The Athletics four year run as champions finally came to an end. It took a combined effort by the Excelsiors and Mountaineers to dislodge St.Catharines from top spot. With the war raging and less players available the Mimico-Brampton Combines were formed. They finished the regular season in first place, with an undaunting 13-9-2 record. It was the most competitive Senior League ever. The defending champs placed a close second(13-10-1). Intermediate champs Owen Sound made the jump to Senior and finished third(11-10-1). Hamilton grabbed the last playoff spot at 10-12. Etobicoke Indians were a distant fifth.

A record setting year for Bill Isaacs. The Hamilton sniper won his fifth consecutive scoring title and his sixth career. Two records which would last over fifty years. It was a close call in '42. Jack Gair tied Isaacs with 83 points but trailed in goals 52-37. Newcomer Ken Dixon was only 5 points behind and led the league with 60 goals. This was his first of many appearances in the Top Ten. Rusty White made his final appearance. The former Thistle led Owen Sound with 68 points to grab fourth spot.

Both Semi Final series were over three straight, as the Combines and Double Blues prepared for the big showdown. St.Catharines hosted Games 1, 3 and 5. Mimico Games 2 and 6. Brampton Game 4. The seventh contest was scheduled for Maple Leaf Gardens, a neutral site as stipulated by OLA rules.

Bert Large had come out of retirement for the playoffs and he replaced Pete Anthony as the Combines #1 goalie. Bill Wilson led the titleholders and entered the final with an extra feather in his cap. He had been named Niagara Peninsula Athlete of the year. In Game 1 Large held St.Catharines to 6 goals as his team took the opener 10-6. A tighter contest followed at the lakeshore. It was deadlocked 5-5 at halftime. Then Mush Thompson cut down Vern Whitely. The A's power play went to work as Roy Morton and Bill Mackie scored. The visitors never looked back as they romped to an 11-6 victory. Back in the Garden City on a Friday night, referee Bucko MacDonald was given a hard time by the fans. He had to dodge programs, pieces of sandwiches, even vegetables! They finally got him in the third quarter when a fan's fist gave him a black eye. The Combines played from behind much of the night until a string of five goals brought them into contention. Williams, Dixon, Dixon, Hayes and Masters as the vistors closed to 9-8 after 45 minutes. In the final period the Mann Cup Holders jumped ahead 12-8, then hung on for the 13-11 win. After taking the weekend off the series resumed in the Rose Bowl. Mimico-Brampton roared to a 16-7 romp. Both Dixons, Ken and Archie, plus George Masters blitzed the A's early. It was 8-2 by halftime and never in doubt. There was more controversy back in St.Catharines. The scheduled referee from Orillia couldn't make the match because of the fuel shortage. Max Peart was on hand, however the Combines refused to let the former Athletic call the game. The visitors were already at a disadvantage because Archie Dixon and Jack Williams had to miss the contest due to military service. Most of the night was a constant parade to Large's doorstep. The defending champs led 8-3 after three quarters and 11-3 in the fourth. Ross Gimblett sparked a late Combine rally. They still lost 12-8.

Mimico-Brampton returned to Drummond Bowl on Friday night down 3-2 and facing elimination. They responded by playing like champions. They began with 8 goals in 8 minutes, chasing Bill Whitaker from the net for youngster Doug Favell. The goaltending switch made no difference. The home team recorded a stunning 30-8 victory! The most goals ever scored in the League Final. The Double Blues had only two off days to recover. George Coles returned from a back injury and coach Art Brown was behind the bench for the first time in the series. Over 5,000 fans came to see if the Athletic dynasty would be extended. It looked very possible for most of the evening. A tight game entered the latter stages with St.Catharines holding a 7-6 lead. Then the tide turned. Ken Dixon won a draw and beat Whittaker with a 20 footer. Gimblett next scored on consecutive breakaways to put the Combines in the lead. Three goals in less than one minute. The soon to be former champions had no reply. Two more late goals made the final 11-7.

This was the year Mann Cup rules were changed. In Junior, all star teams were formed around the league champions but Senior Lacrosse had always maintained a true club championship. that changed in 1942 as the league winners were allowed to pick up three outsiders. The Combines added Carl "Ali Baba Gus" Madsen, the great two way player from St.Catharines, Arnold "Onions" Smith and Bill Isaacs from Hamilton. Only Madsen would appear in all four Mann Cup games.

Travelling from the west were the Inter City League champion New Westminster Salmonbellies. After winning their league title the Bellies had defeated Victoria United Services, then a team from Lachine, Quebec. They were led by scoring champion Bill Wilkes and picked up John Douglas.

The series commenced in front of 5,000 spectators on October 7th. It was a deliberately played opener, with spectacular goaltending from Bert Large and Bill Scuby. The contest went to the fourth quarter tied 7-7. An Ed Downey slashing penalty was the turning point. George Masters scored on the power play. The eastern champs next added another man advantage goal, then went on to win 10-7.

Game 2 featured great work from Masters and Al 'Flash' McLean. The pair stole the show, roaring up and down the floor like a pair of baby jeeps. Ken Dixon also got into the act. His Syl Apps like rushes continually brought the crowd to its feet. And the Ali Baba, Gus Madsen, entertained with fancy moves on defence and attack. 19 year old Bill Scuby was once again superb. He held the Combines to a pair of first quarter goals. Still the home side kept coming and dominated the middle two quarters. They didn't let up until the last 15 minutes as they took home a 15-9 victory.

The Salmonbellies now needed to win three straight if they were to become the first western team to win the Mann Cup in Ontario. Mimico-Brampton started a rusty Pete Anthony in this one and soon regretted it. Three shots and three goals as the Belly snipers had the little guys' number. Bill Tyler had arrived over the weekend and he scored in 71 seconds. By the 15 minute mark it was 6-3 New West. They went on to a convincing 14-8 triumph. John Douglas and Art Pruden both counted hattricks. The Dixon brothers scored 7 of the Combines' goals. Ken had three, whil Archie potted four, his only goals of the entire series!

The last game of the series would be the best. The westerners were looking very dangerous. They were leading 7-6 after three quarter time and bounced in a couple of more to begin the final session. But 35 year old Bert Large was having his best game of the series and would surrender no more goals. Bill 'Whoopie' Arthurs began the comeback by dashing the length of the floor to score. Carl Madsen next set up Ross Gimblett to close the gap to 9-8. Then a controversial call against New Westminster. Referees Max Peart and Hal Wallace had been fair much of the night. Salmonbellies would take the majority of penalties by a 10-7 count. But it was one call in particular which infuriated them. With 4 1/2 minutes left Ed Downey was sent to the box. Gus Madsen went down groaning and drew the two minutes. Asked after the game, Downey's response was: "You don't mind losing but you hate to see it decided on a cheap penalty. You've got to hand it to Madsen though, he really staged a good act." The Ali Baba followed his Academy Award performance by scoring on the ensuing free throw. 9-9 and the westerners desperately trying to stay alive. Madsen also sparked the winning goal. He hit Bill Isaacs with a long pass and Isaacs slipped the ball to George Masters. Masters' underhand drive beat Scuby. 10-9 Combines.

Mimico-Brampton suffered a couple of off season losses as Ken Dixon and Don McPhail joined the Army. No problem. The defending champs simply added Bill Isaacs. The Six Nations' star had been made homeless when Hamilton folded operations. The Combines played out of Mimico, while the Army Bullets became the Brampton team. The Bullets also added Jack McMahon from St.Catharines along with two youngsters Bob Thorpe and Jim McMahon. Other players the Army team attracted were: Bun White(Huntsville) Tom White(Orillia) Shine Bovin(Oshawa) and Don Campbell(Etobicoke).

It was a four team league with the Regular Season championship going to the Cup holders. The Combines placed first with a 17-7 mark. They also had the best defence, surrendering 268 goals. St.Catharines followed closely with a 14-10 record. Next came the Army at 13-11. They had the highest scoring unit averaging 15 goals per game. Bringing up the rear was Toronto Lakeshore with only 4 wins.

Ken Dixon was a big reason why the Bullets had such a high powered offence. He ran away with top scoring honours thanks to 67 goals and 108 points. Bun White also chipped in 65 tallies, plus Don Campbell and Jack McMahon made the top ten as well. The Combines had also acquired Bill Brunskill. He tied Dixon with 67 goals but only counted 17 assists.

St.Catharines had hopes of regaining their OLA crown but those hopes were dashed quickly. They had the luxury of drawing fourth place Toronto, the trouble was that they couldn't beat the Lakeshores! On September 9th, Toronto started the best of three semi final with a 7-5 win. Gordon Gair scored a hattrick and Yorky Jordan added a pair. Jordan had not played during the regular season. Bucko MacDonald and Ernie Curran also scored, while Frank Bain picked up an assist. All three were appearing in their second games of the season. That's a quartet of ex-Terriers who all knew how to win. They won again two nights later, a 12-1 Toronto victory. Tom Love scored 4 times, Joe Murphy added 5 assists and two more former Orillia players Vern Steggall and Fred Smith added single goals. Red Hartley's shutout was broken by a trio of Madsens - Madsen from Madsen and Madsen. To be exact: Carl from Frank and Tom. The Athletics' final goal of the year.

The defending champs also won their first round series two straight. The second triumph needed double overtime. Combines broke loose in the second extra period to win 20-12. That ended the Army Bullets one and only campaign.

In the final the Lakeshores would equal their regular season win total by taking their third and fourth playoff victories. They started with a disasterous 20-7 loss. A pair of wins by 11-5 and 11-9 scores had them tied 2 games each. In the latter triumph, Toronto was without Bain, Curran and MacDonald. Led by Isaacs and Brunskill, Mimico-Brampton finished strongest. They doubled Toronto 14-7, then concluded the series with an 25-8 rout! Isaacs led all playoff scorers with 15 goals and 30 points. Brunskill's 17 goals were also best.

Maple Leaf Gardens was the site of the Eastern Canadian Championship. A two game total goals series. The Combines added Ken Dixon and Norm Worthy from St.Catharines. Due to war service, they went into the series without Bill Arthurs, Sid Prosser and Moe Thompson. The first game was on October 2nd and the defending champs blasted Lachine RCAF 20-6. Dixon led with 6 goals and 8 points. Brunskill scored 4 times, with hattricks to Isaacs and Worthy. With a 14 goal advantage the second contest was virtually meaningless. Mimico-Brampton won again, a much more competitive 15-13 result. Bert Large replaced Fred Harrison in goal. Jack Graham and Jim Mulliss sat out for the game. Isaacs led with 6 points as Worthy added 5. Brunskill and Lachine's Pat Egan were top goalgetters with 4 each.

The Mann Cup Final commenced in New Westminster on Saturday, October 9th. The hero of the previous Mann Cup Bert Large got the start in goal. This in spite of the fact that Fred Harrison had been the starter all year long. Large dueled with Ed Johnstone in a defensive first half. He turned aside 13 of 16 shots before being knocked out of the series in the second quarter with a severely twisted knee. Fred Harrison returned to goal and was the star of game one. The Salmonbellies outshot the Combines 50-33 but that wasn't good enough. The Cup holders trailed 3-2 at the half then scored 6 times in the third quarter to turn the match around. They held on for a 10-9 victory.

The holiday weekend ended with a Monday night contest. The Fishmen would even the series by winning a game with suffocating defence. There were a grand total of only 38 shots on the night. Johnstone barely worked up a sweat as he was tested only 14 times. Combines beat him twice early to win the opening quarter. New Westminster exploded with a 5 goal second to take charge. The Combine siege guns of Isaacs, Dixon and Brunskill were checked into the floor. Salmonbellies went on to double the easterners 10-5.

After that the complexion of the final changed. It began in the second quarter of the third game and doomed the defending champs. Mimico-Brampton won the opening fifteen minutes 3-2. Then New Westminster threw caution to the wind. They hit the floor on the fly and turned on their offence. They moved the ball around like a phoney quarter on the attack and the Combines couldn't keep up. The home side were ahead 9-7 by halftime and extended their lead to 13-7. The titleholders managed only one shot on goal in the third quarter! Their drawers were really dragging! New Westminster went on to claim a 17-9 win. Jim Douglas had recovered from the flu and played for the first time in the series, scoring twice. Five others also counted a deuce, while Arnold Ferguson led with a trio. Dixon and Isaacs managed hattricks for the losers.

The final match on the second Saturday was the exact opposite of the opener. Both goaltenders were outclassed. Ed Johnstone was pulled early after being beaten four times on five shots. Walt Lee settled matters and surrendered only three more the rest of the way. Again the Salmonbellies were too good. They put 22 shots past Harrison to conclude the series in convincing fashion. Bill Wilkes led with five markers and Douglas added three more. Brunskill scored three times for the Combines. This marked the end of the Mimico-Brampton arrangement.

Both the Mountaineers and Excelsiors returned to the league. Burlington Braves also joined, from Intermediate, giving the circuit five teams. It was not a happy year for the bay area newcomers. They won only twice in sixteen games to finish last. Player/Coach Bill Isaacs resigned by mid July and was replaced by Jerry Johnson. Isaacs missed numerous games and failed to make the top ten scorers.

With the split of the Combines, Bill Brunskill went to Brampton and won the scoring championship. Harry Graham was another Excelsior top ten scorer. Mimico grabbed Scoop Hayes, the league's top playmaker, and George Masters, tenth in scoring. The Mountaineers also picked up Ken Dixon but he did not play enough to defend his scoring title. Toronto's Gordon Gair and St.Catharines' Roy Morton were the only two to challenge Brunskill. Both veterans fell 11 points short.

The Athletics returned to the top of the league with 12 wins, one more than Toronto Lakeshores. Brampton won 8 times and Mimico only 5. The Excelsiors should have faced the Double Blues in the Semi Final but they quit the league before the end of the season. Burlington replaced them. A poor replacement as St.Catharines crushed them by scores of 23-10, 17-9 and 33-10. Roy Morton and Doug Cove scored five goals each in the first game, then Morton missed the next two routs. Bob Thorpe played his first game of the season in the finale and scored four goals and eight points. The A's also got four goal efforts from Norm McDonald and Carl Madsen. The other series was an upset. Mimico bounced Toronto from the post-season in four games. The Mounties took the last contest 13-5 as George Masters scored six times.

That September Lieutenant Cecil Jackson was killed during frontline duty in Italy. The former Thistle and Tiger had enlisted as a private in 1941, then gone overseas the next year.

Before the Final could take place, Brampton popped up again. They decided they wanted back into competition and they were allowed back after they had paid a $100 fine. St.Catharines were given the option of a bye, which they declined. Thus Mimico went straight to the Final as the A's and Excelsiors met in a best of seven series.

St.Catharines had to get by without their captain Carl Madsen. Ali Baba Gus had pulled ligaments in his right knee and was lost for the season. Actually the injury would mark the end of his great career.

The series commenced on September 14th and the Double Blues routed rusty Brampton 22-13. Frank Madsen scored five times, while Bob Thorpe and Doug Cove added four each. Bill Brunskill wasn't rusty. He scored five times in a losing cause. The next match was a 19-12 win for the A's. Five more goals for Cove and Norm McDonald chipped in with four. Bill Arthurs counted four markers for Brampton. The Excelsiors did get back into the series with an upset 15-11 victory. Four goals each from Brunskill and Tubby Scherzel. By the fourth game both offences looked tired. That plus rain from the second quarter on made for a sloppy contest. The Athletics doubled the Excelsiors 6-3. Bill Mackie and Arthurs were the only multiple goal scorers with a pair each. The last match was the fifth in nine days. Brampton faded away early as St.Catharines bombed them 26-10. Bill 'Ham' Nelson led with three goals and eight points. Five goal scorers included: McDonald, Thorpe and Morton. Bill Brunskill produced one last hattrick, as did Tom White.

Mimico hit the floor after a fortnight's layoff and managed to beat Bill Whitaker only three times. St.Catharines won 11-3. Both Norm McDonald and Frank Madsen continued to play the best lacrosse of their careers. They had three goals each. In Mimico, the Mounties got on track with a 13-9 triumph. A seven goal, nine point effort from George Masters! The Double Blues passing must have been off that night because they scored nine unassisted goals. The underdogs took the third match 7-6 as Masters poured in four more. Scoop Hayes was also strong with a goal and three assists. Both Madsen and McDonald had three points in the following 10-6 win. Ham Nelson also contributed a hattrick. Matters had reached a crisis for the Mountaineers. Coach Jack McDonald had not played competitively since the mid thirties, yet he donned his pads for the fifth contest and set up a goal. Mimico scored 10 times in the game as Ken Dixon finally broke loose with a trio. Dixon had missed the opening three matches and only scored a single tally his first game back. Al Doyle also produced a five point effort. It wasn't enough. St.Catharines scored 16 times to take a 3-2 series lead. Scoring was very balanced, however Bill Mackie's four markers and Roy Morton's triple loomed large. The sixth and final game was the tightest of them all. Coach McDonald has a pair to lead Mimico as they kept it close until the end. Bill Nelson's third marker with 14 minutes left gave the A's a two goal cushion. Ken Dixon got it back with 3 minutes remaining but that was as close as the Mounties got. St.Catharines held on for a 9-8 victory and the OLA championship.

The Salmonbellies were Toronto bound. They confirmed their supremacy of western Canada by crushing Winnipeg 20-4. The team stayed at the Queen City's most luxurious hotel, the Royal York. They bunked four or five to a room. Heady days for the CLA to give their BC champs the best. Andy Paull remembered the North Shore Indians Toronto stay in 1936. He had to duck hotel officials while sending collect wires west. This after the Indians had travelled across Canada living off of dried salmon and nothing else! Dan McKenzie came to the rescue by providing $1000 out of his own pocket. Since then CLA fortunes had improved greatly. McKenzie was even paid back the money owed.

Both teams were allowed to pick up six players. New Westminster took advantage by adding such talent as Richmond's 50 goal scorer Roy Pinder and from Vancouver John Cavallin, John Dale, Harry Buchanan and goaltender Walt Lee. St.Catharines declinded to begin the series with any imports. Their list of six included: Al Doyle, Scoop Hayes, George Masters and Al McLean from Mimico, plus Joe Murphy from Lakeshores and Bill Arthurs from Brampton. The A's announced that none would see action unless the Salmonbellies were too strong.

Game One took place on the Saturday of the Thanksgiving long weekend. The Double Blues dominated the loose balls and waltzed to an easy 17-10 victory. The Monday night game started out the same way. After the opening quarter the tide turned. New Westminster took control as they owned 90% of the loose balls. Led by pint size firebrand Ike Hildebrand, playmaker Pete Meehan and goalie Walt Lee they won the contest 13-4. With no rest(a Mann Cup first) the squads did battle Tuesday evening in the best game of the series. It wasn't decided until Doug Cove scored with 20 seconds left. 11-10 St.Catharines.

Then the off floor antics commenced. Game Four of the series was scheduled for St.Catharines. The CLA were glad of it as the Maple Leaf Gardens crowds had been as small as rental cost of the arena had been large. They were losing money and happy to get out of town. Unluckily they had made a pre-series oversight. They had neglected to inform the Salmonbellies that St.Catharines had an outdoor bowl with a dirt floor. Fishman coach Jack Wood refused to make the trip. He pointed to the constitution which clearly stated that the Final must be played indoors. A committee of five arranged to meet with the Salmonbelly executives Wednesday - for an arm twisting session. New Westminster stood firm to their position. The Athletics likewise got their backs up and insisted the game be played as scheduled on Thursday night. By Thursday all of Ontario had turned against the Salmonbellies, who were seen to be trying to twist the CLA around their finger, as they had always done. Mimico Mountaineers offered blankets for the New West players to wrap their jewels in if it was a cold night. The blankets were not needed as the game was cancelled. Friday morning St.Catharines notified CLA President E.E. Barnes that they would play Game Four Saturday night in Toronto. The Double Blues were only upset by Wood's comment that St.Catharines fans threw pebbles or rocks at opposition goaltenders. Game Five was scheduled for Monday in Hamilton.

The fourth match went to overtime. Tied at 8-8, the Fishmen took charge in the ten minute fifth period to win 11-8. Goals by Bill Dickinson, John Cavallin and Pete Meehan starved off elimination. Lacrosse septuagenarian Fred Waghorne described it as the best lacrosse he'd seen in years. Bill Wilkes was the game's lone casaulty. He took a ball in the eye, forcing him to see an specialist the next day. He was not cleared to play in the deciding contest.

After two great games, the stage was set for a terrific finale. Sure enough, controversy again marred proceedings. St.Catharines was given permission to bring in some of their extra players for the last game. To go one step further, George Masters was away on naval duty, thus the A's were allowed to replace him with Bill Isaacs. This decision was made despite the rule book stating clearly that a list of players had to be submitted before the start of the series and no other players were eligible to be picked up. Money was the motivator behind this incorrect ruling. The four games to date had attracted a disasterously low 14,000 fans. The final match was to be played in Hamilton and what better way to secure a big crowd then to allow the Athletics to use the Tigers' greatest player. Salmonbelly manager Grumpy Spring was not happy with the decision to allow new blood. He was quoted as saying, "Six fresh men, eh? That's just swell. I guess Wood and I will have to strip for our side."

The Monday game was a well played, hard fought contest. It was even late in the third quarter when Bill Whitaker fired a ball skyward and smashed a light. A 22 minute delay followed. For the last stretch of the match St.Catharines went with two lines of six. That plus the play of Isaacs, Arthurs and Hayes was the difference. They won the game and the cup by an 11-9 score. Bill Isaacs led them with 2 goals and 1 assist. Bill Arthurs added a pair of goals. Scoop Hayes contributed two assists. While the fourth addition Al Doyle chipped in with a two minute penalty. Hey! fair is fair. Roy Pinder scored 6 goals and 11 points in the series, while John Dale had 6 points and Walt Lee played every minute of the final four games.

A Mann Cup game at the Hamilton Arena was a novel affair. One adjustment spectators needed to make was that there was no fence above the boards. Consequently the ball was always flying out of play. On one occasion a woman was hit in the eye. The other fans were better at ducking. The game in Hamilton also drew interest outside lacrosse circles. Foster Hewitt made himself at home in the press box to do the radio broadcast. Neither Rex Stimers or Norm Marshall, who had been covering the series, liked that. Stimers was the voice of the A's and notorious for his phantom broadcasts of games. He often called road games from a St.Catharines studio, making up the play by play as he went along. During the third quarter delay to fix the light, much time was wasted trying to find a ladder. The one they eventually found Hewitt had used to climb up to the press box. Which makes one wonder if they put it back after. Possibly a Marshall/Stimers conspiracy to get back at the interloper? It would have been a curious thing to see Foster Hewitt marooned in the press box long after the fifth game had concluded.

The final war year had every team combining with each other to knock off the champion A's. Brampton joined up with Toronto Lakeshore, while Hamilton and Burlington teamed up. Only St.Catharines and Mimico would go solo in the four team league. The Athletics were good, as usual, but the Mounties struggled terribly.

Brampton-Lakeshore were the most successful combined team. They finished first with a 19-5 record, two points ahead of St.Catharines. They also had three scorers in the top four. Bill Brunskill repeated as champion with 83 goals and 9 assists. Teammate Harry Graham was well back with only 55 goals and 70 points. Gordon Gair placed fourth with a 40 goal 62 point effort. Other notables on the Combines were Jack Bryans, Joe Murphy, Bill Arthurs and Norman Gair. George Thompson played in only 2 regular season games, while Jack Gair missed all 24 contests. Both would be available for the playoffs. The Anthonys were away in Europe. Bill was wounded in the arm, left hand and shoulder while fighting in Germany in May. Pete was wounded in April. That brought them both home in time for the post season. Another lacrosse star, Inglewood's Dick Walsh, returned home after being wounded twice.

Hamilton-Burlington were no more successful than the Burlington team of the previous season. Three wins and a tie was the best they could manage. A secure last place finish, 8 points behind Mimico. They did have a couple of top ten scorers. Bill Isaacs was back to true form with a 54 point season and Doug Davidson also cracked the elite scoring list. Hamilton-Burlington actually did as well as St.Catharines. The Double Blues also only had two scorers make the lower half of the top ten. Doug Cove produced 55 points and defensive specialist Vern Whitely tied for ninth place. Where were the rest of the A's scorers? The likes of Roy Morton and Bobby Thorpe hardly played any games. Morton would see limited action in the playoffs too. George Urquhart had returned from out west but he also did not play in every game. On top of that, the A's were in the midst of a youth movement. Youngsters suchas Jim McMahon, Jerry Fitzgerald and Stu Scott had good years but they were not yet top class scorers. Mimico faired better. Scoop Hayes, Blain McDonald and Al Doyle all made the top ten. Hayes finished tied for second and was top playmaker again. The Mountaineers, however, lacked depth. That explained their 7-16-1 record.

It also explained the Mounties early exit from the playoffs. They did give the first place club one tough week to start September. The first game was a 19-13 Combine romp. Bryans and Brunskill scored four times each, plus Graham tossed in a trio. Mimico came back at home and doubled their opponents 12-6. Future Boston Bruin Eddie Sandford led with four goals. The final two games were tight defensive wins for Brampton-Lakeshore by scores of 6-5 and 9-7.

All four teams made the playoffs, which gave St.Catharines three games to beat up on the Bay Area Combines. They started with an 11-5 win. George Urquhart led with five points. The second match turned out to be a close call. Urquhart led again with four points and each point was needed. Scotty Jamieson fired a hattrick for the Combines but they narrowly lost 9-8. The last game was an easy 13-4 win. Pat Smith counted a triple and Bob Thorpe picked up four points.

St.Catharines started the Final with a 14-13 victory. Their balanced attack barely overcame Bill Brunskill's eight goal effort. Stu Scott was best for the winners with a hattrick. The Athletics took the second game 18-7 as Doug Cove potted four. Pat Smith added five points, while Jack Gair scored three times for the losers. The Combines bounced back to win the next two contests. Brunskill had five in a 15-10 triumph. Next Bill Arthurs six point effort secured an 11-8 win. No sooner had Brampton-Lakeshore evened the series then they once again lost at home! The A's finished strongest, first by doubling the Combines 14-7. George Urquhart scored six points, Frank Madsen fired in four goals and Vern Whitely chipped in a trio. Next came a convincing 13-5 finale. Nine different Double Blues scored, led by Smith, Urquhart, Thorpe and Bill Mackie. Bill Brunskill was shutout in the last game but finished the season with 106 regular season and playoff goals - one shy of Bill Isaacs' 1939 record of 107. Note that scoring for three of the Combine playoff games against Mimico were lost.

The '45 Mann Cup was a flop. Vancouver Burrards won the ICLL with a commanding 20-4 record, then survived a seven game scare from the New Westminster Adanacs in the league final. Against St.Catharines there was barely a fright. Led by scoring champ Bill Harris, Harry Buchanan and Don Matheson(having returned from Navy) the Blue Bombers blasted the Athletics three straight. Bill Whitaker was at his best in the opener and made 38 saves but his side still lost 12-6. Pat Theale was top scorer with three goals and two assists. After taking the weekend off, Vancouver won the second game 18-7. Prior to the final contest, Vancouver and St.Catharines petitioned the CLA for half profits from the gate. They were turned down. Thus the money from the crowd of 6,000 went to the governing body in total. Frank Lee had four goals and six points in the finale, a 14-5 romp. For the series the A's were outscored 44-18 and outshot 136-86. Only in penalty minutes did St.Catharines lead - 57 to 48. Quite a performance from the new Dominion champions.

With the war ended and the boys back home, this was the year the offences went crazy. Previous to this campaign, the league's highest scoring season had been 1943. In that year teams averaged 12.86 goals per game. In 1946 the average was 15.04! Only 1971 has topped that mark(15.10). In comparison, by 1948 the average had dropped to 10.07. The league also had a record six 100 pointgetters(broken in 1971) and sixteen 50 goal scorers! St.Catharines established a new high by averaging 19.4 goals per game. Only the Brantford Warriors of 1971 and 1973 have ever topped that mark. Even last place Orillia managed 11 goals per game. The Terriers also used eight different goaltenders who surrendered a shocking 665 goals!

Needless to say, it was a record breaking year. Hamilton Tigers got the scoring derby started on July 8th with a 42-8 rout of Orillia. George Masters' 11 goals and 2 assists set a goals and points record. A week later Brampton Excelsiors scored 22 goals in a game and lost. Owen Sound Georgians tallied 23 as Lloyd Wotton made one save more than Pete Anthony - perhaps the only save of the contest? Masters record did last to August. On the 5th St.Catharines' Stu Scott made his mark. In a 39-19 rout of Brampton(poor Pete Anthony again) Scott collected 17 points. Two days too late, Don Campbell had a 9 goal 5 assist game against Orillia. Not to be outdone, Gordon Gair soon got into the act. In Orillia's last home game of the year, their final game in Senior A lacrosse period, Gair led his Barrie team to a 35-15 victory. Terrier goaltenders Eric Fagen and Mel Murray had no chance as Gair scored 14 goals and 18 points. The goal record has never been touched, while the points record would last over half a century. That gave Gair 100 goals on the season. He won the scoring race, however he did not lead the league in goals. Rookie Vince Reddy's 102 broke Bill Isaacs record of 101. Those three are the only players to reach triple figures in the regular season. Note that in 1946, as in 1939, a 30 game scheduled was played. Even more noteworthy, both Gair and Reddy played on Barrie Lakeshores! Thus two unbroken records were set that August 24th evening in Orillia.

Not all players were able to get used to peacetime. In June, Bill Brunskill was suspended for hitting referee Sid Prosser. The pair had been teammates only a couple of years earlier!

The circuit expanded to seven teams. Brampton-Lakeshore broke up. The Excelsiors stayed in Brampton, while the Lakeshores moved to Barrie. It was Barrie's one and only season in Senior lacrosse. They finished fifth with a respectable 13-17 record. Owen Sound rejoined from Intermediate and Orillia Terriers returned for one season. The Georgians tied for third place with Hamilton, 17 wins apiece. Orillia managed a mere three triumphs. They actually won their season opener by knocking off the Tigers 13-12 as Mike Cunningham scored five times. Before May was completed they topped Owen Sound 14-10. Veteran Ernie Curran had five in that one. What followed was a 25 game losing streak. Once goaltender George Savage was lost for the year, the Terriers collapsed as a competitive force. One final win came at the expense of Owen Sound. Orillia blasted them with 28 goals! Curran counted five goals and four each to Tom White, Bob Burrell and J.J. Hill. Yet the season was a humbling experience for Mann Cup champions like Ernie Botting, Ernie and Bill Curran.

The Athletics took the regular season pennant with a 24-5-1 record, two points better than Mimico. Hamilton's 17 wins earned them third spot, while Brampton struggled through a 7-23 season. The playoff format was a peculiar one. First place drew third and second-fourth. That was nothing new, however the fifth and sixth place teams also squared off. The highest seeded Quarter Final winner would get the choice of a bye to the Final.

The best of three first round series all ended quickly. The Double Blues dumped Hamilton two straight, concluding with an 11-5 win. Mimico edged past Owen Sound in a tight 11-10 opener. They followed that with a 21-13 victory. Blain McDonald had hattricks in both matches. Jack "Curly' Mason scored five times for the Georgians. Barrie also dismissed Brampton in two games. A narrow 11-10 triumph preceeded a 17-13 win. In the latter contest, Gordon Gair and Carl Madgett matched each other with five goals for their respective teams. Vince Reddy's four markers were the difference.

St.Catharines chose to play Barrie in the Semi Final and took care of them with two 16 goal efforts. The Lakeshores were without Reddy for Game #1. Gordon Gair had five goals and an assist in the 16-7 loss. The next contest ended 16-10. Gair scored four more, while Reddy played and chipped in two goals and two assists. Jim McMahon topped them both with a five goal effort for the winners.

That set up another St.Catharines-Mimico classic. The first game on September 6th featured the dueling hattricks. Jim McMahon and Roy Morton scored three each for the A's, while red helmeted Elmer Lee and Ed Sandford did the same for the Mounties. St.Catharines prevailed 16-12. Mimico evened the series at home by tripling the Double Blues 24-8! A six goal night for Ken Dixon, with four goal support from brother Archie and Sandford. Blain McDonald also contributed five points. The Athletics took their revenge at home with a 15-8 win. Bill Nelson and Stu Scott led with four goals each. Another hattrick for Sandford in the loss. Jack Williams joined the series for the next encounter. He was held to one goal by Doug Favell as St.Catharines took another 16-12 decision. Triples for Jack McMahon, Scott, Don 'Scotty' McPhail and Archie Dixon. Ed Sandford was also cooled off and limited to a single marker. After two night's rest, the Mountaineers came back with a convincing 18-8 victory. Six points for McDonald, five more for Ken Dixon and four goals from Williams, who shook the cobwebs out of his stick. Both McMahons scored three times for the losers. Mimico next forced the series to the limit with a 20-9 triumph. Four goals from the sticks of Archie Dixon and McPhail. Three more from Sandford and Ken Dixon. For the series finale the Haig Bowl was sold out and 500 people had to be turned away. Thanks, in part, to Blain McDonald's hattrick, Mimico entered the final quarter in a tight 9-9 tie. Then the Double Blues erupted for eight consecutive goals from seven different players. That clinched them a 17-10 victory and another championship.

Five days later, the champs were in Montreal to battle Quebec Mounts. Several former Athletics were in the easterners line up, including captain Sid Wright. The Mounts also had Punch Imlach, who would score three points in the short series. St.Catharines took the first game 19-12, despite being without Roy Morton. A remarkable four goal five assist effort from Jim McMahon led the way. Pat Smith and Stu Scott both supported with six points each. Armand Bourdon was best for Quebec with five points. The second contest was a 16-7 victory for the A's. Jack McMahon scored seven points and Scott bulged the twine four times. Sid Wright led the losers with a hattrick.

The Mann Cup Final commenced on Monday September 30th. New Westminster Salmonbellies earned the right to represent the west after going through ICLL play with a 20-8-1 record. They could boast three of the league's top four scorers in champion Ike Hildebrand, Ralph Burton and Bert Bryant. Both Pete Meehan and Bill Dickinson also had 30 goals and 50 point seasons. All that paled in comparison to the offensive power of St.Catharines. Hildebrand's 55 goals and 82 points in 24 games was impressive, however the A's had two 100 point scorers in Bill Nelson and Jim McMahon, plus Stu Scott(91 pts) Roy Morton(88) Pat Smith(87) Joe Cheevers(80) Tom Madsen(77) and George Urquhart(71). The westerners would be sorely tested.

The opening game was played in front of 6,640 fans. New Westminster carried the lead throughout much of the contest. They led 5-3 after 30 minutes and 8-6 by the three quarter mark. With 5 minutes remaining the westerners were still up 10-9. The Fishmen were controlling the ball and working the clock when a wild pass led to disaster. 200 pounder Ham Nelson pounced on the loose ball and sent Pat Smith into the clear to tie it. St.Catharines won the ensuing draw and Jack McMahon took control. He methodically worked his way in close, backing in on the defence, before flipping a shot into the top corner. 11-10 A's and they won the next draw and held the ball until the final minute. Stu Scott led the Double Blues with three goals. The speedy sniper slipped past the defence to take passes at the side of the crease. Twice he was knocked flat as he shot. Burly defenceman Bill Dickinson scored a hattrick for New Westminster. The work of referees Carl Madsen and Joe Murphy was approved of by both teams. The Salmonbellies only complained about the close checking on Ike Hildebrand.

The crowd increased to 7,698 for the Wednesday night encounter. New West won the initial quarter 5-4. Referee Max Peart was calling a very tight game and displeased the Fishmen by giving Ed Downey a major penalty for a hit on McMahon. The A's were held to one goal, thus the Salmonbellies escaped the first half on even terms. The Double Blue second half explosion floored them. St.Catharines broke things open enroute to an 18-9 victory. Goaltender Bill Scuby was claimed to have gotten a lame back from bending over to pick so many balls out of his net! The local press went on to boast that the westerners had better rush out and get their last minute shopping done before the trip home.

For once the media got it right. New Westminster would be heading home after Friday's third game, however they wouldn't go without a fight. Coach Jack Wood changed Salmonbelly tactics, having his chargers apply lots of forechecking. The result was they controlled two-thirds of the play, nailed most of the loose balls and even won some draws! However impatient shooting, coupled with the netminding of Doug Favell would be their downfall. The contest went into the last fifteen minutes with the A's up 8-7. Pete Meehan had an excellent chance to tie it but bounced a shot off Favell's ear. Favell later robbed Ed Downey. Meanwhile St.Catharines began to run the clock down. Jack McMahon deliberately worked the ball up floor. Eventually three Fishmen ganged up on him. So he tossed a pass to Doug Cove who went in to score the ninth St.Catharines goal. Two more late markers followed, giving the Athletics an 11-7 win and their fifth Mann Cup.

It appeared to only be the beginning for a franchise destined to challenge the Salmonbellies as Canada's greatest team. With yet another championship and so many good young players on the team, the sky looked to be the limit. Better still, the Junior A's had won the Minto Cup that year. Another would soon follow, plus four straight OLA titles. The timing was perfect for the veterans to retire. Wandy McMahon(aged 33) Pung Morton(31) George Urquhart(31) and Joe Cheevers(31) all announced that they'd be retiring AGAIN! "This time we mean it" they chorused. Cheevers would jump to Hamilton while the other three would be back in Double Blue again the next spring. Yet Cheevers would be the only one to ever win another Mann Cup. The Athletics were about to begin a drought which still hasn't ended. The famed youth movement would win more Mann Cups...for teams in Peterborough, Victoria and Nanaimo.

The year ended on a sad note. Diminutive Brampton goaltender Pete Anthony survived fighting in Europe to return to the Excelsiors. Unfortunately we was unable to survive an off season auto accident. Anthony had starred in Orillia's early Mann Cup triumphs, then helped the Salmonbellies end eastern dominance of the Dominion Championship in the mid thirties.

Previous          Index          Next