Poised Major A's Edge Excels
St.Catharines 11, Brampton 10 By TriColOur Saturday June 12, 2004 BRAMPTON -– Fearsome lacrosse juggernaut Brampton Excelsiors with a 7–0 record hosted the St.Catharines Major Athletics on this night in pursuit of their 4th consecutive OLA championship. The current edition of this historic franchise is rich with talent from the 2004 pro National Lacrosse League as their roster contains 7 players from the Toronto Rock, 6 players from the San Jose Stealth, 3 players from the Rochester Knighthawks, plus single players from the Arizona Sting and from the Buffalo Bandits. Included on this year’s Excelsior squad are Blaine Manning, Josh Sanderson, Colin Doyle and Dan Dawson, all of whom were in the top ten NLL scorers this past season. Though Doyle would miss tonight’s contest, the star-studded depth of this team still makes it a formidable foe. Cast in the role of David in tonight’s drama would be the 0-5 St. Catharines Major Athletics. The slow start to this team’s season belies not only its core talent level and its coaching expertise, but also the overall high expectations they carried into training camp after a breakout 2003 season. Perhaps a two-week layover after the cancellation of last weekend’s home game could provide the opportunity to regroup and retool this team into the vision many held for them. But they would need to find a way to slay Goliath if they hoped to end their losing streak here and now. The Excelsiors would win the opening draw and quickly force A’s starting goalie Matt Roik to make a couple of big saves in the early seconds of this match. For the BE fans just settling into their seats the impression must have been that the lacrosse universe was unfolding as planned. But on the A’s first down-floor possession, the BE defense left 6 year St.Catharines veteran Doug Larocque unguarded on goalie Brandon Miller’s doorstep for a quick pass and a goal just a minute into this game. Just nearly 5 minutes later BE would dig themselves into a bit of hole with a pair of simultaneous penalties, one to Blaine Manning for his hold on the fast-breaking Mark Steenhuis and the other to Josh Sanderson for his ill-wishes offered to referee Roger Nurse. Steenhuis would convert just 7 seconds into the 2-man advantage before Mark Landriault would supply the A’s another powerplay marker and give Sanderson an early exit from the penalty box. The Athletics had jumped to a 3 – 0 start. At the 13:09 mark of period one, the A’s Tony Henderson’s check on Phil Sanderson threw the BE player into the boards awkwardly and warranted a 5 minute penalty for boarding. Fortunately the BE star showed no lasting effects of that collision. In the ensuing power play, BE would set up and put some sustained pressure on goalie Roik. But the backstop from last year’s Mann Cup winning Victoria Shamrocks made some outstanding saves to bar the door. An unexpected BE errand pass would end up in the stick of A’s speedster Pat McCready with a clear 120 foot path to the Brampton net. After some quick steps to mid-court, the unselfish McCready realized that sniper Steenhuis was tagging along with him and leisurely tossed the ball back to his Buffalo Bandit teammate for the unchallenged breakaway and short-handed goal. The visitors had opened up a 4 – 0 lead. The Excelsior power play would get on track with a couple very similar goals just 23 seconds apart. On both, the ever-dangerous Josh Sanderson playing at the right cornerman position would hit Dan Teat with a quick pass as the left creaseman would sneak into a good shooting position about 12 feet in front of the goalie. The Excelsiors had cut into the A’s lead and trailed 4 – 2 going into the first intermission. The second period would start just as the first had with BE winning the face-off and immediately forcing Roik to make a big save, this time on Kevin Dance in alone on the netminder. The Excelsiors dominated the draws all night long and usually put the A’s on their heels after each face-off. The Excelsiors seemed to be gaining momentum as Josh Sanderson scored on a fine individual effort at the 2:50 mark. The diminutive dynamo was handed the ball as he stepped off his bench and began running a wide cross-floor arc the culminated with him breaking towards the net at full speed, blowing past a stationary A’s defender, and bouncing an over-hand shot past the befuddled goaltender. Just about 2 and a half minutes later, Kevin Dance would get another chance after a Manning setup and this time make no mistake to notch the game at 4 each. BE threatened to take the lead shortly after as Luke Forget was sent in alone on Roik, only to have the Dunville native wave his arm out at the last moment to block the hard shot. Soon after, the A’s Tony Henderson would get an important goal to stem the tide with an explosive 30-foot blast that eluded Miller. Quick-footed Mark Steenhuis is a hard person to pin down and often draws holding penalties from the opposition, this time from John Harasym. Landriault would then steal a play from the Dan Teat playbook by sneaking out to the slot position to receive a quick pass before delivering his second power play goal of the night. 6 to 4 for the south-shore Athletics at the 12:29 mark of period 2. But another Brampton rally was to erupt and give the home side their first lead of the evening. At 12:47, Andy Secord would pick up a rebound after another sensational Roik save and deposit the ball into the net past the prone goalie. The Excelsiors would score 2 more in rapid succession, the second from Arizona Sting standout Dan Dawson as the tall man moved into position in front of Roik and waved his stick from the skylights before firing a shot into the bottom left corner. The Excelsiors were in the lead 7 – 6. But the new-look A’s wouldn’t relent on this night as Badger Mike Hominuk got the equalizer on a bounce shot into the right side before the end of the second period. It was a 7 to 7 nail biter going into the second intermission. BE coach Terry Sanderson must provide the right motivation as BE came out the gate flying again at the start of the third. And again Roik was equal to the task with big saves on the talented Brian Kazarian and on crafty Dan Teat. Roik would seem to take an ill-timed penalty as he charged former A’s draft pick Patrick Merrill as the BE star was looking back for a pass. But a shorthanded tally from the stick of Aaron Wilson at 3:08 would launch a three-goal Athletics run. Wilson playing in his second game for the A’s and recording his first goal for them is a nice addition to this team. The A’s Rob Taylor would score on a Roik delivered breakway at 4:33 before Merrill would get a holding penalty on Steenhuis and Tony Henderson would convert on the power play. It was 10 – 7 for the visitors at the 6:07 mark. The teams would trade goals to make it 11 – 8 for the A’s midway through the third before Coach Sanderson starting pulling goalie Miller on the run to press the attack. They would be rewarded by a couple of goals before too long to make it a tight run to the finish. The first from Teat in a mirror image goal to his 2 earlier ones and the second at 14:36 after a quick pass to left creaseman John Harasym. Both goals set up masterfully by field general Josh Sanderson. The last 5 minutes would continue to feature mostly 6 on 5 lacrosse as BE pressed for the equalizer but a poised team from St.Catharines held on for their first sweet taste of victory this season. Final score: St. Catharines 11, Brampton 10. The old adage that any team can beat another team on a given night is certainly true and normally a team winning its first game after 5 losses shouldn’t get too comfortable. But what impressed me about this St.Catharines team beyond the skill and determination they showed tonight was the greatly elevated level of discipline they showed. Foolish penalties, often the selfish retaliatory kind, have been the trademark of this squad in the early going. None of that was evident tonight despite BE’s best attempt to draw them out at times. A good amount of credit should go to coaches Hinkson, Bartley & company for getting them playing as a team as well as the collective maturity levels of the players for buying into it. Perhaps the 7-0 Excelsiors took the visitors lightly going into this one as is human. But they were surprised to find an opponent much tougher than expected. Hopefully, a sign of things to come. Next game for the St.Catharines Major Athletics will be this coming Friday night when the entertaining Six Nations Chiefs pay their second and final regular season visit to the Bill Burgoyne Arena, this time with young phenom Delby Powless in the lineup. Brampton will be the mecca of lacrosse next Saturday as the Excelsiors battle rival Brooklin, preceded by Midget and by the Jr A all-star games and the Toronto Rock Roadshow.

Physical Play Can’t Carry Warlords Into Win Column Loss To Visiting Guelph Drops Welland To 1-16 Guelph 17, Welland 10 By DAN CHARUK: Welland Tribune Photo By Kevin Argue Saturday June 12, 2004 WELLAND -- It is too bad for the Welland Warlords that there are only three games remaining in the regular junior B season. If they could only have received an effort like the one they got Friday night in a 17-10 loss to the visiting Guelph Regals from the start of the year, they might have been in a position to make a playoff run. The Warlords battled the Regals for three periods, coming back from a multitude of deficits, but they were never able to battle all the way back, losing their 16th game of the season. Greg Reid, general manager of the Warlords, said some sloppy play in the first and second periods cost his team a chance at earning its second win of the season. “It was a little better effort in the third,” he said. “I thought in the first two periods we did a terrible job of picking up loose balls. Guys were not sacrificing themselves for loose balls, and that’s what wins games.” Friday’s match was perhaps the most physical game Welland has played at home all season. The Warlords challenged Guelph for every inch of space which left Regals coach Derek Davey upset following the game. “That team, they don’t play lacrosse,” he said of the Warlords. “They were out there trying to hurt guys. They’re not a good team and their record shows it. They’re a dirty team. I was happy with the win and to get out of this town.” Reid disagreed with Davey. He said his squad played within the rules and when they overstepped their bounds the officials were there to hand out the penalties. “The guys are starting to figure out that when they hit other teams, they start to get a little nervous with the ball,” said Reid. “I think liberties were being taken both ways and the refs let them play. “It was a game where you gave to gauge what you’ve got for referees and figure out what they’re calling and what they’re not calling and take everything you can possibly get.” Guelph jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, before Welland battled back to make it 5-4. Guelph outscored Welland 5-1 in the second period to widen the gap, but the Warlords netted a pair early in the third to draw close again. It was not to be, however, as Guelph went on a rampage, scoring the next four in a row to put the game out of reach. The teams traded three goals each to round out the scoring. Davey gave Welland credit for its spirit, but said his team was too powerful for the Warlords. “I give them credit, they stayed close with us for a while,” he said. “Toward the end of the game the talent came out. We were able to keep going in the third where they were tired.” Morgan Montour and Herbie John led the attack for the Warlords with three goals each. Andrew Stokes, Jody Pembleton Jr., Chris Betz and Ira Sowden had the others. Edward Fox should have had a pair as well, but he was thwarted by the goal post on two separate occasions. Reid said it is nice to see things starting to come together for his squad on the offensive side of the ball. “The creativity on offence has certainly been a lot better in the second half of the year,” he said. “It’s got better since we’ve picked up some of these new players and it can only keep getting better.” The Warlords hit the road for a pair of contests next week. They are in St. Catharines to play the Spartan Warriors Thursday at 8:30 p.m. and head north to Owen Sound to play the Flying Dutchmen Saturday at 7 p.m. The only Warlord in action this weekend will be Jamieson Whitehead. He is Welland’s lone representative in today’s all-star game in Nepean.

Rebels Give Devils The Blues Six Nations 13, London 3 Friday June 11, 2004 OHSWEKEN -– Six Nations Rebels keep pulling pressure on the second-place, Spartan Warriors to keep up with them in the South West Division, as the Rebels humbled London Blue Devils 13-3 Friday night at the Gaylord Powless Arena. The Rebels win gives them 28 (14-3-0) points on the 2004 OLA Jr B regular season after 17 games and a four-point lead over the Warriors with their 24 (12-3-0) points, but Spartan has two-games in hand. It may come down to the final two regular season meetings between the two clubs as the Rebels will host Spartan on Friday, June 18th at 8:30 p.m. then travel to Merriton Arena for the season finale on Thursday, June 24th for a 8:30 p.m. game. Six Nations will travel to Windsor on Saturday, June 19th for a 7 p.m. start to play the AKO Fratmen, while Spartan has two games against Six Nations as well as against Welland Warlords (June 17th), Niagara Thunderhawks (June 20th) and Wallaceburg Red Devils (June 26th) in their season finale. Back to the Friday night contest; It was a slow paced game with the Rebels taking a 3-1 lead after a lacklustre first 20 minutes of action with Six Nations outshooting their visitors 18-14. It was all Six Nations in the second period as the Rebels goalie, Ross Bucktooth shutout London 6-0 for a 9-1 Six Nations lead heading into the third. It was Rebels game MVP, Jarred Cayuga netting the eventual game-winning goal just 2:46 into the middle frame. The Rebels held a 21-14 edge in shots during the second period. Early in the third, London had a quick burst of offense as their game MVP, Brent Yost bulged the twine in just 27 seconds to give the Blue Devils fans a glimmer of hope. But it would not be a story book comeback tonight as Rebels goalie, Bucktooth would not allow another goal in the game. Six Nations outshot London 16-14 in the third and 55-42 overall for the entire contest. Dean Hill would lead the Rebels with a 6 (2G, 4A) point performance. Cody Jacobs (2G, 2A) and Keegan Hill (4A) had four point games. Rebels MVP, Jarred Cayuga (3G), Kent Squire (2G, 1A) and Huey Johnson (3A) all had 3-points each. Holden Vyse (1G, 1A), Chris Courtney (1G, 1A), Chancey Hill (1G, 1A), Rebels’ captain, Mike Montour (2A) and Ely Longboat (2A) had a pair of points for Six Nations. Single Rebel points were by Kyle Point (1G) and Darren Jaekle (1A). London was led by their game MVP, Brett Yost with his two-goals with Riley Thompson scoring the other Blue Devils goal. Single London helpers were by Dan Strickland, Cam Brown and Jeff Silver. The first-place Rebels (14-3-0) next game is their final regular season home game against Spartan (12-3-0) on Friday, June 18th at 8:30 p.m. at the Gaylord Powless Arena. OTHER REBELS NEWS – Cody Jacobs and Dean Hill will travel to Nepean for the annual OLA Jr B All-Star game and Skills Competition on Saturday, June 12th. GAME SUMMARY London Blue Devils Lineup 29. Justin Phelps (Starting Goalie) 00. Rollie Hill (Backup Goalie) 8. Jay Leroy 9. Cam Brown 10. Marco Salo “C” 11. Josh Brown 17. Brent Yost “A” 19. Dan Strickland “A” 21. Jeff Silver 24. Mike Watson "AP" 25. Ed Mazurek 33. Steve Kewley “AP” 39. Riley Thompson “AP” 42. Ken Duggan 47. Ben Salo 66. Ford Anderson “AP” 77. Davie Bumstead 88. Grant Thomas 99. Harley Antone Head Coach: Chris Standish Six Nations Rebels Lineup 00. Ross Bucktooth (Starting Goalie) 00. Mike Willis (Backup Goalie) 2. Scott Courtney 4. Kevin Bucktooth 5. Holden Vyse 6. Kyle Point 7. Chris Courtney 8. Keegan Hill 10. Darren Jaekle 11. Mike Montour “C” 16. Dean Hill “A” 17. Jake Henhawk 19. Jarred Cayuga 20. Chancey Hill 21. Trevor Henhawk 22. Cole Jamieson “AP” 23. Ely Longboat 24. Huey Johnson “A” 25. Kent Squire 26. Cody Jacobs Head Coach: Mike Montour Scoring London Blue Devils 1-0-2= 3 Six Nations Rebels 3-6-4= 13 Shots London Blue Devils 14-14-14= 42 Six Nations Rebels 18-21-16= 55 Penalties London Blue Devils 0-0-8= 8 Six Nations Rebels 4-0-9= 13 1st Period 1. Six Nations, 26-Cody Jacobs (8-Keegan Hill and 24-Huey Johnson) 2:32 2. London, 39-Riley Thompson (19-Dan Strickland) 4:48 3. Six Nations, 25-Kent Squire (8-Keegan Hill and 26-Cody Jacobs) 6:06 4. Six Nations, 19-Jarred Cayuga (16-Dean Hill) 14:37 Penalties - 1. Six Nations 21-Trevor Henhawk (Interference) 7:52; 2. Six Nations 5-Holden Vyse (Interference) 17:02 2nd Period 5. Six Nations, 19-Jarred Cayuga 2 (16-Dean Hill and 23-Ely Longboat) 2:46 (GWG) 6. Six Nations, 20-Chancey Hill (7-Chris Courtney and 10-Darren Jaekle) 8:35 7. Six Nations, 16-Dean Hill (23-Ely Longboat) 9:27 8. Six Nations, 26-Cody Jacobs 2 (25-Kent Squire and 8-Keegan Hill) 10:16 9. Six Nations, 25-Kent Squire (24-Huey Johnson and 8-Keegan Hill) 14:15 10. Six Nations, 19-Jarred Cayuga 3 (16-Dean Hill and 11-Mike Montour) 18:19 Penalties - No Penalties Goal Change – London 00-Rollie Hill replaces 29-Justin Phelps @ 10:16 3rd Period 11. Six Nations, 5-Holden Vyse (26-Cody Jacobs and 24-Huey Johnson) 1:41 12. London, 17-Brent Yost (9-Cam Brown) 3:41 13. London, 17-Brent Yost 2 (21-Jeff Silver) 4:08 14. Six Nations, 7-Chris Courtney (Unassisted) 9:12 15. Six Nations, 16-Dean Hill 2 (11-Mike Montour) 11:31 16. Six Nations, 6-Kyle Point (20-Chancey Hill and 16-Dean Hill) 14:59 Penalties - 3. London 66-Ford Anderson (Tripping) 4:26; 4. Six Nations 16-Dean Hill (Slash) 6:37; 5. London 66-Ford Anderson (Rough) 17:48; 6. London 9-Cam Brown (Rough) 17:48; 7. Six Nations 5-Holden Vyse (Rough) 17:48; 8. Six Nations 26-Cody Jacobs (5-minute Unnecessary Roughness) 17:48; 9. London 17-Brent Yost (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 19:00

Northmen Back On Winning Track Face Whitby, Brampton This Weekend Orangeville 10, Burlington 7 By MIKE RAWN: Orangeville Banner Friday June 11, 2004 ORANGEVILLE -- The Rayburn Construction Junior A Northmen rebounded quickly from their only loss of the season, defeating the Burlington Chiefs 10-7 on Monday night. The Northmen improved to 5-1-1 on the season, with their only loss coming June 4 against St. Catharines. It was the Chiefs, a much improved team from last season, that held a 3-1 lead after one period of play. The lone Northmen goal came from Brady Campbell, assisted by Jamie Kirk and Matt DeCaire. "When you look at Burlington in the standings and see they have four losses, you think it's going to be an easier touch," noted Northmen assistant coach Gregg MacDonald. "But they're a big club, strong physically. We're a younger club, smaller than most teams. We're going to have to compete every night." The Northmen got back on track in the second period, with three straight goals from Jon Mason, Jeff Ivey and Daryl Veltman to take a 4-3 lead. Burlington converted a two-on-one before the end of the second period to even things up. "The first two periods we played really strong," said MacDonald. "We made one mistake in the second period and it cost us a goal, but we outscored them 3-1 in the period. Although it's not a high scoring game, we're still doing things right defensively and the goals will come. It's just the way the league is. The average goals per game are all below nine and 10." The Northmen, on goals from Mason and Veltman, opened up a two-goal lead early in the third period. Orangeville goalie Scott Paterson misplayed a ball off the back boards which led to Burlington's fifth goal, but Nate Sanderson got that back two minutes later with a long outside shot that found the bottom corner of the net. The teams then exchanged a pair of goals, with Veltman and Ivey scoring for Orangeville. Things turned physical as the game wound down, with Mason, Darren Halls and Anthony Lackey all serving five-minute majors for fighting. "They are bigger and stronger, so they're going to try and have a presence that way," said MacDonald. "Down here they try to play more physical. Maybe they sensed that we're a younger, smaller team and they wanted to take advantage of that. But our guys showed up." Cody Richardson rounded out the scoring with his first ever Junior A goal, an empty net marker as time expired. The Northmen return home for weekend games against Whitby (Friday, 8 p.m.) and Brampton (Sunday, 7 p.m.). Both games will take place at the Alder Street arena. Orangeville will have to win these games without the help of team captain Brad MacDonald and Ryan Emilio, who are both out with injuries. "We're looking around the league to see what's available, maybe fill a gap as we make a run for the playoffs," said MacDonald. "The next couple of games, we've got Whitby, Brampton and Whitby again in their arena, those next three games are going to be a big part of our schedule." Following the game the Northmen announced that Mike Noble, Halls and Kris Bryan will represent the team at the annual All-Star Game, to be held Saturday, June 19 in Brampton.

Warriors Stage Another Comeback Stingy Defence Leads To 9-6 Win Over Brampton By John Herron: durham.com Friday June 11, 2004 WHITBY -- It sure looked rather painful to get anywhere near Whitby Warriors' goaltender Rick Passfield during Tuesday night's 9-6 win over the visiting Brampton Excelsiors. A physical defence led the Jr. A lacrosse club to its fourth win in a row, as Whitby improved to 5-2-0 on the season and moved into a three-way tie for second spot in the Ontario Lacrosse Association standings. The stifling defensive play improved the Warriors to a perfect 5-0 at home. In the beginning, Brampton was able to withstand the bone-jarring checks dished out by defenceman Matt Carroll and the Whitby defenders by scoring on a couple seeing-eye shots from the perimeter. The Excelsiors entered the dressing room after the first period with a 4-3 lead. As in recent outings, the Warriors were able to erase the narrow deficit. Late in the second period Tyler Perry's ninth goal of the season gave the Warriors a 6-5 lead which they wouldn't surrender. The defence elevated its play another notch from that point, allowing only one third-period goal en route to the victory. Warriors coach Jeff McComb was pleased with his team's effort, mounting another one of their many comebacks this season. "We were down 5-3 against Mississauga last week and came and won that game," says the smiling coach. "The week before we were down against Kitchener 8-4 and won that one and tonight we were down after the first period. I love that because it shows that our team is gaining more character as we go along. We know that we have enough firepower, defence and goaltending to get back in any game." McComb also spoke highly of the defensive display put on by the Warriors. "Rick Passfield played outstanding in goal for us tonight and the last two periods we played great defence in front of him after making a couple of adjustments." Whitby travels to Orangeville tonight for their first encounter of the season against the Northmen (5-1-1). The teams will play a rematch at Iroquois Park Sports Centre on Tuesday at 8 p.m. NOTES: Also scoring in Tuesday's victory were Josh Colley (7,8), Zack Greer (13), Kyle O'Brien (13,14), Ryan Sharp (9), Tyler Perry (9,10), and Matt Savoie (2). Shawn Stephens, Colley and Greer also chipped in three assists...General manager Bob Hanna was behind the bench in place of assistant coach Steve Toll who had other commitments.

KC Lakers Drop Close One To Brampton Excelsiors Brampton 7, Peterborough 5 Thursday June 10, 2004 BRAMPTON -- The Kawartha Chrysler Lakers fought hard but it wasn't enough as they dropped a 7-5 decision to the defending OLA champion Brampton Excelsior's tonight in Brampton. The Lakers gave up 5 power play goals. Coach Jamie Batley said, "we were good even strength but we didn't score on our powerplay when we had the chance." "It was a 6-5 game with one and a half minutes to play. You are never happy with a loss but we did play well." said Batley. The Lakers got goals from Brandon Sanderson, Matt Giles, Dan Carey, Tim Burke and Brad Self. Pat O'Toole played a great game in net and kids will get a chance to shoot on the NLL star this Sunday night during the 2nd intermission when the Lakers host the Windsor Warlocks at 7PM. It's Kids night and all kids will be admitted free. They can bring their sticks and helmets and test their skill against the Lakers goaltender and NLL All-Star. Tim Dalliday Media Director KC Lakers Lacrosse Club tdalliday@sympatico.ca 749.3021

Watson Outduels O'Toole Brampton 7, Peterborough 5 By ROBIN INSCOE: Brampton Guardian Thursday June 10, 2004 BRAMPTON -- The Brampton Excelsiors can thank goaltender Bob Watson that their record is still unblemished in Ontario Lacrosse Association action. The defending Ontario champs upped their record to 7-0 with a 7-5 decision over the Peterborough Lakers on Thursday at the Brampton Centre for Sports and Entertainment. But it was Watson who was the star of the show, outduelling Lakers netminder Pat O'Toole for the win. "Watson was definitely the first star," admitted Excelsiors assistant coach Matt Sawyer after the contest. "It was a goaltending clinic put on by both teams." Watson was called on to make several big stops as the Lakers employed a fast break successfully on numerous occasions. On one shift, while shorthanded, the quick break earned the Lakers two breakaways. Watson was up to the challenge on the first but Peterborough's Mat Giles made no mistake on the second chance. "We gave up that shorthanded goal but got it right back on the same power play," said Sawyer. "That's the sign of a good team." In fact, the Excelsiors kept coming back to take the lead all night. They had five one-goal leads through the first two periods before finally going up by two early in the final frame. Colin Doyle held the hot hand for the Excelsiors, picking up three goals and three assists on Brampton's seven markers. Josh Sanderson chipped in with a goal and four helpers while Dan Teat scored once and assisted on two more. Blaine Manning added two points, a goal and an assist while Jon Harasyn added the other Brampton marker. Dan Dawson, Phil Sanderson and Chris Driscoll all chipped in with single assists. SCORING SUMMARY LAKERS: Brad Self (1,1), Steve Evans (0,2), Jason Clark (0,2), Scott Self (0,1), Brian Coswell (0,1), Matt Giles (1), Dan Carey (1), Brandon Sanderson (1), Tim Burke (1), Cory Leigh (0,1) EXCELSIORS: Colin Doyle (3,3), Josh Sanderson (1,4), Dan Teat (1,2), Blaine Manning (1,1), Dan Dawson (0,1), Phillip Sanderson (0,1), Jon Harasym (1), Chris Driscoll (0,1)

Weak Start Hurts Devils Sarnia 11, London 6 By BRIAN WHITWHAM: London Free Press Thursday June 10, 2004 LONDON -- The London Blue Devils' playoff hopes were severely strained last night after a much-needed victory escaped them in a 11-6 loss to Sarnia. The junior B lacrosse club had won three of the last five meetings but the Devils slipped into old habits they thought they had beaten. A weak first period left them down 5-1 in front of about 150 fans at Nichols Arena. Head coach Chris Standish said the Devils' poor start was reminiscent of their play earlier in the season. "We couldn't take it to Sarnia. We just didn't have the intensity," Standish said, adding that the team had also been hit with the injury bug. Injuries from the weekend forced them to play without key players, including Ryan Pare and Shaun Clinton, the second and third highest-scoring players. "But the team that was here tonight could have won if it weren't for that first period," Standish said. The Devils also had trouble burying their shots, another bad habit that Standish said the team had beaten. On at least six occasions, break-away scoring opportunities were wasted by players missing the net. "We created lots of opportunities but we just couldn't hit the spots," Standish said. The team also showed a lack of discipline at key points in the game, which prevented them from building any rhythm. Two of the Pacers' five first-period goals were on the power play. In the second period, the Devils wasted power-play opportunities by retaliating after the whistle. And while they were trying to fight back from a three-goal deficit in the third period, Dan Strickland took a slashing penalty and Jay Leroy was given a five-minute major for hitting with the butt-end of his stick. The Pacers popped the 10th goal on the ensuing power-play with just over a minute left in the game. The loss leaves the Devils with a 4-11 record and four points away from second place in the division, held by Windsor and Wallaceburg. That means they need to win three of their next five games, which include weekend matches with Six Nations and Elora. GAME GLANCE Pacers 11, Blue Devils 6 Sarnia goals: Mike Fleming 4, Jessie Thompson 3, Jeff Sauve, James Hornblower, Chris Fox London goals: Jeff Silver 2, Brent Yost, Jay leroy, Dave Bumstead, Josh Brown Next: London plays at Six Nations tomorrow.

Woes Continue For Warlords Team All But Out Of Playoff Picture Six Nations 19, Welland 3 By DAN CHARUK: Welland Tribune Photo By Kevin Argue Thursday June 10, 2004 - 09:00 WELLAND -- There was no protesting this one. The Welland Warlords were beaten by a far-superior team Wednesday night as the Six Nations Red Rebels laid a 19-3 thumping on the Warlords at Welland Arena. The experienced Rebels squad jumped out to a quick lead scoring early, and often, on the Warlords. Greg Reid, general manager of the Warlords, said his team didn’t stand much of a chance against perhaps the top junior B lacrosse team in Ontario. “We were hoping for a much more competitive performance, though,” he said. “I will say we did have 10 affiliated players in the lineup. This has become an exercise now in the last five games of looking at talent for next year.” The Rebels were coming off a 13-12 overtime loss to the Owen Sound Flying Dutchmen Sunday and their head coach Mike Montour said they took out their frustrations on the Warlords. “We usually come back good after a loss,” he said. “We’ve only lost three all year, so usually our next game we come back. We just need a wakeup call once in a while.” Six Nations scored eight times in the first and the first four goals in the second before Welland got on the scoreboard with a pair of goals. The Rebels scored the next six goals, however, before the Warlords put their final tally in the net. Six Nations added one more in the final four minutes to round out the scoring. Casey Hill was outstanding in goal for the Warlords, despite giving up 19 goals. He faced 74 shots, many of the difficult variety. The officials had to halt play on numerous occasions so Hill could catch his breath and get a drink of water from the bench. “I think we’ve found ourselves a goalie who’s a real gammer,” Reid said of Hill’s performance. “There’s a guy who played right to exhaustion. He’s just one real class kid. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him.” Cody Jacobs led the attack for Six Nations. The league-leading goal scorer and point getter added to his totals with seven goals and two assists. Dean Hill added three for Six Nations, while Holden Vyse and Ely Longboat had two each and singles went to Chris Courtney, Mike Montour, Kent Squire, Jarred Cayuga and Cole Jamieson. The score could have been much closer. The Warlords had eight breakaway chances in the game, but were only able to cash in on one of them. “I think it gets down to a confidence thing,” said Reid. “When you’re down that much, and you’ve got a breakaway, you start gripping the stick a little tight.” All three of the Warlords goals came from affiliate players. Brad McConnery, Andrew Stokes and Ira Sowden all found the back of the net. Welland won’t have much time to regroup from the loss. The Warlords, who dropped to 1-15 with last night’s loss, return to action Friday when they host the Guelph Regals at 8 p.m. Reid said it will be another chance for the players and coaches to evaluate the players for next season.

Athletics Strike Early, Often In Win A's Score 5 Times In First 2 Minutes Of Game St.Catharines 17, Orillia 9 By Bill Potrecz: St.Catharines Standard Thursday June 10, 2004 ST.CATHARINES -- It hasn’t taken Kevin Floris very long to fit in with the St. Catharines Athletics. In fact, Floris looks more like a seasoned veteran than a 16-year-old rookie with only a handful of junior A games under his belt. Floris continued to impress with a seven-point outburst Wednesday to lead the Niagara Fitness Athletics past the Orillia Kings 17-9 before about 300 fans at Bill Burgoyne Arena. “It makes me feel great to join the Minto Cup team and come right in and sign my card and stuff,” Floris said. The Niagara Fitness Athletics are now 6-3 and tied for top spot in the Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior A standings with Toronto Beaches. Toronto is 6-2 with a game in hand. The A’s are back in action Friday in Mississauga and Monday at Toronto. They play host to Six Nations next Wednesday. Floris chipped in with three goals and four assists as the A’s manhandled the Kings, who fell to 3-6. Floris, a 16-year-old Grade 10 student at Niagara District High School, played junior B last season with the Niagara Thunderhawks, where he was one of the go-to guys on offence. He’s been able to continue to chip in offensively with the A’s — he has seven goals and 17 points in seven games — but has also played well at both ends of the floor. “It’s been a big difference,” Floris said of the jump to junior A. “In junior B I just played offence but here they want me to play a man down so I just do what they ask.” Floris is the third member of his family to suit up for the A’s, following in the footsteps of older brothers Greg and current A’s captain Jamie. “I’ve never played with any of my brothers in my life, so it’s been a great experience playing with Jamie,” Kevin said. “He protects me and I protect him.” THE SCOOP A's 17 Kings 9 Standard Star of the Game: A’s Kevin Floris with seven points. For the St. Catharines A’s: Floris 3; Devin Sartor 3; Frank Restartis 2; Matt Hajek 2; Sean Kimpinski 2; Dylan Llord 2; Corey Small, Todd Greenhalgh, Don McIlroy. For the Orillia Kings: Jason Mainer 2; John Kerr 2; Jackson Gair, Chad Thompson, Brent Balkwill, Greg Elvins, Jeff Cowden. Game stats: Shots on goal: by St. Catharines on Derek Gordon/Kyle Carnduff (57), by Orillia on Mike Attwood/Ryan Fowler (43); Power plays: St. Catharines 1-5, Orillia 1-4; Penalty minutes: St. Catharines 17, Orillia 19. Up next: A’s are in Mississauga Friday and Toronto Monday. They play host to Six Nations next Wednesday at 8 p.m. At 6-foot-3 and still growing, it’s debatable how much help Kevin needs from his older, but smaller brother. What’s not up for discussion is Kevin’s natural talent. “He’s a combination of the other two brothers,” A’s coach Don Smith said. “He’s probably a little more offensive minded than Jamie or Greg were.” Smith said he’s not the least bit surprised how well or how quickly the youngest Floris has fit in. “We expected pretty much what we’re getting,” Smith said. “We brought him up for seven games last year and if the team hadn’t been so strong he probably would have been up here instead of playing junior B in Niagara-on-the-Lake. “I’ve known him his whole life and he’s grown up in an arena. He’s got that sense for the game. He’s smart and he seems to be in the right spot and you can’t teach size.” Floris also has a bright future on the ice. He was drafted by the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League and plans to attend their training camp this fall. “Right now, I just want to play both until one team says I can’t,” said Floris, who played junior C hockey last season in Chippawa. “Whatever comes first I’m going to take.” Floris said if he doesn’t stick in Oshawa, he’d be interested in playing junior B with the defending Golden Horseshoe champion Thorold Blackhawks where Jamie is a defenceman. The A’s put this one away early, scoring five times before the two-minute mark of the first period. Three of those goals were short-handed. St. Catharines led 7-1 after one period and 12-5 after two. Back-up Ryan Fowler took over for starter Mike Attwood in goal for the A’s late in the first period. Smith said Fowler will likely get the start Friday in Mississauga. A’s acorns: A’s Ian Llord celebrated his 19th birthday on the sidelines with a shoulder injury.... A’s Corey Small tangled with the Kings Cade Daikoff in the lone fight of the night, a split decision in favour of Small.... The Kings changed goaltenders four times, rotating starter Kyle Carnduff and Derek Gordon in and out.

Shamrocks Show Discipline In Win Ennismore 11, Brooklin 10 OT By BOB FEAVER: Peterborough Examiner Thursday June 10, 2004 ENNISMORE -- One team showed discipline and one team didn’t. That combination usually spells victory for the disciplined team and it was no different last night at Ennismore arena. Ennismore Spanky’s Harley Davidson/Buell of Peterborough exercised discipline while Brooklin Merchants shot themselves in the foot too many times, allowing Ennismore an 11-10 OLA senior B overtime victory. Brian Croswell picked up a loose ball, stepped around a Brooklin defender and whipped a sidearm shot past goalie Mike Wye for the winning goal with 41 seconds left in the full 10-minute overtime period. It was the first time all night Ennismore hit the net to get a reset as the 30-second shot clock ran out. Both teams had scored twice earlier after regulation ended 8-8. “What it really came down to was our team discipline,” Ennismore head coach Joe Sullivan said. “Whether it was how we ran our offence, how we ran our defence or just staying out of the box. We played the number one ranked team in the country and lost 10-6 (Saturday). We took 72 minutes in penalties. We gave them 28 minutes on the power play. We kind of shot our foot off before we could get ourselves going. “The guys had, probably, a half-hour meeting after the game. They sat in there and they talked about it as a group and they came out tonight and that’s the least amount of penalties we’ve gotten all year. They didn’t retaliate on the stuff typically they would have.” Sullivan said it didn’t concern him that the Shamrocks hit the post three times in the last two minutes with the score tied 8-8. “We have a lot of guys still coming in and out of our lineup,” Sullivan said. “They’re getting the opportunities and sooner or later that’s going to go in. We had 11 goals tonight. That’s not too bad for an offensive game. We have six guys that you might want to call strictly offensive. For us to get those opportunities that time in the game when they’re dead tired we’re still pretty thrilled.” Sullivan said at the end, they had the “right guys on the floor and that comes from experience. We’re in a great situation now. We’ve moved ourselves into fifth position which would be great for us. We’re looking for more. We’ve let them live and learn and we’ve done that for the first eight games. Now it’s starting to come together. They want to win. I don’t know, other than two guys in that room, they have won anything in their careers in junior or senior. They’re looking for something and I think they’re pretty hungry.” Brooklin coach Steve McCarthy, who played for Peterborough James Gang junior As in 1983, admitted to his team’s woes. “In every game it’s generally been the same,” McCarthy said. “We’ve lost four games by total of five goals. “We’re not a rough and tumble team. We seem to manage to take the dumb, stupid penalty when it matters most and we keep letting teams hang around. We get on a roll. We get leads and we give them right back.” McCarthy said Brooklin has a lot of new faces: “This year we only have nine or 10 returning from a team that was pretty much together for four years. We had six or seven guys who played with the (OLA major series) Redmen last year. We don’t have any recent junior A grads but a couple that are in the early 20s. Most are in that 24-27 age group. We don’t have a player over 30. We think the talent level is deeper than we ever had. We’re just waiting for a couple of guys to step it up and pull the other guys with them. We have a lot of skill but our heart and desire and discipline have been lacking.” The Shamrocks put themselves back into the game after leading early with key goals by such players as captain Steve Smelt, Nicci Johnston and Joey Teatro. Johnston finished with three goals and three assists while Smelt had one goal to put Ennismore ahead 8-7 with 6:40 to go. Teatro added two goals including the first one in overtime before Croswell scored the 10th and tying goal and then the winner. Croswell also drew two assists. Tyler Harris had two goals and an assist and Paul Wannamaker added a goal and an assist. Derrick Crough had five assists, Rick Heffernan three and Marc Legault two with others by Rob Middleton, Mike Temple, Jesse Thomas and Justin Laverty. Jamie McIntyre was steady in net, especially as time wound down. Joel Johnson had three goals for Brooklin with Derek Howe addling two and singles by Jason Huber, Steve Youngman, Brandon Laforme, Ryan Harris and Brent Lazary.