Vancouver hosted a Mann Cup challenge from Calgary during the Victoria Day weekend. They defeated the Albertans by scores of 12-0 and 5-2. Brampton was next to venture west. They arrived on the coast June 27th. Excelsiors opened the two game series by surprising the cupholders 5-4. Duchy Davis' hattrick gave Brampton a one goal lead. A week later they slipped badly. Vancouver rebounded with a 6-2 win, taking the series 10-7.

The red shirts headed home to face a busy O.L.A. schedule because they had only played one game through the first two months of the season. Young Torontos gave them a rude welcome. Stew Cowan scored three as they topped Brampton 5-4. A week later the Mann Cup hangover continued as Excelsiors struggled past St.Simon's 9-6. Only George Sproule's six goals avoided an upset. In their season opener Brampton had tripled the Anglicans 18-6. On August 8th the titleholders found their form. They hammered Young Torontos 15-5. Yet the Queen City crew created a tie for first place the next Saturday. They handed Brampton their second loss, 6-3. The fight for division honours came down to the last game on September 6th. Two late goals by Sproule secured Excelsiors' 8-5 win.

Against the eastern champs Brampton had little difficulty winning their third league title. At home they won 22-1. Sproule led with seven tallies. He was shutout in Ottawa as Shamrocks won 3-1. Still Excelsiors claimed provincial honours thanks to their 19 goal edge. That marked the end of the Brampton dynasty. With war started in Europe the team disbanded. It would be five years before Excelsiors returned.

Toronto Rosedales joined the N.L.U. and they were simply too good for the other teams. They had eight players with pre 1912 N.L.U. experience, compared to eleven on the other three teams combined! And the quality of the Rosedale veterans was undeniable. Pete Barnett, Bill Fitzgerald, George Kalls and Harry Murton had all been top ten scorers, plus Murton had won a scoring championship. Cornwall, M.A.A.A. and Shamrocks could not compete against that. They didn't as Rosedales went 12-0. Game results best display their dominence. They handed the irish an 11-1 beating, the Winged Wheels 11-3 and concluded the year by routing Cornwall 18-6! Only the green shirts came close to defeating them. They got three goals from Paul Jacobs and two each from J.Egan and John Quinn. Rosedales, however, scored eight, five from Barnett. Pete Barnett had an incredible year. He was runaway scoring champ with 44 goals. Second best in the league was M.A.A.A.'s S.McDonald with 23.

Shamrocks were the most improved team. Their record bounced up to 6-6 as the young players were finally meeting expectations. The Triple A's and Colts both fell to 3-9. Jimmy Walsh produced 18 markers for M.A.A.A.. Cornwall had lost Mark Cummins and relied on George Anderson(15 goals) Jim Penny(14) and Dot Phelan(14) for offence.

Montreal Nationals romped to the Big Four championship. Their performance was stunning. 17 wins and 1 loss, plus an incredible 274 goals scored! They finished eight games better than second place Toronto and miles ahead of Irish-Canadians and Tecumsehs, five wins each. What had happened. Very simply, Newsy Lalonde had happened. He led the greatest offence lacrosse had yet seen. Plus he was available the entire year. Lalonde began quietly. He scored only once in the frenchmen's season opener. They defeated Tecumsehs 13-3. Newsy came to life with four goals against Toronto in a 12-7 win. Next he really got serious by scoring six as Nationals slaughtered Toronto 28-10! Yet the finest effort of the summer was saved for August. Once again Toronto was the victim, 27-8 was the score. Oncle Lamoureux fired home 10 markers. Lalonde went one better counting 11! Keep in mind, this was not some bush league the violet et blanc were tearing up. It was the four best teams from the two largest lacrosse centres in Canada. Plus in 1914 lacrosse still enjoyed immense popularity and had more participants than any time in its history. There was nothing ordinary about these frenchmen.

Of course a team does not set a scoring record with just one player. Newsy Lalonde had plenty of help. Nevertheless his 66 goals in 16 games does stand out. Honourable mention to such teammates as: Lamoureux(52 goals) Didier Pitre(36) and Ambrose Degray(30). Other sharpshooters were, for Toronto: Henry Donihee(24) Clifford Spring(24) Art Warwick(23) and Alex Turnbull(23). George Roberts led the irish with 28 goals, followed by Charlie George(22) and Henry Scott(21). Tecumsehs top marksman was Ed Carmichael with 23 tallies.

This was the grand finale for the Big Four. Its three year run had been a success, however the beginning of the Great War changed everything overnight. The effect of the war on lacrosse would be devastating. Chief casualty would be Montreal, Canada's sports capital. Never again would that city be a major force in the game. Such was a blow that would take lacrosse many years to recover from. The sport never really has fully recovered.

These days lacrosse fans often complain about the short schedule O.L.A. teams play. Eighteen and twenty games hardly seems enough to break a sweat over. Back in the 1940s they played 30 games plus 3 rounds of playoffs! Well fans be grateful you were not around in 1915. The O.L.A. Senior League commenced play the first Saturday in June and concluded the season a week later. With only two clubs in the circuit they simply played a home and away series to decide the title. Young Torontos opened with a 9-3 victory over St.Catharines. The next week they won 8-3. The offensive stars were Stew Cowan and Bill Scott(4 goals each) Gene Dopp and John Powers(3 each). Gord Pople led the A's with 3 markers.

In fairness to the Athletics, all their stars were on Rosedales again. The Toronto club had left the N.L.U. and joined Tecumsehs in the Queen City League. Another two team circuit. With the war on, times were tough and travel expenses had to be cut. The two Toronto teams played a 15 game schedule. Rosedales won nine, though the indians outscored them by two goals.

With all the irishmen rejoining Shamrocks expectations were high. Which made their last place finish seem like a double disaster. 1 win and 11 losses, Shamrocks worse showing in the N.L.U. ever! In July, matters were at their worst thanks to Henry Scott's driving skill. He ran his car into a ditch. Scott only missed one game with a chest injury. His passengers were not so fortunate. Mack Brady suffered a fractured skull, Alf Kane a broken jaw and Aspell a fractured arm and thigh. That was one goaltender and two defenders out for the year.

League talent reached a new peak and the scoring had never been higher. Nationals did not equal the phenominal success they had in the D.L.U., still their offence was a major force. Newsy Lalonde led all shooters with 36 goals. That was more than double anyone else in the league except teammate Didier Pitre. Pitre scored 25.

The top three clubs, Cornwall, Nationals and M.A.A.A. were all in contention. The frenchmen jumped out to a 6-1 record. An 8-5 loss to the Winged Wheels was the only black mark on their record. The Triple A's stayed close at 4-2. Cornwall had a horrible 3-4 start. All three wins came against Shamrocks. Yet back to back wins on July 3rd and 10th gave them important momentum which carried over to their next match against Nationals. Mark Cummins, Dot Phelan and Guy Smith each scored a pair as Colts upset the frenchmen 7-5. M.A.A.A. followed with consecutive wins over the irish. George Roberts joined the Winged Wheels and fired home seven in the two games. Jimmy Walsh counted five more. Suddenly the championship was tied. Cornwall further complicated matters by winning two more to move to 6-4. The 5-3 victory over M.A.A.A. was huge. Against Shamrocks they sneaked by 11-10. Henry Donihee made his season debut and saved Colts by scoring six times. On August 21st came the death blow to the pennant race. The irish won their first by shocking the Winged Wheels 8-5. In this game Paddy Brennan scored the final goal of his career. A grand total of 140 in 116 games. Tied for seventh in N.L.U. history.

Now it was wide open for the violet et blanc and they took full advantage. As M.A.A.A. were losing, Nationals edged Cornwall 7-6. Back to back wins over Shamrocks followed. That pushed their record to 9-2. The Triple A's had fallen to four losses, thus the championship was decided.

Neither Rosedales or Nationals had the funds to go west and challenge for the Minto Cup. Instead they agreed to play each other for Eastern Canadian honours. The frenchmen won the initial contest 16-10. Pitre counted six and Lalonde five for the winners. In Toronto, Rosedales rebounded with an 11-7 win. Two goals short of what they needed. Eddy Longfellow and George Kalls each scored three.

Another wild year of goal scoring. Nationals led the parade by scoring over fifty goals more than anyone else. The N.L.U. had its first, and only, fifty goal scorers. In 18 games Newsy Lalonde(57) Didier Pitre(51), both for Nationals, and George Roberts(50) reached the half century. Roberts had shifted his allegiance back to Shamrocks due to M.A.A.A. not fielding a team. The Winged Wheels were another casualty of the war. They would be back as an amateur club in the 1920s. Ottawa took their place in the four team league.

Capitals imported western star Clifford Spring and he led their offence with 32 goals. Tom Gorman and Cy Denneny also reached the thirty goal plateau. 6 wins and 12 losses was the best Ottawa could do. Three wins better than Cornwall. Colts top gunner was Henry Donihee with 26 markers.

The two Montreal clubs dominated. Shamrocks' renaissance was due to the addition of several former Triple A's. Along with Roberts was Jimmy and Billy Walsh, Nate Penny and Harry Hyland. Those five accounted for 146 of the irish's 163 goals! Neither the green shirts or the violet et blanc gave an inch. The pair split their first two meetings. On June 10th, Nationals won 7-4. Lalonde was shutout but Ambrose Degray covered for him with three scores. Two weeks later Shamrocks had their revenge. A 9-2 win. Happy L'Heureux left with a slight injury earlier in the third quarter. The irish blasted six past his replacement to break open a defensive struggle. The advantage shifted back to Nationals on Dominion Day. John Brennan Jr. missed his only game of the year. Mack Brady took to the Shamrock net and gave up seven goals. That was enough as the irish fell to Ottawa 7-5. A fortnight later the frontrunners were level again. Capitals produced another upset by beating the frenchmen 13-7. Tom Gorman's four goals won the day. The next Saturday, the green shirts grabbed first place with a 6-4 triumph over the violet et blanc. Penny's pair was the difference. On August 7th, Ottawa had its last say in the pennant race. Cy Denneny scored four as they topped Nationals 9-7. Five days later, the frenchmen regrouped and beat Shamrocks 8-5. Lalonde led with a hattrick. That sparked a four game winning streak for the violet et blanc. Their fourth victory was also at the irish expense. Nationals doubled them 10-5. Pitre's four tallies carried the day. That created another tie at the top, both clubs with four losses. On September 9th, the contenders met for the final time. Over 10,000 crowded into the Maissoneuve Grounds. The Dare Devil shone brightest for the frenchmen. The ubiquitous Gauthier was all over the field and brought the crowd to its feet when one of his famous rushes produced a goal. Yet it was the Shamrock fans who did the most cheering. Mainly for George Roberts' five goals. Also for Jimmy Walsh's hattrick. And for the irish defence which shut down Newsy Lalonde. The green shirts triumphed 11-8. Lalonde redeemed himself the next week with 8 goals in a 23-11 romp over Cornwall. That gave Nationals a chance at a tie. It wasn't going to happen. On September 23rd, Shamrocks crushed Ottawa 17-5. Five goals for Egan, with four going to Roberts and a trio for Penny. The irish were champions again, ending a nine year drought.

The O.L.A. season lasted past June! Of course league play did not begin until Dominion Day. St.Catharines delayed proceedings with their June trip to New York. They played Brooklyn Crescents in an exhibition game and managed a 5-5 tie. Not a bad effort. The Crescents had been playing matches against N.L.U. clubs over the years and had usually been competitive. Unluckily that would be Athletics high point of the year. Their championship bid would be a major disappointment.

Young Torontos waltzed to another title without too much trouble. Another perfect record, 4-0 this time. Among their stars were: Gene Dopp(8 goals) Eddie Powers(5) Bill Scott and Gordon Coulter(3 each). At the other end Bill MacArthur surrendered only 10 goals. The key game was their initial contest in the Garden City. They prevailed over the Double Blues 7-5. The pair would meet again at month's end. The Toronto squad won 7-0. In between Toronto Riverdales lost three matches. Their opener was their best effort. A 7-3 loss to the champions. They did not bother travelling to St.Catharines for the finale.

On June 9th, Nationals defeated Shamrocks 11-7. During the contest a disagreement arose between George Roberts and Ambrose Degray. It concluded when Roberts bit Degray. Where? At the Maissoneuve Grounds. Naturally the irish player was thrown out of the game. Commissioner Joe Lally, from Cornwall, suspended him indefinately. Heavy handed leaders were rare in lacrosse and Shamrocks did not hide their displeasure over the decision. Still, they proceeded to win their next two contests without their best player. They continued to trail the frenchmen by a game but had two matches left against them.

As if the league did not have enough problems, Cornwall lost its largest gate of the year on Dominion Day. Tecumsehs did not show for the contest. The Toronto team had returned to the N.L.U. but was struggling to find players. The Queen City had plenty of players but the majority of them were amateurs who could not play with Charles Querrie's professionals. In canadian society there were still many people who viewed professionalism in sport the way we view prostitution today. Remember, Sunday lacrosse was taboo and decades away. Three days later, Manager Querrie wrote an open letter to the Montreal Star explaining his position. He had singlehandedly tried to keep the team going but it was a losing battle. Querrie would turn his attention to hockey matters. Tecumsehs were no more.

The demise of Tecumsehs was a blow but not a disaster. There were still four teams in the league, plus the N.L.U. had often gotten by without Toronto clubs. Ottawa assured Shamrocks they would be in town for their scheduled Saturday match. It would be business as usual.

Unluckily the Roberts controversy resurfaced. The irish stated that they would not play Capitals without their star. Indeed the game was not played. The following Monday, Shamrocks announced that Roberts would dress against Nationals in the upcoming match. Commissioner Lally would not back down. In his view Roberts and the irish club had not been sufficiently punished. The star player had missed two games, easy wins. The only way to really punish Shamrocks was to make Roberts miss a Nationals game because both Montreal squads were miles ahead of the other teams. The irish were not going to let that happen. They were so concerned that they insisted on bringing Roberts back a week early to prepare him for the frenchmen. Lally did have the support of Cornwall and Ottawa. Interestingly, the one team which stood to gain from the suspension remained quiet. In fact, Nationals were not opposed to Roberts return.

On July 14th, George Roberts played against the violet et blanc and scored in the Shamrock win. Two frenchmen, Dare Devil Gauthier and Oncle Lamoureux, quit in protest. Nationals played without them. In the days that followed it became clear that the big city/small town split of 1912 was occurring again. Both Montreal clubs stood together in opposition to the Commissioner and his Cornwall/Ottawa supporters. For the rest of the summer Nationals and Shamrocks would play exhibition games - likewise for Colts and Capitals. The 1917 championship season was over.

St.Catharines entered O.L.A. play with a good team. Strong enough to even challenge Young Torontos. Yet they showed little of that potential when the season opened. A Dominion Day home encounter against Riverdales ended in a 4-4 tie. Five days later the same Riverdale club was routed 9-2 by Young Torontos. Next, Athletics travelled to Don Flats and again drew with the bottom team, 5-5.

The big match was on July 21st. What slim championship hopes the Double Blues had depended on their performance against the titleholders. They responded by shocking Young Torontos 6-1! Suddenly the defending champs were in trouble. They answered back with a 10-3 win over Riverdales, then avenged their one loss by beating St.Catharines 5-1. Attention shifted to the A's and they won both their replays against Riverdales to finish 3-1, tied for first.

A straight forward two game tie break was to follow. In this year of aborted championships nothing was straight forward. A week before the series was to begin the Double Blues travelled to Chicago to participate in a fund raiser for the Red Cross. $8,000 were raised as a crowd of 5,000 watched the two sides play to a 7-7 tie. Harry Flynn led A's with a trio. Two St.Catharines' natives led the american team. Short of players, Chicago used two professionals, George Kalls and Bill Fitzgerald. When word reached the O.L.A. that the amateur Athletics had played against professionals the tie break games were called off. It took five weeks of negotiating before St.Catharines was allowed back into the championship. Not everyone was happy with the decision. In fact Young Torontos were greatly weakened because their starting netminder Bill MacArthur refused to play. Ironic that MacArthur would not play against players who had played against professionals. Later, in 1932 MacArthur would join a pro box league!

When the tie break resumed the titleholders started Tommy Thornton in goal, only his second senior game. He won 4-3. A week later, the two squads played a dramatic 4-4 tie. Wendell Holmes tied the game and won the series with his second goal, late in the contest.

A C.L.A. Pro League was formed for this one season. Toronto Maitlands, Leaside Braves and St.Catharines Athletics were the participants. Notable players for the Maitland crew were Pete Barnett, Corbett Denneny, Lawson Whitehead and juniors Ted Reeve and Cliss Starling. Leaside was an indian team led by John White. St.Catharines welcomed home George Kalls and Bill Fitzgerald. They both donned the double blue uniform for one last summer. Other A's stars were: Willie Hope, Gord Pople and Red Millar.

All three clubs finished tied with 4-4 records. The initial tie break paired the Toronto sides. Eddy Longfellow, who had scored 7 in only 2 regular season games, terrorised the Braves. He scored four in a 7-5 Maitland win. Longfellow continued to dominate in the two game final. Six more goals as Maitlands narrowly edged St.Catharines. Both teams won at home but the Toronto squad prevailed by outscoring the Athletics 11-10.

Professional lacrosse was not quite dead in the east either. 1918 was a bleak year for the N.L.U. but the league did resume play. In July, organisers scrambled to revive the circuit. The result was a three team league involving Montreal Nationals, Ottawa Capitals and Irish-Canadians - another Montreal side. The squads would play home and away, a grand total of four games each. The championship opened on the 13th, in the nation's capital. Only 300 spectators witnessed Ottawa's fourth quarter come from behind win. Trailing the irish 7-4, Capitals scored four unanswered goals. Frank Hearn had two of them, including the winner. This was the only league game Baillargeon played for the irish. He switched to Nationals for the rest of the season. In the past, such a move would not have been tolerated. In 1918, however, no one wanted trouble so no complaints were made.

Senior lacrosse returned to Montreal on the 20th. Irish-Canadians defeated Nationals 8-7 in a game which had everything. Henry Scott scored four times in a losing cause. Such fine play was overshadowed by a game ending brawl. The less than angelic George Roberts started the trouble with a cheap shot.

Competitive lacrosse continued as Ottawa slipped past the frenchmen 5-4. Again Hearn counted a deuce but it was Jimmy Dooley who broke the tie. Capitals clinched the pennant a fortnight later by beating the irish 3-1. Former Colt Dot Phelan broke Clint Benedict's shutout.

The season appeared to be over because Nationals could not catch the leaders and Ottawa were not eager to travel to Montreal for the final contest. It was eventually played, after a three week wait. Newsy Lalonde's intervention saved the day. Lalonde had not played all summer but agreed to join Capitals if they made the trip. Just under 2,000 fans filled Maisoneuve Grounds, mainly to see Lalonde. He scored a hattrick before being thrown out for a violent foul. Thus ended his N.L.U. career. The three goals gave him 161 career - fourth place behind Jack Brennan, George Roberts and Didier Pitre. Nationals overcame the effort of their former star and managed to win 8-7. Lalonde headed for Toronto to join Leaside. He scored once in their playoff loss to Maitlands. That was the last game for the man voted the best lacrosse player of the half century.

Not much of a season in the O.L.A.. Toronto Beaches and Riverdales were the only two teams. The Beaches kids were a product of a junior program which had won a record three consecutive provincial championship. With wins in 1918 and 1919 they would extend the streak to five. Statistically this league is practically barren. No Brampton or St.Catharines papers to give detailed coverage. Only the Toronto media and they never reported more than a couple of lines on any game. There were only four games played! The first was a 4-4 tie. Coutie tended Beaches goal, as he would in every contest. Jacobs made his only appearance for Riverdales. Horton was the new netminder in the second match. Beaches won 6-2. Riverdales then signed Tommy Thornton and reversed that score on Beaches to tie the series. Thornton was blitzed for 12 goals in the finale. Beaches won 12-3 to take the title.

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