Ben Knight & Thistles Forever 
have some views on the Jr "A" season: Enjoy


Radio Free Cabbagetown Jr. A Pre-Season Preview



Apr 11, 2000

Wow! Is it really that time again?

With virtually everyone except Orangeville and St. Catharines
rebuilding, I don't think it's possible to accurately predict how this
league is going to end up. I do believe, however, that The Big Four are
still The Big Four, and that the rest of the league is completely up for
grabs.

THE BIG FOUR:



Orangeville Northmen 

This was a very good team by the end of the 1999 season, and only Bruce 
Codd graduated. Peter Veltman and Jon Harasym are going to light up 
the world this summer. The rumoured attempt to lure Ben Prepchuk from 
Burnaby is, in my opinion, unnecessary. The Horn-Heads are the clear 
pre-season favourite, and will be the team to beat all summer.







Six Nations Arrows 

Vince Hill moves in behind the bench, bringing a stern, strict attitude
that will be very different from what this under achieving team is used
to. All the big scorers are coming back, but graduated pluggers like
Nick Davis, Cal Smith and defensive star John Gallant will be very hard
to replace. If they get a heart transplant, strap on some attitude and
start having fun again, look out. If not...







St.Catharines Athletics: 

They were way too young and inexperienced last year, but they were also
the hardest working team in Jr. A, and had absolutely no quit in 'em.
Craig Conn is a year older, and these hard-charging A's have a chance to
be the most entertaining team in the loop. They have a very real chance
of winning it all in the next couple of years. 







Whitby Warriors 

No matter what their critics say, I can't see these guys falling further
than fourth place. Forget about Prout, O'Neil and Nash. A.J. Shannon and
Mike Morrison are stars, coach Bob Hanna is back, and half this team
already has the Jim Bishop-induced drive and discipline that brought
home last year's Minto Cup. So they're not the best team in the league
anymore. They're still very dangerous.





THE REST:

These rankings are not in order. Near as I can tell, every single one of
these teams has a chance to make a big move up the standings. Games
between these teams should easily be worth the drive and the price of
admission all summer.

Alphabetically:



Brampton Excelsiors 

Coach Ed Comeau says he wants to instill some real discipline in these
guys. If he succeeds, he'll be the only Brampton Jr. A coach who can
make that claim this decade. They've got a long way to go, but nothing
is impossible this year.







Burlington Chiefs 

Buffalo Bandits coach Ted Sawicki steps in behind the bench, seeking to
groom Scott Stewart into the future NLL superstar so many pro coaches
think he is. The supporting cast's not bad, either. What they need is
clear, consistent direction, and a coach who won't blame them for
whatever the heck else is going on in his life. Definitly a team to
watch.







Kitchener-Waterloo Braves 

New coach, new G.M and, no doubt, new problems. The Parson brothers are
great, but they disappeared a lot last year. Aaron Wilson is terrific,
but he needs help. I still think Shawn Kimpinski is going to be a star,
but he'll need to make a huge contribution to get this team into the
playoffs. As for that great Braves bantam team, rumour is most of those
kids are destined for hockey, and may not be interested in staying with
lacrosse.







Mississauga Tomahawks 

Jim Brady brings his act -- and respledent wardrobe -- to Port Credit.
Lee Stewart was drafted in hopes that his brother Scott would sign up.
He didn't. But there's been a lot of outside recruiting, and if Brady
can blend everyone together, he could have a potent mix on his hands.
Jay Preece has a chance to be the league's best goalie. Let's hope that
loud contingent of fans who followed the team to Orangeville in the
playoffs last year actually shows up at a home game. The usual
smothering silence can't be good for team morale.







Orillia Kings 

THEY MUST GET A GOALTENDER!!! That may be the key to the whole deal in
Leacock Land. With Adam Brown gone, the first-string job goes to John
Robertson who, unless he has improved dramatically in the off-season, is
going to get shredded. This was a dynamic, intensely creative team last
year, and Troy Thompson and a healthy Jeff Zywicki should ensure they
stay that way. Make a point of checking these guys out, lacrosse fans.
They're going to be fun.







Peterborough Lakers 

Baffling team last year. They had huge offensive talent and solid
coaching, yet they ran one a simplistic, easy-to-defence attack that
probably cost them more goals than they scored. If Lindsay Plunkett and
Steve Evans really have gone west, the Lakers need help bad. A goalie
would help, too. 







Toronto Beaches 

New organization, and Jim Hickson behind the bench. Good start. There
were a lot of talented youngsters wearing Beach blue last year. It's not
at all out of the question that these guys will be in the playoffs come
July. But scenes like last year's forfeit -- when the only nine players
who showed up voted not to make the trek to Six Nations -- must never,
ever happen again.

The Other View



May 02, 2000



BRAMPTON EXCELSIORS
49th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: 4 - 1952, 1957, 1958, 1959
OLA titles won: 10 - 1922, 1930, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962,
1976, 1994
5 consecutive losing seasons
missed playoffs four straight years
Record in 1990s: 114-152-3
best player in 2000: Thomas Witte
player to watch: Shawn Summerfield - #1 draft pick

Forecast: Can the draft actually work? For three years the Excelsiors
have been trying to build a winner using the draft. The geographic
situation is perfect for Brampton, however are out of town players
willing to play for a bottom team? Holbrough and Forget played last
season, Summerfield and MacDonald should join them this year. But will
their presence be enough to get the Excelsiors into the playoffs? If yes
then many other teams may rethink how they approach the draft. Coach
Comeau was always able to get Burlington into the playoffs. He should
accomplish that with his new young chargers. 
Prediction: 7th place







BURLINGTON CHIEFS
25th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: none
OLA titles won: none
*Semi Finalist in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1988 - swept 4-0 each time
one winning season since 1980
made playoffs 4 straight years
Record in 1990s: 73-151-4
best player in 2000: Scott Stewart - but will he ever live up to all the
hype?
player to watch: Duncan Ross 

Forecast: The Chiefs need their young talent to blossom fast or it will
be a long season. In particular, Mike Daley, Marc Landriault and Jamie
Taylor must all take their games to new levels. No pressure on Coach
Sawicki as no one expects him to succeed. With Jim Brady moving on it
should be a happier team this year. But that Country Club atmosphere has
never won many games in the past.
Prediction: 11th place







KITCHENER-WATERLOO BRAVES
10th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: none
OLA titles won: none
*Semi Finalist in 1992 - lost 4-2 to St.Catharines
one winning season since 1992
missed playoffs last year
Record in 1990s: 89-136-1
best player in 2000: Phillip Parsons
player to watch: Shawn Kimpinski - recovering from broken leg

Forecast: A new regime in Waterloo as Chuck Miller takes control and Bob
Hamley moves behind the bench. Last season was a disaster but it was
going to be a rebuilding season anyway so there was no real loss. This
year the Braves must start to make their move. And it begins with a more
dedicated Phil Parsons living up to his potential. K-W Minor is very
strong so the future should be bright, however the Brown Shirts must
start winning now or the new players, no matter how good they are, will
simply stumble into a well established losing tradition. Goaltending
still too young, which will keep the Braves from the playoffs. Their
pre-season results have been horrendous. This could turn very ugly if
everything goes wrong.
Prediction: 10th place







MISSISSAUGA TOMAHAWKS
13th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: none
OLA titles won: none
*Finalist in 1967, 1968, 1974, 1975 - lost 4-1 in 1968 ending Gaels
perfect season
6 consecutive losing seasons
made playoffs last year
Record in 1990s: 81-156-3
best player in 2000: Rob Kirkby
players to watch: Adam Mitchell & Cory Leigh

Forecast: A big gamble by GM Jack Wilson to bring in Jim Brady. It could
be good or it could be crazy. At least Brady has more young talent than
he had to work with in Burlington. First he must teach the Tommies how
to win. After that everyone can start thinking Mintos. So this is a
stepping stone year as Missy tries to move from the have nots to the
haves. They had the goaltending and defence to carry them far last year.
Offence was the problem and too much still rests on the shoulders of
Derek McPhee.
They'll certainly make the playoffs but whether they can win a series
will determine how successful a year it will be.
Prediction: 6th place







ORANGEVILLE NORTHMEN
10th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: 3 - 1993, 1995, 1996
OLA titles won: 3 - 1993, 1995, 1996
7 consecutive winning seasons
made playoff 9 straight years
Record in 1990s: 212-76-1
best player in 2000: Peter Veltman
Players to watch: Bryan Kazarian with a new attitude & Chad Culp

Forecast: As well organised and well coached a team as there is around,
with a winning tradition to boot! The Northmen should have beaten Six
Nations last year but they could not score. Since then, playmaker Bruce
Codd has gone. So the question remains: does Orangeville have the
firepower to win it all? No question the Northmen have the goaltending
and defence to win a Minto, plus they'll never be outworked, but they
must put the ball in the net. I'm not convinced they have enough guns to
succeed. 
Prediction: 2nd place







ORILLIA KINGS
3rd consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: 3 - 1937, 1939, 1940
OLA titles won: 3 - 1937, 1939, 1940
2 consecutive losing seasons
made playoffs 2 straight years
Record in 1990s: 19-32
best player in 2000: Luke Wiles
player to watch: Jeff Zywicki

Forecast: Zywicki has signed a B card but will dress for the Kings as
much as possible. A huge addition to go along with the underrated Troy
Thompson, the improving Luke Wiles and Ryan Crowther. But they have one
major weakness: inexperienced goaltending. The loss John Robertson may
hurt. Then again it may not. A rumour bringing Matt Roik to Rama has
credibility, especially considering St.Catharines depth in goal. One
thing is certain: the partnership of Devine & Finlayson will do
everything they can to find a proven netminder. Orillia will certainly
make the playoffs but go no further unless Nepean miss the Jr.B playoffs
and Crowther doesn't fade away as he has done in the past.
Prediction: 4th place







PETERBOROUGH LAKERS
42nd consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: 11 - 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1983,
1986, 1987, 1989
OLA titles won: 14 - 1961, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1981,
1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
last losing season 1992
made playoffs 8 straight years
Record in 1990s: 155-127-3
best player in 2000: Scott Evans
player to watch: Scott Self, awesome on man short fast break

Forecast: No Lindsey Plunkett, no Steve Evans and now no Brad Self.
Who's next? Peterborough should have had a contender this season,
instead it will now be a fight just to make the playoffs. Scott Evans
should be something else, if he learns to use his teammates. He was the
league's top goal scorer last year even though he played on the Lakers'
second line. Teamed with his brother's great playmaking skills and he
would have been unstoppable. He should still be good - all the Lakers
have now! The
defence must replace veterans with graduating midgets. Jamie McIntyre is
a fine goalie, with a decent defence in front of him. He held his own
against the Whitby shooters in the '98 playoffs. Major losses on offence
and youth on defence. It was never this way for the Peterborough
Maulers.
Prediction: 9th place







ST.CATHARINES ATHLETICS
19th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: 4 - 1947, 1950, 1990, 1991
OLA titles won: 13 -1914, 1920, 1921, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1947,
1948, 1949, 1950, 1990, 1991
17 consecutive winning seasons
made playoffs 18 straight years
Record in 1990s: 239-98-2
Coach: 
best player in 2000: Craig Conn - next Darris Kilgour
player to watch: Andrew Burkholder

Forecast: Total rebuilding year in '99, yet the A's kept on winning.
Which makes Peterborough's amazing record of 20 consecutive winning
seasons certain to fall. Now the Double Blues add an extraordinary
amount of young talent. This is a dynasty in the making. They have
goaltending and defence(just look at last year's stats) and now they
have offence. But it is a young team and that could prove to be their
downfall in the playoffs. St.Catharines has lost the OLA Final in 1986,
1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1998. Plus Orangeville have owned them
in head to head play over the years. But this is a new year and a new
century. The youthful A's shall begin it as champions.
Prediction: 1st place







SIX NATIONS ARROWS
11th consecutive year in league
Minto Cups won: 1 - 1992
OLA titles won: 2 - 1992, 1998
3 consecutive winning seasons
made playoffs 3 straight years
Record in 1990s: 178-133-4
Coach: Vince Hill(0-0)
best player in 2000: Landon Miller is healthy and one of the few to be
counted on
player to watch: for good or bad Kim Squire is always the one.

Forecast: The best goaltender in the league, plus overwhelming offensive
superiority. It is the Arrows championship to lose. They shall lose it.
Too much can go wrong on this team: Delby Powless overweight indicates a
player who doesn't care. Kim Squire and his passion for slashing legs.
Jason Henhawk being Jason Henhawk. Mike Longboat deciding he doesn't
like it in Six Nations either. Even Ken Montour could let down after his
career best season, as so many junior goalies have done in the past. The
key will be coaching. This squad is uncoachable! The thing to do is to
just throw them on the floor and hope for the best. In spite of all that
could go wrong, come the playoffs these kids will start drooling at the
idea of another trip west and visions of more BC babies! I'm not saying
that they will be champions but all that talent will make them dangerous
right to the bitter end.
Prediction: 3rd place







TORONTO BEACHES
3rd consecutive year in league
Minto Cups won: none
OLA titles won: 5 - 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919
last winning season 1995
last made playoffs 1996
Record in 1990s: 84-115
Coach: Jack Chisholm(0-0)
best player in 2000: Mike McLellan
player to watch: J.D Smithson

Forecast: This team has quite a bit of talent. And they are great at
home - remember how they took Whitby to overtime last year. As usual
Beaches start on the road, which means 3 losses to begin. After that it
will be an uphill fight to make the playoffs. They have the talent to do
it and to be competitive once they make the playoffs, however we are
talking about Toronto Beaches here. Remember, last year their four best
players combined for a grand total of 1 game. Something is bound to go
wrong. Yet in Jim Hinkson, the young Toronto players have one of the
best teachers still living. If things go right they will be a huge
surprise!
Prediction: 8th place







WHITBY WARRIORS
26th consecutive season in league
Minto Cups won: 5 - 1980, 1984, 1985, 1997, 1999
OLA titles won: 8 - 1960, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1997, 1999
6 consecutive winning seasons
made playoffs 7 straight years
Record in 1990s: 193-108-1
Coach: Bob Hanna - Mimico, Oshawa & Whitby(166-93-2)
best player in 2000: A.J Shannon
player to watch: Bill Greer

Forecast: If Whitby had gotten all their Midget grads they would have
been a serious contender. Instead all that potential has gone
to Bowmanville to play for a meaningless Founders Cup, thus the Warriors
must replace a serious talent loss without much new
blood. Fortunately, the Fraziers, Greers, Morrisons and Shannons are
awfully good. Depending on how many games he misses due
to school, A.J Shannon should win the scoring championship. Whitby will
probably start slow but watch out for them in July.
Prediction: 5th place

Radio Free Cabbagetown Jr."A" Lacrosse 
Mid-Term Report



Sunday June 4, 2000

CABBAGETOWN -- Well, the season is nearing its midpoint, and we know a
whole lot more about the strengths and weaknesses of this league than we
did a month ago.

What a season! Lots of close games, lots of apparent upsets -- and still
plenty of doubt about exactly how these eleven teams stack up top to
bottom.

Here, however, is the opinion of one spectator, who's seen ten games in
nine cities so far.

P>S>>> I'm well aware that feelings are running high so far this season,
so I'm going to stress that these rankings are offered purely to spark
discussion, and maybe fill in a few blanks. I'm concerned that the fans
don't seem to be having a whole lot of fun so far. That's a shame,
because this is a great year for OLA Jr. A lacrosse.

Onward!

1) Six Nations Arrows -- As dazzling and
creative as ever, with grit, defence and real commitment thrown in. This
team could have fallen apart after everything it's been through, but
instead they seem to have rediscovered their purpose, and they're
playing some very tasty lacrosse. Vern Hill is fast becoming my
favourite player. They're carrying some very high expectations this
year. Anything less than a Minto Cup is not going to fly in the gorgeous
green hills of the Grand. 

2) Whitby Warriors -- A.J. Shannon we knew
about. Mike Morrison we knew about. Mike Hamilton we knew about. Michael
Calnan is a real surprise -- and a real talent. I had a hunch watching
the Warriors last year that they could have been competitive even
without Prout, Nash, O'Brien, Maynard, et al. Now, I think we have the
proof. They've got to work on their finishing, and they're letting their
goalies face too many shots. But this is going to be an exciting and
dangerous team for years to come.

3) Orangeville Northmen -- A relatively
slow start, but they haven't come close to putting the full team on the
floor yet. Coaches and systems win in Jr. A, and Lindsay Sanderson is
going to be very tough to beat before this thing is over. They're the
only team I haven't seen yet, but they're also the only team that hasn't
really showed up yet. We'll know very soon how good they really are.

4) St. Catharines Athletics -- Yeah, I
know they're ahead of Orangeville in the early going, but they'll have
to stay there till July before I'll be ready to believe it. But that's
not meant to be a knock. These guys are good! They've got Conn -- when
he's healthy -- playing with Mackie, and what a combination! Conn floats
at the top, daring defenders to guess what he's going to do next, while
Mackie turns his back on opponents and bulls them to the crease on sheer
strength and power. It's the most extreme finesse/power pairing in the
league, and it's going to tear defences apart. Also, check out Matt Vinc
in goal. He's getting seriously into the down floor passes, and looks
like he wants to be the next Gee Nash.

5) Mississauga Tomahawks -- Big round of
applause for these guys!
They've already beaten Burlington twice, took out Orillia in overtime on
the road, and drove back overnight to come within a goal of knocking off
the Whitby Warriors. They're running and hustling like fiends, and may
be set to challenge the Arrows as the best loose-ball team in the loop!
Two good young goalies in Preece and Bazylewski, and Jim Brady behind
the bench. Brady's teams either buy his system or they don't, and either
rocket up in the standings or crash. There's no sign these Tommies are
going to crash. This is the team you don't want to play in the first
round of the playoffs.

6) Burlington Chiefs -- Jamie Taylor is
amazing this year, and Scott Stewart -- though maybe still not what
everyone expects -- is just fine, thanks. But coach Ted Sawicki is still
facing a real uphill climb, because the top of this league is set, and
he's already lost twice to Mississauga. 

7) Orillia Rama Kings -- Well, they're not
dull. Scintillating passing, and a goalie (Matt Roik)who led the league
in penalty minutes until he was suspended. They roared back from a 10-3
deficit to tie Six Nations, and almost battled back from a 10-1
landslide in Whitby. Coach Cam Devine's meltdown in that game raises
some concern and question marks, though. The Kings are good, but are
they tough enough to hang in there when the going gets grim?

8) Peterborough Lakers -- I'm driving up
there tonight, and just once I'd like to see the Lakers play with spark,
determination and real attitude. This franchise proved last year that
indifference can more than cancel out talent, and this year they don't
have as much talent. Here's your ranking, guys. Prove me wrong.

9) Toronto Beaches -- Actually, I think
they're probably a couple of spots better than this. They've played
seven out of eight games on the road, and had an extensive collection of
injuries that apparently includes two major operations. Coach Jim
Hinkson has been a great addition, and the Beach Boys are showing great
speed and hustle. But get them near the other team's goal, and they get
lost. Fix that, and these guys are moving up. Garrett Kikot looks like
the goods, by the way.

10) Brampton Excelsiors -- Whitby was
right there for the taking. The game was tied early in the third, and
then down came the dumb penalties. There's some pretty nifty talent on
this team. I'd sign captain Darryl MacDonald in a second. But these
aren't the '94 Excelsiors, who had enough talent to thug their way to
the top. This team has to stay out of the penalty box if they want to
stay out of the cellar.

11) Kitchener-Waterloo Braves -- Getting
better, folks. They beat Peterborough, scared the heck out of St. Kitts,
and even had the cheek to be leading Orangeville after one period up at
the BunnyBarn. The big question has been will the young players step up?
Shawn Kimpinski has been hobbled by injuries, but Matt Bartley has had
some great moments, and goalie Mike Ratcliffe is looking promising as
well. It's still a big mountain, but the climbing drills seem to be
going well.