A superb championship race highlighted in an expanded N.L.U.. New teams in Quebec City and Sherbrooke gave the league more french flavour. The Quebec entry began well by splitting their first four contests. After that it was difficult, one win in eight, including a 15-0 loss to Shamrocks. Sherbrooke's only success was a 2-1 win over Quebec.

Believe it or not, Toronto actually finished out of the basement. They even finished ahead of Ottawa. To top everything they managed a winning record of 7-5. Frank and Fred Moran, Pick Lillie and Ed Peaker all scored in double figures to lead the rivival. For the Capitals, it was a nightmare. 4 wins and 8 losses, their worst season since the merger. Their great offence went flat and too many close defeats meant a long summer.

The emergence of Jack Brennan and Bert Henry as stars catapulted Shamrocks back into contention. Brennan set a record with 26 goals. Albert Dade followed with 19 and Henry added 18. Lest we forget the motor running the irish machine! Harry Hoobin quarterbacked the offence, plus found the time to chip in 13 markers.

Joining the green shirts in the pennant hunt were the titleholders and Cornwall. Shamrocks reached September with an 8-1 record. Colts were immediately behind with 7 wins and 2 losses. Nationals trailed with a 4-3 mark. Once again the frenchmen had the finishing kick, though this time they needed help. It was Toronto who brought their chances back to life by shocking Shamrocks 9-0 on Labour Day. The following Saturday they topped Cornwall 3-2. Lillie scored five over the two games. The defending champs responded by winning their final five matches. On September 23rd they edged the irish 3-2. A fortnight later Paddy Brennan scored half in a 4-1 victory over Ottawa. That created a three way tie.

Shamrocks put the rally to rest in October. Consecutive wins over their rivals gave them the pennant. Bert Henry's remarkable five goal effort carried the green shirts past Cornwall 6-2. Next Henry counted two, along with Dade, as Nationals were dethroned in a 5-1 game.

More success for Orangeville Dufferins in Senior lacrosse, another C.L.A. crown. Yet another embarrassment at the hands of the Intermediate champs. A kid named Charles Querrie led the Markham Stars past Orangeville for provincial honours. Among the Stars zone rivals were Beaverton Checkers. The Checkers deserve to be mentioned, if for no other reason than their catchy team song.

CHECKERS' YELL
Red and white, red and white,
red and white is our delight.
Hobble, gobble, razzle, dazzle,
Sis cum bah!
The Checkers, the checkers,
Rah! Rah! Rah!

So ended the sweet and innocent 19th Century.

After several years of teams coming and going the N.L.U. regained stability to start the new century. Quebec City and Sherbrooke were gone, however Montreal A.A.A. returned. The six team league would remain unchanged for the next four years.

With the base firmly set, Shamrocks entered the new century poised to become the greatest dynasty in the sport's history. With talented youths like Jack Brennan, Harry Hoobin, John Currie and Ed Robinson their immediate future was well secured. Yet something went terribly wrong in 1900. They entered the season missing three key players as Bery Henry and Albert Dade defected to other teams(Orangeville and Nationals) while veteran John Tucker retired. With those losses and a 0-2 start, Shamrocks season never got off the ground. They did tie for second place but with a 5-5 record.

Toronto also split their ten games. The arrival of Charles Querrie from Markham kept them respectable. Querrie scored 7 goals while leading the league in assists and points. His first of two scoring championships, putting him in a select group along with Tom Paton, Alex Black, Joe O'Meara and Bob Wall. Jack Brennan would soon join them. They would all be topped first by Jim Hogan with three title, then Newsy Lalonde with four.

Towards the bottom of the league was Cornwall(4-6) Nationals(4-6) and M.A.A.A.(3-7). Angus 'Bones' Allen led Colts offence with 8 goals. Edouard 'Happy' L'Heureux became the frenchmen's new netminder. He improved on his 1-8 record with Sherbrooke by going 4-4. A modest start for someone who would become the winningest goaltender in field lacrosse history. The Winged Wheels enjoyed early successes over Cornwall, 3-2, and Shamrocks, 5-4. Their best result was a 5-1 triumph over the defending champs. Unfortunately the Triple A's lost their last five contests.

The first notable event of the summer was New Westminster's tour of the east. Their best performance was against Capitals. Captain Archie McNaughton's side landed in Ottawa on Labour Day Saturday and humbled their hosts 4-1.

Most notable of all was the Minto Cup. Lord Minto's trophy would be symbolic of canadian lacrosse supremacy. In 1900 there was only one big league, the N.L.U.. Thus the Cup would go to that league's champion. Ottawa Capitals would be first to claim it.

This was Ottawa's year. They regained the pennant by an enormous four game margin. With a third match 3-2 loss to Cornwall their start was ordinary. In July they quietly grabbed top spot, then pulled away from the pack. August was no different. A 9-3 win over Colts, on the strength of Harry Westwick's trio, preceded a 4-0 shutout of Shamrocks. Toronto was next to fall, 3-1, as Pat Murphy scored a pair. A week later Nationals lost and the championship was settled. The loss to New Westminster did not look good, however it was an exhibition match. There would be more at stake when Ottawa met the C.L.A. Senior champs later in September.

The C.L.A. Senior circuit was in a sad state. Orangeville Dufferins and Toronto Tecumsehs were the only clubs in the league. Orangeville proved their ability by taking four out of five league games from the indians. They also played Montreal Shamrocks to a 7-7 draw in July. The two game final in August decided the Senior crown. Dufferins won twice with ease, 5-0 and 3-0. Billy Irvine scored a pair in the opener and all three in the rematch.

A trip to Ottawa to challenge for the Minto Cup would not be such a picnic. 7-3 for the Cupholders. Ed Murphy scored five as Ottawa easily outclassed Orangeville.

A rebirth in the C.L.A. Senior League. From two to nine clubs as Fergus, Paris and Brantford all returned after long absences. St.Catharines was also back. The other new teams were: Shelbourne Dauntless, Mount Forest Lornes and Galt Manchesters. For Brantford it was the beginning of their drive to win the Minto Cup. Boosting such local talent as William Brierly, Frank McLaren and Fred Graydon was former Toronto N.L.U. star Dolly Durkin and Orillia's Mickey Connor.

Orangeville won a record fourth straight pennant. Put in a weak northern division they had little trouble reaching the league final. Dufferins went 5-1, most wins by very lopsided scores. The biggest was a 16-2 decision over Mount Forest. Their one setback was a 4-3 loss to Shelbourne.

In the southern district Brantford and St.Catharines dueled in a lively race. Brantford topped Orangeville's mark by scoring 17 against Paris. Interestingly the same Paris squad beat Tecumsehs 15-1! That was the Brants only victory. The Athletics had a perfect record until the final game. Brantford defeated them 4-1 to force a tie break. McLaren was the hero with two goals. But they could not beat the Double Blues in consecutive games. St.Catharines squeaked by in the rematch 4-2, as Gourlay scored a hattrick.

In the C.L.A. Final, Orangeville were tested but won out 7-5. Joe Hatcher, Bert Henry and Billy Irvine each tallied a brace. In a losing cause George 'Tod' Downey also had a pair.

In the east, Shamrocks returned to the top. The key to their success came from Nationals. Albert Dade rejoined the irish, bringing Tack Hendry with him. More importantly Paddy Brennan also defected. Those three would combine to score 36 of Shamrock's 59 goals in the campaign. Mixed in with the fine talent the green shirts already had created a powerhouse. Shamrock's first championship was no foregone conclusion. Ottawa was not about to go away, plus Cornwall was back.

A Victoria Day loss to Toronto was a bad omen for Capitals. Disaster struck on July 20th during a 4-2 win over the irish. Ed Murphy took a stick to the face and suffered a broken jaw. Diagnosed out for the year, Murphy made a remarkable recovery to play in the final two contests. He would manage three goals, bringing his season total to 11 in five games. Yet the damage had been done. During his absence, Ottawa lost 4-2 to Cornwall, then a must win game to Shamrocks. The green shirts prevailed 5-3, eliminating the titleholders from contention. They would finish 6-4. There would be a new Minto Cup champ.

Colts were the surprise of the year. Led by the Brodericks and Degans, plus the support of the likes of John White, Bob Madden, Bones Allen and Corey Hess, they posted an 8-2 mark. John Broderick led the league with 18 goals. Hess recorded one of the few shutouts of the season blanking Nationals 6-0. Shamrocks matched their eight wins, setting up a tie break in Ottawa. A one game final to determine the new Minto Cup holders. Hendry, Dade, Jack Brennan and John Currie all scored in a 4-2 triumph for the Montreal squad. The Shamrocks had only just begun.

Ottawa Capitals had been recruiting out of town players since they joined the N.L.U., however their '02 squad was basically a local team. This was the year the C.L.A. really got into the act. Woodstock rejoined Senior lacrosse and practically their entire roster was full of imports. Corey Hess, Tom Leahy and Reddy McMillan were the most notable. Brantford also stocked up on outsiders as they hoped to make a Minto Cup run. They signed Bert Henry from Orangeville, then brought in Albert Dade and Tack Hendry from the National Champion Shamrocks. The trio tore up the league. Hendry scored 21 goals in his first four games. He finished with 29, one behind Henry's 30. Dade was the playmaker with 15 assists to accompany 23 goals. 82 of Brantford's 103 goals were scored by this foreign contingent. Bill Taylor's 7 markers were best among the locals.

McMillan led the Woodstock crew with 19 goals, followed by Leahy's 18 and 14 assists. Hess tended goal in 7 of the Beavers' 8 wins. They won the western district over London Cockneys, Stratford Iroquois and Paris Brants with an 8-1 record. Their only loss came to London on Dominion Day, 5-3. They also opened the season in London with numbers on the backs of their uniforms. The Cockneys seemed to always be in the news this season. Brantford goalie Jack Kelly had lost his stick at a game in London. The next week he travelled to Woodstock to recover it. Before the contest between London and Woodstock commenced he marched onto the field and began to examine every Cockney stick. He eventully spied a London player hiding in a corner. The Cockneys agreed to surrender the stick if Kelly could identify himself. Woodstock Police Chief Zeats guarded the stick while Kelly went to find a newspaperman. Shortly after he had his stick back.

Brantford ruled the east over St.Catharines, Tecumsehs and Orangeville. They avenged the previous season's tie break loss by crushing the Athletics 11-1 on opening day. Two weeks later they destroyed the defending champs 14-2! It was an inglorious year for Orangeville. They won only three games and proved themselves to be poor losers by defaulting their final match. They would drop down to Intermediate at year end, beginning an exile of nearly two decades. Brantford rolled to first place with a 10-2 record. Road losses to Tecumsehs and St.Catharines were their only failings. Woodstock had little trouble wrapping up their work in the west after Stratford and Paris dropped out in July. That set up a two game September showdown for the championship. The Beavers went to the Final without Tom Leahy, a handicap they could not overcome. Albert Dade blasted them early in the opening game. He scored three of the first four goals as Brantford waltzed to a 7-2 victory. The second contest was even more one sided. 8-1 Brantford as Tack Hendry scored 6 and helped on the other pair.

1902's Minto Cup challenge came from the west. New Westminster Royals arrived in Montreal for the July holiday weekend, truly the first national final. Though officially called the Royals, the more common nickname was Salmonbellies. Shamrocks won the Saturday opener by a convincing 6-1 score. Jim McKeown counted three and Ed Robinson two. On Tuesday the home side suffered a key setback. With the game tied 1-1, field general Harry Hoobin was injured. Still the irish midfield overcame the loss as Robinson had another great game, along with John Currie. Jack Brennan led the offence with a brace as Shamrocks prevailed 5-2.

You would have thought the loss of Dade and Hendry would have crippled the irish. Dade was the N.L.U.'s defending scoring champ, while he and Hendry had scored 27 of Shamrocks' 55 goals the previous season. The key to the Montreal squad wasn't its home players, it was their midfield, in particular Hoobin. Harry was universally recognised as the greatest lacrosse player ever. He would hold the green shirts together come what may. Even with the offensive loss the irish would erupt for 80 goals in 12 games. The midfielders became more active up front as Hoobin led the league with 18 goals and Robinson chipped in with a dozen. Newcomer McKeown also added 14. Shamrocks still had the best team going.

They would get decent competition. Not from their two local rivals though. Nationals and M.A.A.A. combined for only 3 wins in 20 games! Toronto had one of their best squads. They began the year on a British Tour, then came home to post a winning record. Their most notable success was a 4-1 triumph over Shamrocks. That gave them a 6-2 record, very much in pennant contention. Their title bid ended with a 3-1 loss to Ottawa. John Power's deuce was the difference. A week later they fell to the irish 9-6. Paddy Brennan was 2 and 2, while Jack scored a trio. Charles Querrie's 4 points were in a losing cause.

Ottawa and Cornwall were the other two challengers. Capitals could always be counted on for a tough fight and they stayed with the Minto Cup holders right to the end. Colts were very competitive. They only finished 5-5 but also had three ties, two against Shamrocks.

Due to the Minto Cup, the irish faced a heavy finishing schedule. From mid-August on they played five consecutive Saturdays, plus a Labour Day Monday contest. The titleholders added to their woes by tying Cornwall 5-5. That replay of an earlier tie meant another replay at year end. Shamrocks followed that disappointment with their Toronto loss. They regained their form on Labour Day weekend. Hoobin scored 7 and Percy Quinn posted the shutout in a 12-0 win over M.A.A.A.. They then avenged their Toronto defeat. Both the green shirts and Capitals won on September 6th, setting up the title match the following week. Shamrocks(7-1) versus Ottawa (7-2). The pennantholders defended the flag with a 4-2 win, in spite of Ed Murphy's two scores.

Anticipation for the upcoming season had never been greater. In May a rumour circulated throughout Brantford that Albert Dade and Tack Hendry were about to arrive from Montreal. Twenty-five enthusiasts rushed to the T, H & B Station to meet the train. When the Montreal Express arrived without either star all of the waiting men were quite ashamed. Some claimed to be expecting an aunt, while others went to check the luggage. None of the fans dared return straight to town, instead they took the most circuitous routes home. Naturally all denied ever having been there.

Interest was also high in Port Hope and Oshawa. Both towns had gone to great lengths to give themselves a senior team. Port Hope recruited John White(from Cornwall) George Donaldson(Ottawa) plus Toronto veteran Billy Kelly. Oshawa's acquisitions included Eddie Hagan(St.Catharines) Bob Degan(Cornwall) and the much sought after Donald Cameron. Along with the Cameron Derby, most teams had spent the spring courting Orillia's Mickey Connor. He chose to play Intermediate for Galt.

Brantford was still the team to beat. The defending champs helped themselves to Ottawa's Pat Murphy, like they needed another goal scorer! He chipped in a dozen markers as the Telephone City crew sailed to another pennant. Both Dade and Hendry suffered from irregular attendance. When they were in the line up they were devastating. Bert Henry was around for every game and ran away with the scoring championship.

It was a confusing C.L.A. year. A double round robin was originally scheduled, totally 8 games for each club. Yet interest was so high by July that the clubs decided to double the schedule. Only Port Hope passed on the second half. Surprising as they'd posted a respectable 4-4 record. Even more amazing, in an August exhibition contest they upset Brantford 5-4, thanks to Pennock's hattrick. Still senior lacrosse had a short life span in Northumberland County. Port Hope Ontarios joined the Trent Valley Intermediate League the next season.

The chief threat to Brantford's title came from St.Catharines. Boosted by youngsters George Kalls and Charles Lowe, they split four meetings with the champs, handing them their only two defeats. It was a bitter rivalry. In the first showdown Tack Hendry viciously slashed an Athletic across the face. Prior to the second encounter, a threatening letter was sent to the Brantford star. It was written in black ink, splatter with red ink(supposedly blood) and signed Ironeater. Tack missed the game in St.Catharines, supposedly, Brantford claimed, to rest his sprained wrist. He did make it to the Garden City for the third meeting. Hendry further endeared himself to Double Blue fans by breaking William Elliot's nose! The final meeting took place in Brantford on a hot August afternoon. During the contest a lady fainted from the heat. As the crowd stepped back to give her air, they noticed she was wearing St.Catharines' colours. Everyone cheered her misfortune.

To the east, Montreal A.A.A. were the most improved club. They vacated the basement with a 5 win 5 loss effort. Tom Leahy deserved much of the credit. Fresh from his Woodstock sojourn he hammered home a league leading 23 goals. Montreal's french were far from improved. A 7-5 win over Toronto was their only positive result. They really were awful. Their worst beatings included: 13-4 to Toronto, 9-3 to Shamrocks and 15-0 to Ottawa. Frank McLaren scored six in the Toronto game. The Queen City squad were not much better. A 3-7 record, though they did score as many goals as they gave up. Cornwall was the other slacker, posting a 5-5 mark.

For the second year in a row Shamrocks had to cope with serious off season losses. Percy Quinn and Frank Nolan retired, plus John Currie and Jim McKeown only played sparingly. Harry Hoobin even missed three games! Yet the irish rose above it all. Defenders Jim Kavanaugh and John Howard must have drawn lots before each game to determine who would tend goal as the pair split the duty. Joe 'Spike' Hennessy arrived on the scene to contribute 15 goals. Other newcomers were junior Jim Hogan and defender Shaun O'Reilly.

The pennant run was a two horse race. The green shirts won their first seven. Capitals were right on their heels. They'd added Dolly Durkin(14 goals) to compliment Ed Murphy(15) and John Powers(12 in only 5 games). After an initial 5-2 loss to Toronto, Ottawa responded with seven straight wins, capped by a 6-5 thriller over Shamrocks. Powers played and counted two along with three assists. Durkin's pair cancelled out Jack Brennan's brace and Harry Westwick bounced home the winner. The following Saturday disaster struck. Cornwall upset Ottawa 3-2. Durkin had another deuce but it wasn't enough. Colt goals by Shiner Eastwood, Bob Madden and John Broderick drastically altered the championship race. Shamrocks took advantage of the Capital blunder, just barely. They slipped past the Winged Wheels 4-3 on the strength of Hennessy's hattrick. Thus Ottawa headed to Montreal needing a win in order to tie for first. It didn't happen. Two from Jack Brennan and two more from Ed Robinson as the irish won 7-0. Jim Kavanaugh earned the shutout.

Previous          Index          Next