regulars who should be on the floor when the teams meet for their only other game of the season on July 25 in Six Nations.<br />
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"There's no quit at any point in the
game, whether we're down two or three," Sweeting said. "We go out every shift to try
and even up the score. It was a complete team effort from the back
end to the front end."<br />
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The lone bright spot in the middle of the doughnut for the Lakers was an exciting one for the Cattoni family. Holden is in his second year with the MSL team but Thursday night marked the debut of his younger brother and fellow lefty forward Taite. The younger Cattoni was called on to dress just 10 or 15 minutes before the game began when veteran Brad Self felt his knee stiffening up in warmup and didn't think it wise to play.<br />
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Taite earned the primary assist on Holden's second goal of the game in the second period, passing to his big brother and watching Holden bury the ball.<br />
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"It's the first time I've ever played on
the same team as my brother," Holden said with a smile after the game. "He's four years younger than me. I aged
out of junior just before he came in. Now for him to play here is a
pretty special feeling and for him to assist one of my goals is
really cool."<br />
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For Six Nations, the loss was a tough one but the blow is softened by the realization that the Chiefs were missing 14 regulars from the lineup. They still have to be considered at least co-favourites to win the MSL title and defend their Mann Cup win from last year.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-71132172745066596132017-06-13T09:22:00.001-04:002017-06-13T09:22:51.303-04:00Doug Luey Announced as MSL Interim Commissioner<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Major
Series Lacrosse has elected Doug Luey to serve as its interim
commissioner.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Luey has
dedicated much of his life to lacrosse and is currently the director
of high performance and international relations for the Canadian
Lacrosse Association. He was elected to the position by a unanimous
vote of the league's governors at a recent meeting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">While
he does not want to take on the position permanently, Luey is
committed to helping MSL set a plan in place to help the league and
all its teams thrive moving forward. He will manage the regular
duties of the commissioner, including all player movement, while also
heading the search for the right person to fill the role permanently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">"I look forward to working with Major Series Lacrosse governors in 2017 as Canada celebrates its 150th birthday and Canada's national summer sport celebrates the 150th year since the written rules of lacrosse were introduced," Luey says. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-46672429700661049732017-05-29T13:02:00.002-04:002017-05-29T17:25:41.378-04:00Oakville Rock run away from Cobourg Kodiaks, winning season opener 13-5<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
These days, everyone in box lacrosse is
looking for the next Tom Schreiber. Could the Oakville Rock have
found him?</div>
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Oakville was missing several of its
regular players when they opened the 2017 Major Series Lacrosse
season by facing the Kodiaks in Cobourg on Sunday afternoon. They
wound up flooring an offensive left side of callup Todd Kozak, usual
transition player Brandon Slade and someone named Connor Fields.
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If you're just a box lacrosse person,
there's a good chance you don't know Fields. He is an American field
player who has starred with the Albany Great Danes in the NCAA. He
puts up tons of points and has been a finalist for the Tewaaraton
Award, presented to the top player in US college lacrosse.<br />
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Fields hasn't played a whole lot of box
lacrosse, although he did lead the Founders Cup Canadian Jr B
championship tournament in scoring last year as a member of the
Seneca War Chiefs, who hail from near his East Amherst, NY hometown.
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He made his MSL debut a memorable one,
scoring 2 goals and 3 assists to help Oakville dump the Kodiaks 13-5.
He may not be the next Tom Schreiber—that's a lot of pressure to
put on a young player, given that Schreiber is the reigning Major
League Lacrosse MVP and came one point short of matching Randy
Staats' rookie scoring record in a stunning National Lacrosse League
season—but Fields showed that he's not overwhelmed by stepping up
to the senior level.
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Kozak and Joe French each had hat
tricks for the Rock. Oakville also got solid contributions from some
callups from the Jr A St. Catharines Athletics. Latrell Harris is no
regular callup. The Toronto Rock rookie standout was solid for
Oakville playing defence alongside Athletics' teammate Holden
Garlent, who scored his first MSL goal on a lovely transition play.</div>
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Cobourg got off to a slow start,
falling behind 4-1 in the first period, but kept battling through the
second period and managed to post an even frame with each team
scoring three times to exit the frame with Oakville up 7-4. The
wheels came off for the home team in the third, though. Oakville ran
roughshod to pile up a 6-1 advantage in the final 20 minutes and win
going away.
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John St. John and Logan Holmes each
scored 2 goals to lead Cobourg. Nick Rose got the win in net for
Oakville. Rose was solid for the Rock although he wasn't tested much
as Oakville outshot Cobourg by a wide margin.</div>
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Oakville is back in action right away;
the Peterborough Lakers come to the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre for
the Rock's home opener Monday at 8 pm. Cobourg has Monday off then
heads to Six Nations to face the Chiefs in their opener Tuesday at 8
pm.
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<a href="http://pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=3113234">Oakville
13, Cobourg 5</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-60906022378116209052017-05-28T11:39:00.000-04:002017-05-28T11:39:00.557-04:00Welcome to the 2017 MSL SeasonMajor Series Lacrosse kicks off its 2017 season Sunday night when the Oakville Rock visit Cobourg to face the Kodiaks.<br />
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MSL director of media relations Stephen Stamp provided an in-depth preview of the season on IL <i>Indoor. </i><a href="http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/major-series-lacrosse-season-opens-tonight-in-cobourg/49699" target="_blank">Follow this link to check it out</a> and get ready for an exciting summer of senior lacrosse action.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-10422234718628001772017-04-19T08:50:00.001-04:002017-04-19T08:50:13.104-04:00Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks Preparing for 2017 Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqTgQ3t_Cw3pKQ11PADOFO9aYaeqdYEP7b3KPEUMRIKiTKpZjFZNiOHiUkS_P8iJDht2hcAeAVFOuAKzXH7bsdTWK2xRMmon1zQrQG9ME2jRqrpOkwsYVyJtzp8E4Sd9d41E4spZdmaQ/s1600/Cobourg+Nissan+Kodiaks+Are+Back%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqTgQ3t_Cw3pKQ11PADOFO9aYaeqdYEP7b3KPEUMRIKiTKpZjFZNiOHiUkS_P8iJDht2hcAeAVFOuAKzXH7bsdTWK2xRMmon1zQrQG9ME2jRqrpOkwsYVyJtzp8E4Sd9d41E4spZdmaQ/s320/Cobourg+Nissan+Kodiaks+Are+Back%2521.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
As the Kodiaks get ready for their second season in Cobourg we are very pleased to announce Cobourg Nissan as title sponsor for the 2017 Major Series Lacrosse season. Tyler Campbell, dealer principal at Cobourg Nissan, is excited to continue the partnership between Cobourg Nissan and the Kodiaks and we are proud to have him back on board. The support from Tyler and the team at Cobourg Nissan is invaluable. The Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks are looking forward promoting and building a very successful second season in Cobourg.<br />
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Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks home schedule has been released. Eight of the games will take place on Sundays with one Thursday night home game in July. All home games will once again be played at the Cobourg Community Centre. The Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks have partnered with Cogeco TV again this season and all home games will be broadcast for those who are unable to make it out to the games.<br />
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Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks Home Schedule:<br />
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May 28, 6 pm, vs Oakville Rock<br />
June 4, 6 pm, vs Brooklin Redmen<br />
June 11, 6 pm, vs Six Nations Chiefs<br />
June 18, 6 pm, Peterborough Lakers<br />
June 25, 6 pm, vs Brooklin Redmen<br />
July 6, 8 pm, Oakville Rock<br />
July 9, 6 pm, Peterborough Lakers<br />
July 16, 6 pm, Brampton Excelsiors<br />
July 23, 6 pm, Six Nations Chiefs<br />
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Tickets are on sale now and available at cobourgkodiaks.ca<br />
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Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks Tryouts:<br />
Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks tryout dates are April 29th and May 6th, 1 – 4 pm at Cobourg Memorial arena. Tryouts are invitation only but media and fans are welcome to attend.<br />
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Please visit cobourgkodiaks.ca for all of the latest Cobourg Nissan Kodiaks news!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-17325942190875214772017-03-24T07:54:00.000-04:002017-03-24T11:14:54.735-04:00MSL Releases 2017 ScheduleThe Major Series Lacrosse 2017 season opens with the Oakville Rock visiting the Cobourg Kodiaks on Sunday, May 28 and concludes on Thursday, July 27 when the Mann Cup champion Six Nations Chiefs visit the Brampton Excelsiors and the Cobourg Kodiaks travel to Peterborough to face the 2016 regular season champion Lakers.<br />
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Once again, the majority of games are being held from Sunday through Thursday, with three Saturday contests sprinkled in. Each team's regular home night remains the same as it has been, with Cobourg playing Sundays, Oakville Mondays, Six Nations Tuesdays, the Brooklin Redmen Wednesdays, and Brampton and Peterborough Thursdays. Each team has eight home games on its regular night and one on a different day.<br />
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Below is the entire schedule.<br />
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Sun, May 28 Oakville at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, May 29 Peterborough at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tue, May 30 Cobourg at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, May 31 Brampton at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 1 Brooklin at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 1 Six Nations at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Sun, June 4 Brooklin at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, June 5 Brampton at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tues, June 6 Oakville at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, June 7 Cobourg at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 8 Brampton at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Fri, June 9 Six Nations at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Sun, June 11 Six Nations at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, June 12 Brooklin at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Wed, June 14 Peterborough at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 15 Oakville at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 15 Six Nations at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Sat, June 17 Cobourg at Brooklin, 8 pm, 8pm<br />
Sun, June 18 Peterborough at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, June 19 Six Nations at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tue, June 20 Brooklin at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, June 21 Brampton at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 22 Cobourg at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 22 Oakville at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Sat, June 24 Peterborough at Brampton, 7pm<br />
Sun, June 25 Brooklin at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, June 26 Cobourg at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tue, June 27 Brampton at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, June 28 Six Nations at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 29 Cobourg at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Thu, June 29 Brooklin at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Tue, July 4 Brooklin at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Tue, July 4 Brampton at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 6 Peterborough at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 6 Oakville at Cobourg, 8pm<br />
Sun, July 9 Peterborough at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, July 10 Cobourg at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tue, July 11 Brampton at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, July 12 Six Nations at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 13 Oakville at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 13 Brooklin at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Sat, July 15 Oakville at Six Nations, 7pm<br />
Sun, July 16 Brampton at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, July 17 Peterborough at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tue, July 18 Cobourg at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, July 19 Peterborough at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 20 Brooklin at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 20 Oakville at Peterborough, 8pm<br />
Sun, July 23 Six Nations at Cobourg, 6pm<br />
Mon, July 24 Brampton at Oakville, 8pm<br />
Tue, July 25 Peterborough at Six Nations, 8pm<br />
Wed, July 26 Oakville at Brooklin, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 27 Six Nations at Brampton, 8pm<br />
Thu, July 27 Cobourg at Peterborough, 8pmAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-87390579778713993762017-01-29T13:42:00.001-05:002017-01-30T21:39:51.986-05:002017 Draft resultsFirst round<br />
1. Cobourg Chris Cloutier, KW Braves<br />
2. Brampton Connor Brown, Halton Hills Bulldogs<br />
3. Cobourg Joel Coyle, Orangeville<br />
4. Oakville Dallas Bridle, Orangeville<br />
5. Brooklin Austin Divitcos, Orangeville<br />
6. Oakville James Barclay, Mimico Mountaineers<br />
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Second round<br />
7. Cobourg Dylan Hutchison, Peterborough Lakers<br />
8. Brampton Dereck Downs, Mimico<br />
9. Brampton Liam Wright Sarnia Jr B<br />
10. Oakville Trevor Smyth, Orangeville<br />
11. Cobourg Andy Campbell, Orangeville<br />
12. Brampton Lucas Ducharme, Orangeville<br />
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Third round<br />
13. Peterborough Brett Coons, Peterborough<br />
14. Brampton Bennett Drake, Whitby Warriors<br />
15. Cobourg Jamie McMahon, Orangeville<br />
16. Brampton Nolan Clayton, Orangeville<br />
17. Brooklin Sean Darroch, Whitby<br />
18. Peterborough Cody Filson, KW Braves<br />
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Fourth round<br />
19. Cobourg Drake Smith, KW<br />
20. Cobourg Logan Holmes, Windsor Jr B<br />
21. Oakville Andrew Mullen, Toronto Beaches<br />
22. Six Nations Oran Horn, Six Nations Arrows<br />
23. Brooklin Rylee McKinnon, Clarington Shamrox Jr C<br />
24. Peterborough Will Petschenig, Green Gaels Jr B<br />
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Fifth round<br />
25. Cobourg Cole McWilliams, Peterborough<br />
26. Cobourg Josh Miller, Peterborough<br />
27. Oakville Matthew Lee, Mimico<br />
28. Oakville Eddie Renaud, Oakville Jr B<br />
29. Brooklin Nick Karam, Whitby<br />
30. Peterborough Pat Masterson, KWAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-43529865473218117162017-01-29T11:39:00.003-05:002017-01-29T11:39:50.432-05:00A Look at Prospects for Today's MSL Draft<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNWsc2p4Uj3bnnzz4YvEcgy98haVSgJ-QBcTSi5Ce6Z1w6Ehn5pz0VNt92JG_IaHiTvtBj4UgS-sqYMFiH3ColJfLukZ3YLRJ9x8Z48VbLNgUTJqivT8Yr0mUwADrYjoWdAeVH3NiMQ8/s1600/cloutier_chris_unc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNWsc2p4Uj3bnnzz4YvEcgy98haVSgJ-QBcTSi5Ce6Z1w6Ehn5pz0VNt92JG_IaHiTvtBj4UgS-sqYMFiH3ColJfLukZ3YLRJ9x8Z48VbLNgUTJqivT8Yr0mUwADrYjoWdAeVH3NiMQ8/s400/cloutier_chris_unc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Chris Cloutier is the top prospect for the MSL draft. He was a star at North<br />Carolina and in junior box lacrosse. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Draft day is here. The 2017 Major
Series Lacrosse draft of graduating juniors will take place shortly
after 1 pm today in Whitby. The draft will be <a href="https://twitter.com/MajorSeriesLacr">live
tweeted on the MSL Twitter account</a>, so you can follow along as it
happens. In the meantime, we'll take a look at some of the most
enticing prospects available.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bear in mind that 14 of the best
players in this draft class were protected by the the MSL teams
affiliated with their Jr A clubs. Teams can protect up to four
players each. Peterborough and Oakville protected the maximum, Six
Nations three players and the other three teams one player each. The
full list of protected players is available in an earlier<a href="http://majorserieslax.blogspot.ca/2017/01/rock-and-lakers-protect-maximum-four.html">
story on the MSL site</a>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One player stands as the clear the top
selection in the draft. Chris Cloutier is a star lefty forward. He
comes from the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves program, although he was
traded away each of the last two years to teams making Minto Cup
runs: the Coquitlam Adanacs in 2015 and the Six Nations Arrows in
2016.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cloutier has been on the radar for MSL
and NLL teams since he broke into the OLA Jr A loop as a 17-year-old.
He was called up for the playoffs and was a significant contributor
for the KW Kodiaks in the playoffs each of his first three years of
junior. Until the Kodiaks moved to Cobourg in 2016, it was always
assumed he would be protected by them when he graduated junior. Since
Cobourg's affiliation switched to the Toronto Beaches with the move,
Braves grads are now open for the draft.</div>
<a name='more'></a>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cloutier reached a single-season high
of 89 points (including 48 goals) in 2014. His totals were lower in
his final two seasons of junior but his points per game were higher
as he played only partial seasons because he was away at school.
There's no question that Cloutier is an elite prospect with the
potential to be a special player at the major and professional
levels.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The major question for Cloutier is
whether he will report if Cobourg uses the first overall pick to
select him, as it is expected they will. There is speculation that
Cloutier may choose either to play Sr B with the newly formed KW
Velocity so he can stay close to home or request a transfer so he can
play in the Western Lacrosse Association. Even if that is the case,
it's hard to imagine the Kodiaks not ensuring that they acquire his
MSL rights by taking him first.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The team that provides the most
excitement in many draft years is the Orangeville Northmen. With no
affiliation to an MSL team, the Northmen's consistently successful
program produces players with winning pedigrees from a system known
for instilling great lacrosse sense in its graduates. This year is no
exception; they have seven players graduating who qualify as
Orangevillers.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Leading the way from the Northmen are a
pair of players who should excite MSL general managers and coaches.
Joel Coyle is a solid and smart defender who was drafted by the New
England Black Wolves last fall. He's been playing with the Arena
Lacrosse League's Paris RiverWolves. Jamie Dubrick is the head coach
of both the RiverWolves and the Kodiaks, so he will be familiar with
Coyle's skill set.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Goalie Nolan Clayton surprisingly went
undrafted by the NLL last fall. He was partly a victim of three other
high-level prospects being selected in the second round, which
saturated the goalie market. Clayton went save-for-save with
Coquitlam Adanacs star Christian Del Bianco at the Minto Cup as he
and the Northmen almost pulled out the championship in a Canadian Jr
A championship for the ages. He's had some ups and downs with the
ALL's Peterborough Timbermen but is a solid long-term goaltending
prospect.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Brampton Excelsiors have the second
overall pick in the draft. They're expected to take Halton Hills Jr B
Bulldogs forward Connor Brown. The big-body lefty three times scored
more than 100 points with the Bulldogs and had an 83-point season
(along with 105 penalty minutes) in a full Jr A season with
Orangeville in 2014.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That leaves Cobourg with the third and
fourth picks, assuming they don't trade either of them. The Kodiaks
could grab both Coyle and Clayton or they could look elsewhere. Below
are some of the other players available in the draft.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Garrett Lewis and Jerrett Smith,
defenders, Toronto Beaches</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cobourg won't likely be selecting
either of this pair early on, since they could have protected them
from the draft but chose not to. Later on, though, the Kodiaks will
join other teams that could consider Lewis or Smith. There's a
difference between protecting a player and drafting him because if
you protect him then you have to remove someone from your current
active roster to make room. Cobourg chose not to do that.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lewis is a steady defender who went to
camp with the Black Wolves and is playing pretty well for the
Timbermen in ALL. Smith is rawer but has a higher upside than any
other defender who'll be available in the draft. He's fairly new to
the game and has lots to learn, making him unlikely to be immediately
ready for a regular role with most MSL teams. As a project, though,
his athleticism and his improvement last year with the Beaches
suggest he could turn out to be a gem. One problem is that he lives
in Winnipeg. Smith is willing, in fact eager, to move back to Ontario
to play, so there's no issue there. The team that drafts him would
need to help him find a place to live and should be helping him find
work. That's a big commitment for a player who may or may not be
ready to make your team. He did well in Black Wolves camp, though,
and could provide a big return on investment for a team that is able
to be patient.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Danton Miller's stock is uncertain
because he played most of his junior career with the Jr B Six Nations
Rebels. He's clearly talented, though, enough to have been drafted by
the Vancouver Stealth, and he's among the leading scorers early in
the ALL season. Skilled lefty forwards are always in demand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dereck Downs is another lefty forward.
He scored 115 points over two seasons with the Mimico Mountaineers
then was traded to Coquitlam last summer and helped them win the
Minto Cup.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mimico's Matthew Lee isn't the tallest
player, but he's solidly built and has good hands. His quick feet
allow him to find openings in the defence and he has the skill to
make his chances count. Scored 87 points in two years with Mimico and
also racked up 114 minutes in penalties.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Another trio of Northmen will attract
attention. Dallas Bridle and Lucas Ducharme are both righty forwards.
Neither played a starring role in Orangeville but both were solid
depth contributors. Bridle scored 140 points in four seasons and is a
solid banger with some skill. Ducharme also scored 140 points, but
over three seasons. He's more willowy and his game is more
finesse-based than Bridle's.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jamie McMahon was called by Orangeville
coach DJ Clevely “the smartest lacrosse player I've ever coached.”
That is high praise coming from the Northmen system. McMahon is
talented, has an elite-level lacrosse IQ and can play effectively at
either end of the floor. He was drafted by Toronto with the 50<sup>th</sup>
selection of last fall's NLL draft and surely would have gone higher
were he not generously listed at 5'9” and 155 pounds.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Drake Smith is best known as the
brother of superstar Dhane Smith but has his own skill set that will
draw attention. He was drafted 47<sup>th</sup> by Buffalo after
producing a career-high 59 points in his last year with the KW
Braves.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Andy Campbell has bounced around,
winding up with Coquitlam in 2015 and Orangeville in 2016. He's a big
lefty forward with decent hands, so there will be interest. The
knocks on him are his foot speed and that he doesn't play the
physical game his size would suggest he could.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A pair of Peterborough Lakers defenders
are likely to be taken in the draft. Brett Coons is a big body who
played for the Jr C Lakers then moved up to Jr A. He is performing
well with the Timbermen and didn't look out of place last summer in a
one-game callup with the Sr Lakers. He may not be ready for a regular
role but could grow into a strong depth defender quickly and
contribute for the long term. Dylan Hutchison plays primarily D but
did move up and provide some adequate offensive support when the Jr A
Lakers needed him to. He was considered a strong candidate to go in
the NLL draft but played poorly at the Combine and went undrafted. He
needs to add strength but has potential to develop into a solid depth
player.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Logan Holmes' fate in the draft will be
interesting to see. He's a talented forward who ripped it up with
Windsor in Jr. B. But what exactly does scoring a ton with a team in
a weak Jr B league mean you can accomplish at higher levels? How a
team answers that question will determine where they will rank him
among this year's prospects. He's played a couple of games with Paris
in the ALL. He had a hat trick in his first, was virtually invisible
in his second and added five assists in his third. Holmes missed the
RiverWolves fourth game yesterday because he was suspended for
jumping off the bench to try to fight Peterborough's Broedie Birkhof
at the end of their game. That says more for his courage than his
common sense, as Birkhof has a long history with his fists.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A few Jr B transition players have
shown some promise early in the ALL season, which could help push
them into draft consideration they may not have received had they not
played in the league. Kyle Pedwell, Ryan Carruthers and Brandon
Petter will be interesting names to keep an eye out for.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The draft isn't far away, so we'll soon
see how it all plays out. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-87220730398389259612017-01-27T18:52:00.001-05:002017-01-27T18:52:18.701-05:00Rock and Lakers protect maximum four graduating juniors, other lists shorter for January 29 draft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggB3wEr7-DsmS5c7_FrMHubXKjcFyVQFMzQ1u7ZFz4JPEUfiSttbhROEyDJe5RzGmJJx2JRMGcUTCnTLh9S7xYOcvEIwI86DmdNtSrccHLOgHEtmK3p7pS01d6SPGQ3nQphLax5e8elLc/s1600/MSLLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggB3wEr7-DsmS5c7_FrMHubXKjcFyVQFMzQ1u7ZFz4JPEUfiSttbhROEyDJe5RzGmJJx2JRMGcUTCnTLh9S7xYOcvEIwI86DmdNtSrccHLOgHEtmK3p7pS01d6SPGQ3nQphLax5e8elLc/s640/MSLLogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Oakville and Peterborough Lakers protected the maximum four players for Sunday's Major Series Lacrosse draft of graduating juniors. Three teams protected just one player each while the Six Nations Chiefs protected three. In order to protect a graduating junior, another player must be moved off a team's 25-man active roster.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Lakers class was no big surprise. It includes a pair of elite transition prospects in Matt Gilray and Thomas Hoggarth, both of whom went to the Minto Cup last year after being traded to the Orangeville Northmen. (a Jr A team's MSL affiliate retains possession of a players rights if he is traded in his final year of junior eligibility). Peterborough also protected a pair of forwards: star righty Cam Milligan and grinder Dan Michel, who was a three-year captain for the Jr A Lakers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Oakville adds a deep group as well, including a pair of defenders who were taken in last year's National Lacrosse League draft, Justin Martin and Lauchlin Elder.<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Chiefs didn't have quite the same quantity but their trio brings quality. Brendan Bomberry is a former Minto Cup MVP and Kellen Leclair is a stud defender, although he announced a couple of weeks ago that he had torn his ACL and will be out for an extended rehab. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Brampton protected lefty forward Brandon Robinson, selected by the New England Black Wolves in the 2016 NLL draft. Brooklin protected defender Connor Laird, who showed promise in a handful of call ups last summer. Cobourg protected forward Joel Tinney. The Innerkip lefty was traded by the Toronto Beaches to Orangeville last year and helped the Northmen reach the Minto. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><u>Protected Lists</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Brampton Excelsiors (Excelsiors Jr A)</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Brandon Robinson</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Brooklin Redmen (Whitby Warriors)</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Connor Laird</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Cobourg Kodiaks (Toronto Beaches)</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Joel Tinney</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Oakville Rock (Burlington Chiefs)</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nolan Apers</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Justin Martin</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Chris Young</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lauchlin Elder</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Peterborough Lakers (Lakers Jr A)</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Thomas Hoggarth</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Matt Gilray</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cam Milligan</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dan Michel</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u>Six Nations Chiefs (Six Nations Arrows)</u></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Brendan Bomberry</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kellen Leclair</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Zach Miller</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-75693727377195057122017-01-09T17:25:00.001-05:002017-01-29T16:31:44.680-05:00MSL draft to be held January 29 in Whitby<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUg3xEMS1iHOOfI1tq3RATSzIH-VKOnQ4hRBijGwjIlAOmrfhJvyWYrMmOu4qGCXFew6ZAqr4Rmrt2-s7RQNpJlWTL7pQNJTx5yclcU6qmg50WWqSxJPEOc_5w4pV8u6dhzmr-6Elspg/s1600/stjohn_john_beaches_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUg3xEMS1iHOOfI1tq3RATSzIH-VKOnQ4hRBijGwjIlAOmrfhJvyWYrMmOu4qGCXFew6ZAqr4Rmrt2-s7RQNpJlWTL7pQNJTx5yclcU6qmg50WWqSxJPEOc_5w4pV8u6dhzmr-6Elspg/s640/stjohn_john_beaches_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>John St John was taken by the Cobourg Kodiaks with the first overall pick in last year's MSL draft. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The 2017 Major Series Lacrosse draft of graduating junior players will be held on Sunday, January 29 at 1 pm and will be hosted in Whitby by the Brooklin Redmen.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
MSL teams can protect up to four players from their Jr A affiliate (for protection purposes). For each player they protect, they must drop a player from their existing protected list. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The teams from which MSL teams' protect players are:</div>
<div>
Brampton Excelsiors--Brampton Excelsiors</div>
<div>
Brooklin Redmen--Whitby Warriors</div>
<div>
Cobourg Kodiaks--Toronto Beaches</div>
<div>
Oakville Rock--Burlington Chiefs</div>
<div>
Peterborough Lakers--Peterborough Lakers</div>
<div>
Six Nations Chiefs--Six Nations Arrows</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://majorserieslax.blogspot.ca/2016/01/major-series-lacrosse-draft-results.html" target="_blank">Follow this link to see the result of last year's draft</a>. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-84374590525520427902016-09-15T13:00:00.002-04:002016-09-15T13:00:51.490-04:00Chiefs dominate Game 5 to win third Mann Cup title in four years<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM4SrdLKTjrChPO20l_ZnP9Dqp449fgM_6IUT_R-N1bx8PbYGVc_ugqenI8Y40HrSVmkB0gRjgEC6rJbiJCye3kzPsZuNbO3NUAKtoDvskkTeR4cd6MegMt1XIoL0bIWS_SBSToGQTIc/s1600/chiefs_manncelly2016_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuM4SrdLKTjrChPO20l_ZnP9Dqp449fgM_6IUT_R-N1bx8PbYGVc_ugqenI8Y40HrSVmkB0gRjgEC6rJbiJCye3kzPsZuNbO3NUAKtoDvskkTeR4cd6MegMt1XIoL0bIWS_SBSToGQTIc/s640/chiefs_manncelly2016_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Chiefs enjoy their Mann Cup victory. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Stephen Stamp</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Six Nations Chiefs have won their
third Mann Cup in four years, beating the Maple Ridge Burrards 14-6
Wednesday night to take the Canadian senior lacrosse championship
four games to one.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the end, the depth and experience of
the Chiefs was simply too much for the Burrards, who put up a game
fight before falling short.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dan Dawson had another exceptional
effort, scoring 2 goals and adding 5 assists for the Chiefs. That
gave him 30 for the series to lead all scorers in the series. Dawson,
who was named the Mike Kelly Award winner as series MVP, also passed
Colin Doyle for fourth place in all-time Mann Cup scoring.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Early on, the game looked like it would
be a third straight hotly contested battle. Maple Ridge's Daniel
Amesbury opened the scoring when he tucked home a rebound 7:35 into
the game. As they have made a habit of doing, though, the Chiefs
responded quickly. Randy Staats scored 19 seconds after Amesbury to
tie things up.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Another habit the Chiefs carried into
Game 5 was scoring late and early in periods. Wednesday night, Staats
got his third of the game with 11 seconds to play in the first. It
was a dispiriting goal that arose when Frankie Scigliano tried to
play the ball behind his net and seemed to have a momentary lapse of
judgment that saw him stand still while Staats snagged the ball as it
rolled outside the crease, took a couple of steps so he could reach
around the post and tucked it in to the unguarded net. That made the
score 3-2 for Six Nations, the third straight game they held a
one-goal lead after 20 minutes.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS6v1osZIzAzlPGVUeTd9Xmm-JMvs19p060hC8tarxLU5dMbDC96oi8B-TfuuRtf3LCwo08OOkjhgd1snbdA1ME4NZCH92tCVegw-3kMXHQjDllyoylcsodyhGRcKJjDAuRAMdbofB3U/s1600/jamieson_cody_mann2016_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS6v1osZIzAzlPGVUeTd9Xmm-JMvs19p060hC8tarxLU5dMbDC96oi8B-TfuuRtf3LCwo08OOkjhgd1snbdA1ME4NZCH92tCVegw-3kMXHQjDllyoylcsodyhGRcKJjDAuRAMdbofB3U/s640/jamieson_cody_mann2016_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Cody Jamieson was the heart and soul of the Chiefs even, or especially, because he was playing on a knee that will require surgery in the coming weeks. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cody Jamieson scored 43 seconds into
the second period, starting a run of three Chiefs' goals in the first
four minutes that stretched the lead to 6-2 and put the Burrards
squarely behind the eight ball.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Many observers had predicted the
Burrards would respond violently if they got behind in Game 5, but
through the middle of the second period an interference call to Six
Nations' Dan Coates was the only penalty. Amesbury took a
cross-checking minor for a hard pick to Brodie Merrill's hip at 12:06
of the second.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maple Ridge opted to try to even up the
manpower by calling for a check on Chiefs' goalie Dillon Ward's mask.
The Burrards said they had checked with the referee in chief and been
told that Ward's mask was illegal, so they anticipated he would draw
a penalty. After consulting in the officials' room with both captains
present, the refs indicated that the mask was legal, so instead of
evening things at four on four, the Burrards incurred a delay of game
penalty that gave Six Nations a five on three.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While Maple Ridge did an admirable job
off 46 seconds of the two-man advantage, Six Nations' fast and
accurate ball movement eventually resulted in a Ryan Benesch back
door goal. Benesch added another goal a minute and a half later to
make it 8-2 and things were looking great for the Chiefs and bleak
for the Burrards.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jarret Davis scored a beautiful
shorthanded goal then Ben McIntosh connected with 38 seconds to play
in the period, appearing to give the Burrards some hope as they cut
the deficit to 8-4. But yet another late-period goal, this one by
Austin Staats with 15 seconds left, gave Six Nations a 5-goal lead.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Chiefs were at it again to open the
third; Craig Point scored 56 seconds in. That was the first of four
goals in the first six minutes of the period that effectively drained
any remaining drama from the game.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mike Mallory, who led Maple Ridge in
scoring during the regular season but never got into a rhythm in the
Mann Cup, scored his first goal of the series as the Burrards got a
pair in the thirteenth minute of the period, but it was far too
little too late.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Frustration boiled over a bit for Maple
Ridge later in the period. Dayne Michaud took a major and game
misconduct for crosscheck that targeted a Chiefs' forward's head with
just over six minutes left. Then at the 17:10 mark, Kevin Reid earned
a slashing major for chopping down on Austin Staats' arm. When Reid
saw the referee's hand go up for the penalty, he appeared to snap and
went after Staats. As the ref was restraining him, Reid grabbed the
ref's shirt and tried to push through him.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Reid earned a pair of game misconducts
for his actions, meaning he will miss the beginning of the 2017
Western Lacrosse Association season with a suspension. Next season
was the furthest thing from the Burrards' minds, though, as they saw
the Chiefs beginning to celebrate their championship while the final
minute of the game ticked away.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maple Ridge were clearly disappointed,
but they appear to have built a nucleus that will be able to compete
for Mann Cup titles for the next several years. The team that just
beat them could serve as a blueprint in some ways for the Burrards'
future; Six Nations had to lose before they were able to win,
dropping Major Series Lacrosse semifinals and then finals before
breaking through to win the Mann Cup.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now the Chiefs have won three in four
years. And they did it with a hobbled leader in Cody Jamieson, whose
performance in the playoffs and Mann Cup should go down in history as
one of the most inspirational we have ever seen. Jamieson is
scheduled for surgery on his knee in the coming weeks. He shouldn't
have been able to play on it, let alone produce the way that he did.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Yet when the Chiefs fell behind 3-0 to
the Peterborough Lakers in the MSL finals, he strapped on a
heavy-duty knee brace and suited up. Ward was the correct choice as
MVP of the MSL playoffs and Dawson the correct choice as MVP of the
Mann Cup. But make no mistake, Jamieson made both series wins
possible.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
With Jamieson watching—and agonizing
because he had to instead of playing—Six Nations went 1-4 in their
final two series of the summer. With him in the lineup, they were
7-0. He deserves to be remembered with Bobby Baun (who scored a
Stanley Cup-winning goal playing on a broken leg) among the bravest
performances in Canadian sporting lore.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RW4taATFBjk-9GBt10cvumG8s1LpfzW9OrRPb1oLCWgyj0d0mwMiV5-5VfHjVXEyOJjypUB9PkPVTNKUl4KlWf6Uk9BwviDJCQuhJaBAAvc-yAlzJ8KuknFrBsMhbCAt2ezHmmSJXGI/s1600/smith_billydee_withmann_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RW4taATFBjk-9GBt10cvumG8s1LpfzW9OrRPb1oLCWgyj0d0mwMiV5-5VfHjVXEyOJjypUB9PkPVTNKUl4KlWf6Uk9BwviDJCQuhJaBAAvc-yAlzJ8KuknFrBsMhbCAt2ezHmmSJXGI/s400/smith_billydee_withmann_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Billy Dee Smith hoists the Mann Cup. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There's much more than Jamieson to the
Chiefs team, though. They are talented, deep, intelligent and loaded
with character. It wasn't just Jamieson's injury they dealt with,
either. Almost forgotten because of how well they responded was that
they played the entire MSL finals and Mann Cup without injured
forwards Jordan Durston and Johnny Powless. They were also missing
Rob Marshall for the whole Mann Cup and fellow defender Billy Dee
Smith missed the first two games of the Mann.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Their success is a testament to the job
that Duane Jacobs started and Steve Dietrich continued this year as
the team's general manager, as well as to the coaching staff led by
Rich Kilgour and featuring offensive coach John Tavares this summer.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The future looks bright, too. Ward is
still young and has excellent prospects Warren Hill and Doug Jamieson
battling for the right to be his goaltending partner down the road;
the pair split the backup duties during the Mann Cup. Austin Staats
still has three years of junior lacrosse before he becomes a
full-time Chief, but he'll be available for Mann Cups every year if
the Chiefs can reach them.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Randy Staats, Vaughn Harris, Brier
Jonathan and Kellen Leclair give the Chiefs a host of young players
who can take on major roles (Staats already has, of course) as older
players either decide to retire or play less prominent roles. And
then there's the pipeline of talent that the Jr a Six Nations Arrows
provide.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Yes, the future is bright. Today,
though, the Chiefs are celebrating the present and recent past. They
have cemented their legacy as one of the great teams in the history
of Canadian lacrosse. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-14632213217477963442016-09-14T11:16:00.000-04:002016-09-14T11:16:33.247-04:00Chiefs win 9-7 again, take 3-1 lead in increasingly intense Mann Cup finals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-e32sFPwGQN0Xzjub26HEEInopXkl8X68vbn6EaHIb6jenXlWUanhXDq3MBDFRkiNroFuU4187b9Per1f59P-b-NvkRYCcSziCN1HeLYcVAG9lzIiI4CjIPzJwDuGH9YxHwpzmEEh_I/s1600/mcintosh_ben_burrards_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-e32sFPwGQN0Xzjub26HEEInopXkl8X68vbn6EaHIb6jenXlWUanhXDq3MBDFRkiNroFuU4187b9Per1f59P-b-NvkRYCcSziCN1HeLYcVAG9lzIiI4CjIPzJwDuGH9YxHwpzmEEh_I/s640/mcintosh_ben_burrards_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Ben McIntosh (left) and Billy Dee Smith were central figures in Game 4, which Six Nations won 9-7 to take a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Mann Cup. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
For the second straight game the Maple
Ridge Burrards held a 7-6 lead in the third period and for the second
straight game the Six Nations Chiefs scored the final three goals to
win 9-7. Now the Chiefs have the Burrards on the ropes, leading 3-1
in the 2016 Mann Cup and with a chance to close out the championship
in Wednesday's Game 5.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After a blowout in each direction in
the first two games, a pair of tight matches have resulted in the
intensity ramping up as you'd expect in a best of seven series. That
intensity resulted in some chirping between the teams across the
centre line before each team headed off to its own dressing room
after the game.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The teams have a good hate on for each
other. As Chiefs defender Billy Dee Smith, one of the central
characters in the post-game drama, said, “Just chatting it up,
sharing some unpleasantries,” Smith said with a smile. “Guys are
starting to get sick of each other. That's the way it should be. I
don't like them right now.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Not surprisingly, Maple Ridge head
coach Rob Williams wasn't quite as lighthearted about the squabbling.
“I will say there were some classless things said, we'll leave it
at that. I'm sure it can be said both ways. That's what happens in a
seven-game series played this tight and this tough,” said Williams.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The teams clearly don't like each other
much, but they also clearly respect each other on the floor. Smith
missed the first two games but has been a critical component of the
Chiefs ability to limit the Burrards potent offence to seven goals in
each of the last two games. He said keeping up with the Maple Ridge
forwards has been a demanding challenge.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“It's definitely a grind. It's what
you like to think the Mann Cup is about. No team's blowing out
another team, every shift means something,” Smith said. “I think
it shows at the end of the game, both teams are exhausted.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“When a team moves as well as them it
just comes down to communication,” Smith said of the Burrards
constant cutting and picking. “The second you're not talking,
someone's not letting you know what's going on, the ball ends up in
the net. They definitely have the best offence we've seen this year
and they're definitely here for a reason.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Both goalies were excellent again.
Dillon Ward made 44 saves for Six Nations and Frankie Scigliano 41
for the Burrards.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Six Nations led 3-2 after a hard-fought
first period but Ben McIntosh tied things up just 16 seconds into the
second.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It's been the nature of this series for
each team to answer everything the other does. Maple Ridge responded
to Game 1's Chiefs blowout win with one of their own, then responded
with a goal each of the first six times Six Nations scored in Game 3.
The Chiefs, of course, replied with a goal to force overtime when the
Burrards were finally able to forge a Game 3 lead then took the game
with a pair of goals in the extra frame when Maple Ridge ran out of
time to provide an answer.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So it's hardly surprising that Six
Nations answered McIntosh's goal with a pair of their own from Dhane
Smith and Randy Staats, or that Maple Ridge turned that around with
goals from Connor Goodwin and Jarrett Davis.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwMMcwD6t6TydP-qKkK8e-kAPfh54mCHigi8eYJf5B9zeXAJIg12c6J_x2UpOP4TaYgKnj3Hx6LCFkD5mMzukCdS7swWDQqx7bw_3nWoRKTmaDvDx1SuGjhgnZrDWjFrYimlenCKWlUk/s1600/staats_randy_chiefs_mann_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwMMcwD6t6TydP-qKkK8e-kAPfh54mCHigi8eYJf5B9zeXAJIg12c6J_x2UpOP4TaYgKnj3Hx6LCFkD5mMzukCdS7swWDQqx7bw_3nWoRKTmaDvDx1SuGjhgnZrDWjFrYimlenCKWlUk/s400/staats_randy_chiefs_mann_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Randy Staats ties the game 7-7 in the third period. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Very few goals came easily; both
defences continued to make forwards pay for venturing inside but both
teams' forwards continued to do so. When they got good looks, both
goalies continued to make some big saves.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ryan Benesch scored on a back-door
quick-stick with 4.8 seconds to play im the second while Ward was on
the bench for an extra attacker to make it four on three thanks to a
series of penalties. The Chiefs almost extended their lead to two
goals when Brodie Merrill was sprung for an open look right off the
ensuing faceoff but Scigliano made a clutch save.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dan Taylor tied things up with the
Burrards second shorthanded goal of the game 1:05 into the third then
McIntosh's hat trick goal gave them the lead at 2:47.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maple Ridge couldn't make that lead
hold up, though. The Chiefs scored a pair—Randy Staats and then Dan
Dawson—less than two minutes apart, the second coming at 8:06.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Burrards had chances to tie it up;
they outshot the Chiefs 16-10 in the third period, but Ward made the
lead stand. With Maple Ridge pressuring with the extra attacker in
the dying seconds, Billy Dee Smith jumped from a scrum to grab a
loose ball that had bounced out of it. He sprinted up the boards past
both benches, absorbing a check into the boards but hanging on to the
ball.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When Smith tossed the ball towards the
empty net from near the restraining line, it didn't really matter if
it went in because there were only seven seconds to play, but it
created a celebratory roar from the stands and the Chiefs bench when
it did hit the mesh.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Chiefs head coach Rich Kilgour said it
was fitting that Smith got the insurance marker with a rare goal
because of his strong efforts despite a painful calf injury.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Billy got the game ball,” Kilgour
said. “It's probably his first goal in three or four years. JT
[offensive coach John Tavares] was teasing him that he's 100% because
that was his first shot, first goal. It was great having Billy get
that one at the end because he's another guy that's banged up but
said, if you guys need me I'm ready to go. The calf can wait till the
series is over.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That's the approach both teams are
taking: there'll be time to deal with the assorted aches and pains
after the series. For now they're both battling hard to try to win
lacrosse's holy grail.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Chiefs have an edge in experience
but Burrards alternate captain Jarrett Davis, who has won the last
two Champions Cups with the Rush, said Maple Ridge has youth and
desire on their side.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“It doesn't hurt them to have that
experience,” Davis acknowledged. “I think our hunger plays to our
strength. There's a lot of young guys trying to make a name for
themselves. I think the experience is great for them but it's
probably not the deciding factor in the series right now.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Davis agreed that discipline is
important but said it's not always easy to edge up to the line
without crossing over it.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“That's the fine line that's hard to
stay on the right side of. Hopefully we'll stay in the moment and
just focus on doing the right things,” Davis said. “Our strength
is just to come out and play as hard as we can. Hopefully we'll stay
on the right side of that line but it's easier said than done
sometimes.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kilgour, meanwhile, emphasized that his
team isn't thinking the series is over by any means.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“We haven't won anything yet. Three
wins doesn't get you the Mann Cup,” Kilgour said. “They're
cliches for a reason, because they're true and they're tried and
tested. The fourth game's the hardest. I'm going to do my best to
have them ready for tomorrow night and let them know you don't get
the fourth win easy. We'd better be ready to do it.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Game 4 goes Wednesday night at 8 pm and
can be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JVIVideoProduction">seen
live on JVI Sports Network's webcast</a>. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-44748056549642811232016-09-13T14:11:00.000-04:002016-09-13T14:11:25.851-04:00Mann Cup is a family affair<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjuotMOFKXzOfAekDZuUPLTBzBXMOodLJHUH5NgsaIc_JLfhZfo9GQXq7cHruHMobIqbdDKeMBSgkkPbNLRJS0Owt7lqnYCaTpNq-GTyLT56gn3iKZT8HNHr0T8pjXFNw6OGW7TVFB34/s1600/zachporter_dandawson_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjuotMOFKXzOfAekDZuUPLTBzBXMOodLJHUH5NgsaIc_JLfhZfo9GQXq7cHruHMobIqbdDKeMBSgkkPbNLRJS0Owt7lqnYCaTpNq-GTyLT56gn3iKZT8HNHr0T8pjXFNw6OGW7TVFB34/s640/zachporter_dandawson_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Zack Porter checks Brier Jonathan in the background while Dan Dawson tangles with DJ Saari. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<i>by Stephen Stamp</i><br />
<br />
The 2016 Mann Cup features a sibling rivalry, although not the kind the term usually denotes.<br />
<br />
Each team has a pair of brother acts taking part, so in this case it is a case of siblings banding together against other siblings.<br />
<br />
Dan Dawson is leading the series in scoring with 19 points through three games, moving him into fifth in all-time Mann Cup points and leaving him just 10 behind Colin Doyle for fourth. Paul Dawson is a defender for the Chiefs who has played a key role in Six Nations limiting the Maple Ridge Burrards to 28 goals through the first three games.<br />
<br />
Six Nations' other pair of brothers are both helping boost the Chiefs offence. Austin Staats has garnered plenty of attention for his clutch scoring and exuberant celebrations, as well as his propensity for getting knocked down but getting back up again. Austin rolled his ankle, separated his shoulder twice and generally seemed to be sprawled on the floor through much of the MSL finals against Peterborough. He returned every time, though, to help fill the gap left by injuries to a trio of Chiefs lefty forwards.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiVst-MS3XwzLCJPRH2-DT3-X47QM6Minp_UjZjl98QWUf7N-dDKxa46sH8PpWkllJhrqi9SFPhawu8hgrDi48OamIyhgqXbQCTeURSL9Y6D1NYg3PWE4Xgzc0-u5FGMYR2LEufN39k4/s1600/porter_zach_staats_austin_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHiVst-MS3XwzLCJPRH2-DT3-X47QM6Minp_UjZjl98QWUf7N-dDKxa46sH8PpWkllJhrqi9SFPhawu8hgrDi48OamIyhgqXbQCTeURSL9Y6D1NYg3PWE4Xgzc0-u5FGMYR2LEufN39k4/s400/porter_zach_staats_austin_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Austin Staats lays the lumber on Zack Porter. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
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He's kept on rolling in the Mann Cup, scoring 6 goals including the overtime winner Monday night, and adding a pair of assists. And he's done all that despite being just 18 years old and having three years of junior lacrosse left before he becomes a full-time Chief.<br />
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Austin isn't the only Staats brother shining in the series, though. Older brother Randy is the IL Indoor National Lacrosse League rookie of the year and the favourite to be presented the NLL's official top rookie award at the league's ceremony at the end of the month. He is also outscoring his little brother 10-8, having notched 3 goals and added 7 assists.<br />
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The Burrards also have a brother duo who help out at both ends of the floor and one that ply their trade in the same zone. Aaron Davis is Maple Ridge's captain and one of their defensive leaders. He's been a key cog in steering the Burrards ship through the perilous waters that were their 2016 season.<br />
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Jarrett Davis is another of the team's leaders, an alternate captain who has won the past two Champions Cups with the NLL's Rush, giving the team some championship experience. Jarrett has scored 3 goals and 5 assists in the Mann Cup.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWq6mbPGmYX0l4SPcHZeNtO-SYWdJSHY_X9ZyqdE4P-YNxkH2pPU_jtgIlnWZjMeN4u8zCyqCFtPBCkO1pez6LVskNIVveR5cxkLeyMVZj7fJE8SzusEzAXBUjWP5hfR57qqQdFF1o8Q/s1600/porter_colton_burrards_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWq6mbPGmYX0l4SPcHZeNtO-SYWdJSHY_X9ZyqdE4P-YNxkH2pPU_jtgIlnWZjMeN4u8zCyqCFtPBCkO1pez6LVskNIVveR5cxkLeyMVZj7fJE8SzusEzAXBUjWP5hfR57qqQdFF1o8Q/s400/porter_colton_burrards_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Colton Porter greets Austin Staats in the Burrards' end. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
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The other Burrards brothers are easily noticeable in this series. They're buzzing about the floor as transition players who continually get in the faces of Chiefs' forwards. Well, the Porters are in their opponents faces figuratively if not literally.<br />
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Zack Porter is listed at 5'7". His brother Colton is taller, though at 5'8" he's still one of the smallest players on the floor. None the less, both brothers play a fearless brand of lacrosse up and down the floor. Zack Porter confronting the 6'5" Paul Dawson at the end of Game 1 is one of the 2016 Mann Cup's iconic moments.<br />
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As if the brother acts weren't enough, there are the Smith cousins playing for Six Nations as well. Dhane is the younger cousin and scoring star who set the NLL records for most goals and points in a season last winter after leading MSL in scoring a year ago. He missed most of the regular season this year with plantar fasciitis but is back to his high-scoring ways, sitting third in points in the series.<br />
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Older cousin Billy Dee Smith missed most of the regular season, as well, after having minor surgery to clear up a lingering issue at the end of the NLL season. He was out for the first two games of the Mann with a calf strain suffered in the MSL finals but his impact was readily visible in Game 3. He's a menacing presence for the Chiefs as well as an intelligent and experienced defender.<br />
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So is that it? What about Creighton Reid and Kevin Reid, defenders for Maple Ridge? Aren't they related? "Probably if you go back far enough," quipped Burrards head coach Rob Williams. So no, we won't count the Reids in this story of family affairs in the 2016 Mann Cup.<br />
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That hardly leaves us with a shortage, though. As is so often the case, family is a familiar theme in the game of lacrosse.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-72535832228283580362016-09-13T09:00:00.000-04:002016-09-13T13:18:36.253-04:00Chiefs win 9-7 overtime thriller to take 2-1 Mann Cup series lead over Burrards<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhTUzoVVQNq2D7nT-Q1ngR3058tai-q4hyxXtiqjm0OLymuIfW7LvnM59plStEVevygRc3IFhssLbZB0xQ882vHPLFKpSnHAdx_OFQK6lH-8yGs5BpH5Y7AdEzwvzl6kSRyEKLRlyyxw/s1600/staats_austin_OTwinnercelly_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhTUzoVVQNq2D7nT-Q1ngR3058tai-q4hyxXtiqjm0OLymuIfW7LvnM59plStEVevygRc3IFhssLbZB0xQ882vHPLFKpSnHAdx_OFQK6lH-8yGs5BpH5Y7AdEzwvzl6kSRyEKLRlyyxw/s640/staats_austin_OTwinnercelly_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Austin Staats celebrates his game-winning overtime goal in Game 3. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>by Darryl Smart</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cody Jamieson has made a habit of, well, just being Cody Jamieson.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />After sitting out the first two games of the Mann Cup nursing a knee injury, Jammer returned to the lineup and was one of the best players on the floor, scoring three goals and four assists to lead the Six Nations Chiefs to a 9-7 overtime win over the Maple Ridge Burrards. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Chiefs now lead the best-of-seven Canadian senior A men's lacrosse championship series 2-1.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I always want to be in there," Jamieson said. "It's tough to watch. I wasn't able to be on the bench Saturday night, so I had to sit in the stands. I didn't like that at all. I wanted to play."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Jamieson gave the Chiefs some insurance in the extra frame, scoring midway through after Austin Staats continued to impress, netting the game-winner 26 seconds into overtime.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />"This was a big win for us," Jamieson said. "We were disappointed in our effort Saturday. We wanted to bounce back. Everyone punched in and worked hard."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Jamieson made his presence felt early, scoring two minutes into the game, before Owen Barker and Craig Point exchanged goals.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />In the second period, the Burrards and Chiefs kept exchanging goals. Ryan Benesch, Jamieson and Randy Staats scored for the Chiefs, while Luke Gillespie, Matt Symes and Jarrett Davis responded for the Western Lacrosse Association champions.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />After Ben McIntosh and Vaughn Harris continued the see saw, the Burrards finally nabbed their first lead of the game when Gillespie and Connor Goodwin scored three minutes apart. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But with just over a minute to go in regulation, Point scored his second goal of the game to force overtime.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dillon Ward was again sharp between the Chiefs pipes when called upon, making 22 saves. "It was actually tougher playing in a game like this," Ward said. "With so few shots, you don't get into your regular rhythm. I really had to stay focused."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Frankie Scigliano was again great in the Burrards net, almost stealing a win in a 46-save effort. "It's a tough one to lose," Scigliano said. "The good thing is that it's a quick turnaround. We just have to forget about this one and come back to work tomorrow."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Game 4 of the Mann Cup series resumes Wednesday at 8 p.m. To watch a replay of Game 3 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxehh19jJAk" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-9078812247579476592016-09-11T12:55:00.002-04:002016-09-11T12:55:51.589-04:00Maple Ridge Burrards bounce back with 13-9 win over Six Nations Chiefs to even Mann Cup at one win each<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVV4GgI1rZntok3wohC9mcRv6GK742nb_acpkOOjI3USzMNOD1vpT8UiziY1et7uqvWcJahSckZgT5i1pRv7lYPOuhyzfcjtjpPDqCDaIIlWStjX7soqbNEEq9jDJRJvJ4NzXVq4S3RM/s1600/gillespie_luke_burrards_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVV4GgI1rZntok3wohC9mcRv6GK742nb_acpkOOjI3USzMNOD1vpT8UiziY1et7uqvWcJahSckZgT5i1pRv7lYPOuhyzfcjtjpPDqCDaIIlWStjX7soqbNEEq9jDJRJvJ4NzXVq4S3RM/s640/gillespie_luke_burrards_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Luke Gillespie injected energy and 3 goals into the Maple Ridge lineup when he was inserted for Game 2. Here he scores a shorthanded goal in the first period. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
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The Maple Ridge Burrards regrouped after a tough loss in the opening game of the <a href="http://pointstreaksites.com/view/manncup/2016-mann-cup-homepage" style="color: #777777; text-decoration: none;">2016 Mann Cup</a> and scored an impressive 13-9 victory over the Six Nations Chiefs in Game 2, giving the franchise its first win at the national championship since 1977. The best-of-seven series is now tied 1-1.</div>
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After looking somewhat overpowered in the series opener, a much improved Burrards' squad took the floor on Saturday night and showed the boisterous crowd that a Six Nations sweep was not in the cards. The visitors made some adjustments on both sides of the ball, showing much more patience in the offensive zone, while also tightened up their coverage on defense and battling much harder for loose balls.</div>
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"I think we just outworked them tonight," said Maple Ridge captain <strong>Aaron Davis</strong>. "In the first game, for whatever reason, they were the harder working team. They beat us to loose balls and got a lot of second chances, but tonight we really changed the momentum in those areas."<a name='more'></a></div>
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While the Western Lacrosse Association champion's may be considered underdogs by many in the lacrosse world, their opponents were not surprised with their bounce back effort.</div>
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"Game 1 wasn't their best and we knew that," acknowledged Six Nations' forward <strong>Dan Dawson</strong> in the second intermission. "We knew they were going to push back, but I don't think we were ready for it."</div>
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The NLL's Saskatchewan Rush were well represented on the Burrards side of the score sheet, with current players <strong>Ben McIntosh</strong> (3 G, 4A), <strong>Dan Taylor</strong> (1 G, 4 A) and <strong>Riley Loewen</strong> (3 G, 0 A) making large contributions. <strong>Luke Gillespie</strong>, a 2015 draft pick who did not dress in the series opener, showed his coaches that he does indeed belong in the lineup, netting three goals and one assist, including two while short-handed.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9aeVe78T-8p5UPrVKuSzgpRnZjqCqpOQ-Ri1dQ1nyerYa7WSe5wqslD5iQNkc0YX_4Mcb2IMvLRbNivbr_z2izRkwEIBg_ceCKw-vEYhlJpxvFx7ZyLvLfig9XmSrK-dJJGMyPWe1tM/s1600/benny_nogoal_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9aeVe78T-8p5UPrVKuSzgpRnZjqCqpOQ-Ri1dQ1nyerYa7WSe5wqslD5iQNkc0YX_4Mcb2IMvLRbNivbr_z2izRkwEIBg_ceCKw-vEYhlJpxvFx7ZyLvLfig9XmSrK-dJJGMyPWe1tM/s400/benny_nogoal_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Frankie Scigliano had a much stronger Game 2 for Maple Ridge, including<br />pouncing on this shot from Ryan Benesch to keep it from trickling in.<br />(Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
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A quick goal by Six Nations opened the scoring, but the hometown fans had to wait a long time before having another one to cheer for as Maple Ridge rattled off five straight markers, including two short-handed goals by Gillespie to end the first and start the second, before the Chiefs would score again 17:01 into the middle frame.</div>
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The Burrards kept the pressure on for the remainder of the second period, matching each Chiefs goal with two of their own, helping them build a 9-4 lead heading into the final 20 minutes.</div>
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A goal by Riley Loewen in the opening minute of the third period chased Chiefs' goaltender <strong>Dillon Ward</strong> from the net. He was replaced by <strong>Doug Jamieson</strong>, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming NLL entry draft and member of the Iroquois Nationals field lacrosse team that participated in the 2016 FIL U19 Men's World Championship.</div>
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While he looked a little shaky between the pipes, letting a few weak shots squeak by and missing the mark on a couple of passes to his defenders, the move seemed to spark his team's offense as they took charge and made things interesting with a four goal run, cutting the lead to 12-9.</div>
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But that's as close as they would get, as things stalled thanks to two untimely penalties late in the period which allowed Maple Ridge to run out the clock, scoring one last time on a 5-on-3 power play to put the game out reach.</div>
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The Chiefs were led once again by <strong>Dan Dawson</strong>, who propelled himself up the all-time Mann Cup scoring list with a seven point performance (2 G, 5 A), passing <strong>Gary Gait</strong> and <strong>Scott Evans</strong>. He currently sits alone in fifth place with 123 points, within striking distance of fellow Team Canada alumni <strong>Colin Doyle</strong> who has 137 points.</div>
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The two teams will renew their battle in Game 3 on Monday night at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena.</div>
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<strong>Players of the Game </strong></div>
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<strong>JVI Sports Network Three Stars </strong></div>
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<li style="border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px;">3rd Star: Riley Loewen, 2nd Star: Dan Dawson, 1st Star: Luke Gillespie</li>
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Visit <a href="http://manncup.pointstreaksites.com/view/manncup" style="color: #777777; text-decoration: none;">http://manncup.pointstreaksites.com/view/manncup</a> for more information on the event or watch the webcast free of charge via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrZdD0HRkqRXD3J0e6xfLg" style="color: #777777; text-decoration: none;">JVI Sports Network</a>. </div>
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<strong>Schedule</strong></div>
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All games will be played at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena (3201 Line 2, Ohsweken, ON).</div>
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<li style="line-height: 1.3em;">Game 1: September 9 (<strong>Six Nations 15</strong>, Maple Ridge 8)</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.3em;">Game 2: September 10 (Six Nations 9, <strong>Maple Ridge 13</strong>)</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.3em;">Game 3: Monday, September 12 at 8:00PM EST</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.3em;">Game 4: Tuesday, September 13 at 8:00PM EST</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.3em;">Game 5: Wednesday, September 14 at 8:00PM EST (*if necessary)</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.3em;">Game 6: Friday September, 16 at 8:00PM EST (*if necessary)</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; line-height: 1.3em; margin: 0px;">Game 7: Saturday September, 17 at 8:00PM EST (*if necessary)</li>
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</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-52450077682717456922016-09-10T13:05:00.002-04:002016-09-10T13:06:42.665-04:00Mann Cup 2016: Dawson climbing the career points ladder<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEW52dM29BPjf7wM_lMC2Gi77RFb6G45awlaX3pjTKkJJtsUMEAXqAq2L8RLvOHkCdbnl_7n5klnO238yZrzpxoMHDnVevmND02mf1zcyfvTCj21kKsF6lftab-vF-LxKfI9Gf61MJKc/s1600/dawson_dan_2016mann_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEW52dM29BPjf7wM_lMC2Gi77RFb6G45awlaX3pjTKkJJtsUMEAXqAq2L8RLvOHkCdbnl_7n5klnO238yZrzpxoMHDnVevmND02mf1zcyfvTCj21kKsF6lftab-vF-LxKfI9Gf61MJKc/s640/dawson_dan_2016mann_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Dan Dawson scoring one of his 44 career Mann Cup goals. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dan Dawson doesn't like to talk about
it, but he's climbing the list of all-time Mann Cup scorers. Friday
night, he shot up two places to sit seventh in the storied history of
the Canadian national senior championship.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dawson's 8-point performance
leapfrogged him past Josh Sanderson (36 goals, 77 assists, 113 points
in 28 games) and Bill Wilson (83/32/115 in 33 games). In his 36<sup>th</sup>
Mann Cup contest, Dawson had 3 goals and 5 assists to push his totals
to 44, 72 and 116. Dawson also, with his sixth point of Friday's
game, reached the one thousand point plateau for his senior career
including regular season, playoffs and Mann Cup games.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When you ask Dawson about it, he will answer your question politely and interestingly, but will shift the focus to the team almost immediately. He is truly humble and uncomfortable talking too much about his own accomplishments.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Those accomplishments just keep on coming, though, with more dead ahead in this year's series. Gary Gait (69/51/120 in 28 games) and
Scott Evans (66/55/121 in 36 games) are locked in Dawson's sights. He
could pass them both as soon as Saturday night's Game 2 of the 2016
Mann Cup. The length of the series—if Game 1's 15-8 Six Nations
Chiefs win was a fair indication of how good each team is, a sweep is
almost certain, but expect the Maple Ridge Burrards to be much more
competitive as the series goes on—will be a major factor in whether
Dawson has a good chance to catch Colin Doyle (61/76/137 in 41 games)
for fourth place.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That would leave only absolute
all-timers Geordie Dean (67/94/161), John Grant Jr. (76/98/174) and
John Tavares (92/111/203) ahead of him.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And while it may seem like Dawson has
been around forever because he's been playing at such a consistently
high level for so long, he's only 34 years old. Considering that he
keeps himself in great shape, there's no reason he couldn't keep
playing long enough to have the potential to put himself in the
stratosphere when it comes to Mann Cup scoring. After this year's
series, he will likely be just one more Mann Cup away from having a
real chancd to move to second place.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dawson's physical gifts—his 6'6”
height and enormous strength—are significant assets, but his
lacrosse IQ and dedication to the game are just as important to his
success. Those latter traits should allow him to continue to produce
for several more years if he chooses to keep playing. For those of us
who love watching quietly thrilling, intelligent lacrosse, let's hope
he makes that choice. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-27265263780784449492016-09-10T10:11:00.001-04:002016-09-10T10:11:38.692-04:00Is it the pickles? Salty secret to Chiefs' playoff success<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1001736615693097335" itemprop="description articleBody" style="line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 700px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJP4fKxmO_ImHkSBm2c1aZZOzVyA5XjZPNV8fft9yLM6PM8eWtnpkXh6fCpBf9Vp0yGudUeD21If2xhhBonQKKUti1AqEXZNr5NP4yt-fbj_SChLjDQMkU-EXkNGUrLfTWEgWL3JvFTA/s1600/staats_austin_sixnations_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJP4fKxmO_ImHkSBm2c1aZZOzVyA5XjZPNV8fft9yLM6PM8eWtnpkXh6fCpBf9Vp0yGudUeD21If2xhhBonQKKUti1AqEXZNr5NP4yt-fbj_SChLjDQMkU-EXkNGUrLfTWEgWL3JvFTA/s640/staats_austin_sixnations_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Austin Staats and the Chiefs are getting their drive from pickles in the 2016 post-season. (Photo; Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Courtesy Six Nations Chiefs</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When Dave Sowden arrives at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena for his Mann Cup preparations, he’s had a little extra cargo than usual.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For the last couple of weeks, the Chiefs’ light-hearted trainer has carried around a covered blue pale.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Its contents are about as key to the Chiefs’ success, as the return of Cody Jamieson.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“We started to bring the pale of pickles to the series in Brooklin,” Sowden said. “Some of the guys like them, so I thought I’d bring some along on the trip. Every game I brought pickles, we won. Even if they weren’t ready, the pickles were in the house.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At the time it seemed to be a bit of a coincidence, so nobody thought too much about it. Only thing is, the players enjoyed what Sowden and offensive player Craig Point created.<a name='more'></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Because of demand from friends and family, Sowden, not thinking anything of it, didn’t bring the pale of salty goodness to the first three games of the Major Series Lacrosse final. Suddenly they were down 0-3 to the Peterborough Lakers in the best-of-seven series.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Enter the pale of pickles and the crucial Game 4 against the Lakers.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“I had made more and some of the guys asked if I had any, so I told them I’d bring a pale to Game 4,” Sowden said. “I make about a bushel of cucumbers at a time. That makes two pales. We picked up another bushel, which made pales three and four in line with the games. Seriously, every time I brought the pickles with me to the arena, we won. So I kept doing it.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As much as it may be superstition, the players have become fond of the brine pickles.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“There’s quite a few that eat them post game,” Sowden said. “Dillon Ward, (Ryan) Benesch, Jeremy Thompson is right into them. It’s funny to watch them. The guys get their pizza and then I’ll break out the pale of pickles and they’re into that.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sowden can’t hold his laughter back when he talks about what his hobby has turned in to.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“It’s just funny. I’m not sure how many people brine pickles. But it almost seems like a thing done here more,” Sowden said. “I know people make dill pickles and sweet pickles. The brine pickles seem to be unique to here.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“It all got started, last year when Craig (Point) and I decided to do it,” he said. “I know people have made them before and I never really acquired a taste for them. Some people like them salty, and some people don’t. The guy that showed me how to make them is young Ronnie Thomas. His pickles are just nice. They aren’t overly salty and they have a nice taste to them.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sowden will tell you where they got the cucumbers from, but he won’t tell you the recipe.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“If I told you, well you know,” Sowden said with a laugh. “We get them from farmer’s markets. Most of the time we get them in Hagersville. But since the season is almost over, Craig found the last two bushels in St. George. We just have enough pickles brewing for the Mann Cup.”</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-2687552615886948722016-09-10T09:39:00.001-04:002016-09-10T14:58:07.321-04:00Chiefs ride 8-goal run to 15-8 win over Burrards in Game 1 of Mann Cup<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwn_0upngqus8udB9MO0Np9cxaFQ_G9sYcNMD5D9tM1I7D1wmfJCEw-EEk4asqarqLoZyGFCGeMUuyc9yqLKF-xmCby2xyRCXdkQZ7OxE-0H8InyLr7TJPS_biGcIWnK-1I3ROnYjTUk/s1600/loewen_riley_burrards_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwn_0upngqus8udB9MO0Np9cxaFQ_G9sYcNMD5D9tM1I7D1wmfJCEw-EEk4asqarqLoZyGFCGeMUuyc9yqLKF-xmCby2xyRCXdkQZ7OxE-0H8InyLr7TJPS_biGcIWnK-1I3ROnYjTUk/s640/loewen_riley_burrards_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Riley Loewen escaped this double team and had 5 points, but the Chiefs dominated the second half of Game 1 to draw first blood in the 2016 Mann Cup. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Both of the combatants in the 2016 Mann
Cup have shown a knack for bouncing back when things start going
against them. In Game 1 Friday night, both teams did so but the Six
Nations Chiefs did it much more emphatically than the Maple Ridge
Burrards did.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After Maple Ridge scored four straight
second-period goals to rebound from an early deficit to tie the game 5-5, Six Nations ran off nine in a row to blow the game open en
route to a 15-8 win in the opener of the national senior championship
at Six Nations' Iroquois Lacrosse Arena.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maple Ridge got off to a 1-0 lead three
and a half minutes in when Ben McIntosh slipped open in the slot and
buried a pass from Jarrett Davis past Dillon Ward. Dan Dawson replied
with his first of 3 goals—to go with 5 assists for a game-high 8
points—less than a minute later.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Burrards created some chances but
were unable to beat Ward again in the period, and eventually it was
the Chiefs who went on a run that saw them score 4 goals, including
two power play markers, in a 10-minute stretch to head to
intermission with a 5-1 lead.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maple Ridge opened second-period
scoring when captain Aaron Davis sprinted up the floor and tucked
home a goal that sparked the Burrards. Riley Loewen scored just 20
seconds later when he stretched out to catch a Dan Taylor pass on a
dead run in the slot and quickly released a shot that found the net.
They got within one when McIntosh scored off a nice double pick play
then tied it up when Taylor scored.<br />
<br />
A Randy Staats goal short afterwards gave Six Nations the lead again, but it was by the slimmest of margins. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That was followed by a 5-minute stretch
in which both Ward and Frankie Scigliano turned aside everything they
faced. Then the Dawson brothers combined for a highlight-reel goal
that kicked off Six Nations' 8-goal run. We'll let them describe the
play on which Dan got flattened after his pass for what would have
been a penalty that was cancelled by Paul's snipe to the top corner.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“That's what happens when you admire
your pass to your brother, you get blown up like that. It's a quick
reminder that there's no quit in those guys,” said Dan.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Just picked up a loose ball and took
a look up the floor and saw we had numbers,” said Paul. “It's
always good to tranny the ball as quick as you can to give the
offence. I gave it up to Randy [Staats] and then Randy was the one
who gave it to my brother and he threw it back. He kind of parted the
Red Sea, as he got hit he took about three guys down with him so I
was kind of forced to shoot it.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul doesn't often put the ball in the
net but he had a hand, or more precisely a foot, in a goal late in
the game as well. Jarrett Davis ran towards the net and fired a low
shot that bounced off of Ward towards Dawson, who was trailing Davis.
He may or may not have tried to kick it away from the net, but
whether it was an attempt to play the ball or it just ricocheted off
him, Dawson wound up kicking it into the goal.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dhane Smith added a goal and 6 assists
for Six Nations and Ryan Benesch had 3 goals and 2 assists. Loewen
wound up with 2 goals and 3 assists and McIntosh a pair of each to
lead the Burrards.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dan Dawson, Smith and Benesch were
named the Thompson Brothers Lacrosse 3 Stars for the game.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxuuUQG4LbliFDcxSUcc4729ZbOX8L0FXlJKwx0zLHT22O4GQ1WSYJhPBcRyUyEhfqhEl2n27lGiAqVUAr7O6SAB9sGDNCplqL7zjCS0IzazHjqVDYQpwlY0j2SyiSpYMrJ1mdk9I_Ps/s1600/staats_austin_manndive_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxuuUQG4LbliFDcxSUcc4729ZbOX8L0FXlJKwx0zLHT22O4GQ1WSYJhPBcRyUyEhfqhEl2n27lGiAqVUAr7O6SAB9sGDNCplqL7zjCS0IzazHjqVDYQpwlY0j2SyiSpYMrJ1mdk9I_Ps/s400/staats_austin_manndive_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Austin Staats split a pair of defenders for this spectacular goal in the first<br />period. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Power plays were a huge factor. The
Chiefs scored six times on nine man advantages while Maple Ridge went
oh for four. Both Aaron Davis and coach Rob Williams cited discipline
as a critical component for them to bounce back in the series.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Williams said the reffing was a little
different to what they're used to but didn't want to make any
excuses, saying it's on the Burrards to make the adjustments they
need to make.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
“I think that [WLA ref] Terry
[Mosdell] was calling more of a Western game and the Eastern ref [Ian
Garrison], he did a great job don't get me wrong, we just have to
adjust to how he calls a game,” Williams said, noting that refs in
the East appear to be a bit more strict in how they call things like
off-ball slashing. “It's not a big deal. They did a great job. It
wasn't the refs, we need to learn to adjust to how they call games.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Davis added that, as usual, the result
came down to a simple factor, and he didn't think it had anything to
do with jet lag. “Bottom line we just got outworked,” Davis said.
“There's no excuses. We've been here for a couple of days and we
showed when we outwork them, when we run the ball and get our
transition going they have a harder time playing with us. When we did
that we had our runs and when we didn't it's a different story.”</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The teams don't have much time to make
any adjustments they need to make. Each will have a shootaround
Saturday morning then they'll hit the floor for Game 2 Saturday night
at 8 pm ET. You can watch the game live via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JVIVideoProduction">JVI
Sports Network's live stream</a>. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-65363164668408871802016-09-09T08:14:00.002-04:002016-09-09T08:14:10.192-04:00Mann Cup preview on IL Indoor Today's the day. The 2016 Mann Cup gets under way at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena between the Major Series Lacrosse champion Six Nations Chiefs and the Western Lacrosse Association champion Maple Ridge Burrards.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>IL Indoor</i>'s Stephen Stamp has <a href="http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/mann-cup-preview-can-the-six-nations-chiefs-win-their-third-championship-in-four-years-/36174" target="_blank">published his preview of the Mann Cup</a>. We won't spoil it for you, so go over and take a look to see his breakdown of the teams and prediction for the series between the underdog but determined Burrards and the Chiefs, who look to win their third Mann Cup in four years.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-77568946249007674132016-09-07T16:33:00.000-04:002016-09-07T16:33:38.046-04:00Chiefs and Burrards two days away from squaring off in Mann Cup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdkh0-6RaSi6FSAY4JR0Ss6jqsQV3l24WtHOl6Oaj7jNCyVBB9OlgJg9kdd3f6GlRdxONbafyzLngWITAtvPfVPCtyZyuZUcT9n7DPMnzAWYH1xOeOBA8ZbgWap9VmPIZT6eZqs0fxRM/s1600/mann+cup+logo+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdkh0-6RaSi6FSAY4JR0Ss6jqsQV3l24WtHOl6Oaj7jNCyVBB9OlgJg9kdd3f6GlRdxONbafyzLngWITAtvPfVPCtyZyuZUcT9n7DPMnzAWYH1xOeOBA8ZbgWap9VmPIZT6eZqs0fxRM/s640/mann+cup+logo+2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It's the old guard versus the new kids
on the block, but that is just one of many story lines for the 2016
Mann Cup.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The annual best of seven Canadian
senior lacrosse championship features the best lacrosse players in
the world. This year it sees the Six Nations Chiefs looking to claim
their third title in four years facing off against the Maple Ridge
Burrards, who haven't been to the Mann Cup since 1990.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Legendary player John Tavares, who will
go into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame in a few weeks, is
now coaching the offence for the Chiefs. When the Burrards made their
last Mann Cup appearance 26 years ago, he was a rookie for the team
that at that time played out of Vancouver.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While the Chiefs have become Mann Cup
regulars, they faced the toughest challenge in years to claim
Ontario's Major Series Lacrosse crown. The regular season was the
most competitive in years, with fourth teams battling for first place
until the final week. Six Nations overcame several injuries to key
players to down the Brooklin Redmen in the semifinals.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Their opponent in the championship
series for the third straight year was the Peterborough Lakers, who
finished first in the regular season but had to fight hard to beat
the Oakville Rock in the semis. The Lakers then enjoyed a perfect
start to the MSL finals, winning three straight games to all but
assure themselves of a return to the Mann Cup that they lost to the
Victoria Shamrocks a year ago.<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cody Jamieson, wearing a heavy brace to
protect a knee that will require surgery once the season is done and
that will likely keep him out of the Mann Cup, made a surprising and
heroic return in Game 4. With his appearance on the floor, the Chiefs
turned the tide and ran the table, stunning the Lakers by taking the
last four games of the series.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Meanwhile, the Burrards were shaking
things up on the West Coast. Considered the bad boys of the Western
Lacrosse Association, Maple Ridge was placed on a good conduct bond
and threatened with expulsion from the league if they incurred any
suspensions for late-game fighting in the last two-thirds of the
season or playoffs.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Burrards banded together and took
out the two teams who have dominated the league over the last decade,
beating first the New Westminster Salmonbellies then the reigning
Mann Cup champion Victoria Shamrocks to win the west.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maple Ridge will arrive in Six Nations
as decided underdogs because they don't boast players with the name
recognition the Chiefs do. Of course, the Six Nations players have
earned their recognition. Now the Burrards believe it's their time to
do the same. On the biggest stage in the sport, Maple Ridge and Six
Nations will clash in what is certain to be an intense and physical
series. The winner will earn the Mann Cup and with it bragging rights
as the best team in Canada.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Series Schedule</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
All games at 8 pm at the Iroquois
Lacrosse Arena</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Friday Sept 9</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saturday Sept 10</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Monday Sept 12</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tuesday Sept 13</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Wednesday Sept 14*</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Friday Sept 16*</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saturday Sept 17*</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
*if necessary</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-3913123005472627642016-09-07T16:31:00.001-04:002016-09-07T16:34:39.415-04:00Burrards arriving tonight, press conference tomorrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Maple Ridge Burrards on en route to Ontario and are expected to arrive in Toronto around 9 pm Wednesday night. They will make their way to the ILA for shootaround on Thursday and attend the Mann Cup press conference at 1 pm at the arena.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-73595076714843351752016-09-06T13:27:00.002-04:002016-09-06T13:27:59.318-04:00Tickets for Mann Cup available at Arrow Express SportsTickets for the Mann Cup can be purchased at Arrow Express Sports at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena.<br />
<br />
Ticket prices:<br />
Adult $20<br />
Senior & Student $15<br />
Child $12<br />
<br />
Assigned seating is available if you purchase the 4-game package. The package also allows you to renew your assigned seat for any further games.<br />
<br />
Arrow Express will be open for sales of 4-game packages and general admission tickets for Game 1 at the following times:<br />
Tuesday Sept 6 9:30 am - 8 pm<br />
Wednesday Sept 7 9:30 am - 8 pm<br />
Thursday Sept 8 9:30 am - 7 pm<br />
Friday Sept 9th 9:30 am - 1:30 pm<br />
<br />
General admission tickets for subsequent games will be on sale during intermission, for 1 hour after the game and from 10 am - 4 pm on the next game day.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-75541543150118496602016-09-04T22:44:00.002-04:002016-09-05T19:55:43.076-04:00Mann Cup scheduleSix Nations Chiefs (Major Series Lacrosse champions) vs Maple Ridge Burrards (Western Lacrosse Association champions)<br />
<br />
All games at Iroquois Lacrosse Arena, Six Nations<br />
<br />
Game 1 Friday, Sept 9 8 pm<br />
Game 2 Saturday, Sept 10 8 pm<br />
Game 3 Monday, Sept 12 8 pm<br />
Game 4 Tuesday, Sept 13 8 pm<br />
Game 5 Wednesday, Sept 14* 8 pm<br />
Game 6 Friday, Sept 16* 8 pm<br />
Game 7 Saturday, Sept 17* 8 pm<br />
<br />
*if necessaryAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9149402511006320177.post-86684535816384135902016-09-04T17:06:00.001-04:002016-09-04T17:06:24.629-04:00Chiefs overcome 3-0 series deficit, 6-4 game deficit to win Major Series Lacrosse championship<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLNMZjkt1IE1qFkvUABF_FuDNug7Z8xqv-oJj9qE6J06Onl5R_-k9s74uAc76fSdHIvrZmp9lnmsy9ecbS6xA11VAcr38xBe0bIpcHIJNmOcHzwVVy3gd1pyIkst09cpeRe2iaZPICDk/s1600/chiefs_msltitle2016_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLNMZjkt1IE1qFkvUABF_FuDNug7Z8xqv-oJj9qE6J06Onl5R_-k9s74uAc76fSdHIvrZmp9lnmsy9ecbS6xA11VAcr38xBe0bIpcHIJNmOcHzwVVy3gd1pyIkst09cpeRe2iaZPICDk/s640/chiefs_msltitle2016_prothero.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>The Chiefs posing with a hard-earned MSL championship trophy. (Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Someone will have to comb through the
records to see if it's ever been done, but Six Nations Chiefs
accomplishment of coming back from down 3-0 to win the Major Series
Lacrosse championship series is at the very least a rare feat.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Not only did they come back from down
in the series, the Chiefs had to come back from a deficit in Game 7
Saturday night. They trailed the Peterborough Lakers 6-4 in the
second period and 6-5 after 40 spectacularly entertaining minutes.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Then three goals in the first 5:19 of
the third period put Six Nations ahead bya pair and they held on for
a 10-7 win that sends them to the Mann Cup for the third time in four
seasons.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Naturally, in a matchup between two
such excellent teams, it took contributions from up and down the
lineup to make it happen. Dillon Ward won the Johnny Shooter Davis
award as playoffs MVP, closing it out with his 45-save performnce.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dhane Smith's 5-point night (3 goals, 2
assists) gave him the playoff scoring lead with 41 points, just one
ahead of his fellow Chiefs righty Dan Dawson.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Austin Staats scored 2 goals and 2
assists, giving the 18-year-old a 33-point playoff run since joining
the team partway through the semis against Brooklin to fill in for
injured lefty forwards.</div>
<a name='more'></a>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Speaking of lefty forwards, no one else
in the series was 4-0 but Cody Jamieson, who strapped on a brace to
support a knee that will need surgery at the end of the season and
sparked his team through his leadership and sheer presence, as well
as the 11 points he scored in those four wins.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As much as their offence and
goaltending contributed, though, defence may well have been the
engine that drove the Chiefs to the Mann Cup this year, where they
will face the Maple Ridge Burrards starting Friday, September 9.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Billy Dee Smith enjoyed his own return
from injury, coming back after minor surgery to join the team with
one game left in the regular season. He was a force to be reckoned
with at the back end and helped the Chiefs D corps coalesce as a unit
through the course of the finals.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“We got Paul Dawson at the trade
deadline. I played one game before Brooklin. It was really late
gelling as a team. You didn't really know what to expect,” Billy
Dee Smith said after the series finale. “You never know with new
guys coming into the group. <i>I</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
didn't know with me coming in that late. Hopefully you're going to be
a good thing for the team. It ends up our defence is really good.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Really
good, indeed. Just ask Ward, who was excellent throughout the series
except in Game 3, and he will deflect plenty of credit to the
defenders who let him see the ball. That is partly modesty from a
goalie at the top of his game, but there's plenty of truth to it as
well. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Bringing
in Paul Dawson at the trade deadline and having Billy Dee Smith come
back injected some of the size and toughness this team was known for
when it won the Mann Cup in 2013 and '14. It wasn't fun for opponents
to face those defences and this year's group is making it less fun to
play against the Chiefs now. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">You
don't really know how often you're going to be back here. You can't
take anything for granted,” Smith said, noting that he and players
like Brodie Merrill, Jon Sullivan and himself are getting older. All
played key roles in the win, along with younger defenders like Ethan
O'Connor—also brought in at the trade deadline—and Jeremy
Thompson. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Austin
Staats is the youngest of the Chiefs and may have scored the most
important goal of the game. Six Nations had pulled ahead for the
first time in the game, taking a 7-6 lead when Dan Dawson connected
at 4:57 of the third. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Shortly
after the ensuing faceoff, Staats took a pass from Stephen Keogh, toe
dragged the ball to elude one defender then drifted a quick overhand
over another defender and just past Matt Vinc's right shoulder under
the crossbar. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2amtfF_kokOqz4K1PkcbLb06R4aBRcUwAYDZ-YYqxEj3t3hnwwJggKpnsCr8VJSVwSmGkjUKJosa_b9YGD9N7cm3pxnsw3UN2OeJ4HkqtUx2Vz0tgYeHpfNacBbPwm4BII35QlXsAHx0/s1600/ward_dillon_chiefs_shooterdavistrophy_prothero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2amtfF_kokOqz4K1PkcbLb06R4aBRcUwAYDZ-YYqxEj3t3hnwwJggKpnsCr8VJSVwSmGkjUKJosa_b9YGD9N7cm3pxnsw3UN2OeJ4HkqtUx2Vz0tgYeHpfNacBbPwm4BII35QlXsAHx0/s400/ward_dillon_chiefs_shooterdavistrophy_prothero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><i>Dillon Ward accepts the Johnny Shooter Davis playoff MVP award.<br />(Photo: Tim Prothero)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Ward
and the defence made their 8-6 advantage hold up for 10 minutes until
Dhane Smith padded the lead at 15:23. That goal effectively sealed
the deal, though Mark Steenhuis and Randy Staats would trade goals in
the final few minutes. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Staats
played like he didn't feel any pressure despite being such a young
player (18 years, five months) on such a big stage. “</span>Pressure
comes along with the big games and a good player always wants to be
in that pressure situation. If you don't like pressure situations you
shouldn't be in this game,” Staats said.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">He
overcame not only pressure but getting banged up repeatedly during
the series. At least four tiomes during the series he had to leave
the floor and go to the dressing room for treatment, only to return
and have an impact each time. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">You
do whatever you can to get a championship and I don't got one of
those right now this summer, so I want to get one. I'll lay my body
on the line for it,” Staats said. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">If he
gets one this summer, it will mark quite a run for the younger
Staats. He won the Founders Cup Jr B championship in 2013 with the
Rebels, the Minto Cup in '14 and '15 with the Arrows, and is seeking
a Mann Cup this year. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Across
the floor, the reality that they won't be hoisting the Mann Cup for
the sixth time in a dozen years weighed heavily on the Lakers, no one
more so than John Grant Jr, who had announced earlier in the year
that this will be his final season of summer lacrosse. Knowing he was
heading into his MSL twilight made the whole process emotional for
Grant, one of the greatest players to ever appear in the league. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">When
you know it's your last one unless you win, it puts a lot of pressure
to play well. I tried not to focus on that. I tried to do what I
needed to do to help this team,” Grant said, fighting back tears at
times. “There were points in the game where I did. I think I just
wasn't able to do it. That's a good team on the other side. We didn't
play well enough to win. That's what every one of us have to think
about. Did we do everything we could? That's why we play this game.
If was easy, everyone would do it. This one's going to hurt. My last
two game sevens at home that I've been a part of we've lost. Not the
way I wanted to end, for sure.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Grant
was referring to the MSL finals two years ago, when the Chiefs
mounted a similar comeback to win on Peterborough's turf in the
deciding game of the finals. But Grant wasn't think about either past
glories or the 2014 series immediately after the game. He was simply
disconsolate that he hadn't been able to deliver another championship
to a franchise that retired his jersey and a hometown that awarded
him the key to the city.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">We
didn't do what we needed to do,” Grant said. “I didn't do what I
need to do to help this franchise win a game. It's going to haunt me
forever.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Teammate
Shawn Evans, the league's regular season scoring leader and MVP,
sounded haunted by what could have been as well. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">I
thought we had a great game tonight, the energy was there. We just
couldn't outlast them in the third period. A couple of loose balls
went the other way, they ended up in the back of the net and we
couldn't recover from it,” Evans said. “They're a good team over
there. It was a long series. It wasn't what we wanted but the guys
battled hard and it's very disappointing. It's another Mann Cup that
was a missed opportunity. That's a couple now that I think we should
have had and we didn't. Those are the ones that sting and come back
to haunt you. It definitely hurts right now and the more I keep
talking, it hurts a little bit more.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Evans
suggested the 3-0 series lead may have left the Lakers a little
complacent, not bringing the determination they needed to close the
Chiefs out. “I think the will to win and veteran players,” he
said. “I don't want to say that but I don't know if we were up 3-0
and thought it was going to get handed to us. Everyone was tasting
next week and not realizing that they've got to put the effort in to
get there. I thought we were more watching than playing.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Kilgour
said the Chiefs acquired a taste for winning the Mann Cup back to
back in '13 and '14. “You win one, you're a real selfish person and
you want two, three, four. We gave one away,” Kilgour said,
referring to losing the MSL finals to the Lakers last year, then
corrected himself right away. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">No,
we didn't give it away, Peterborough beat us. You lose four games. It
wasn't luck. They won, all credit to them. But we were leading going
into the third last year and we coughed it up. I felt we gave one
away last year. The guys really wanted to come back with a vengeance
this year. It took a little bit but we finally did.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now,
after an intense series both physically and emotionally, the Chiefs
will have to regroup, get some rest and get ready to take on the
Burrards starting in five days. With the resilence and tenacity they
showed in winning the MSL finals, it's a safe bet they'll be ready to
go when the whistle blows for the Mann Cup.
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04672724723197224383noreply@blogger.com