As if they needed it, the Timbermen had a secret weapon for the '52 season. Throughout the year they consumed 48 cans of honey. A spoonful before the game and at halftime to give the players extra energy. The idea was Eric Mason's(Curly's father). I suspect he was a beekeeper. Nevertheless honey may have been the difference because Peterborough barely defended its league title.

Of a more tangible nature, the Petes picked up Six Nations' great Ross Powless and Lou Nickle, a graduate of the Minto Cup winning Mimico Mountaineers. Brampton's Al Garbutt also joined late in the summer as the Excelsiors had dropped out of the league. On the downside, the Timbermen lost Arn Dugan to the West, plus Jerry Fitzgerald missed the playoffs to join the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Another club just as active at importing talent was Toronto West Yorks. They signed Don McPhail and John Hewitt away from Mimico. They also had St.Catharines veterans Stu Scott and Ken Croft on their roster. Nick Ferri moved over from Brampton. Plus the Yorks added three graduates from the St.Catharines Junior dynasty: Leo Teatro, Jim and Joe McNulty. To round out their squad was a terrific young netminder named Gordie Johnston(I have him as Gordie but official western records list him as Geordie).

Peterborough successfully defended their regular season title with a 23-7 record. Russ Slater, Jack Mason and Don Ashbee all made the top ten in scoring but the Timbermen did not have a single fifty goal scorer. Mimico followed with 20 victories. Fred Sandford led the league with 64 goals and Ken Dixon placed fourth in his final season. Toronto also had a winning record with a 17-13 mark. Teatro and Jim McNulty were their top gunners. Hamilton boasted league scoring champ Jack Dorney, however the Tigers lost as many as they won. Owen Sound returned to grab fifth place with 12 wins. They had eight players back from the Mann Cup crew, however their goaltending was up in the air most of the season. They eventually settled on Bill Taylor but he was no Moon Wotton. The Athletics fell to a disasterous 11-19 record. It wasn't a bad year for St.Catharines lacrosse, just the A's. Four Garden City boys would win the Mann Cup and nine would compete in the OLA Final. Fergus placed last, though they had a pair of top ten scorers in Bob Dobbie and Don Gear.

The 1-6, 2-5, 3-4 format was used in the playoffs for the final time. Peterborough humbled the Double Blues in four games. Yet their one loss was quite embarrassing. After winning the series opener 16-8, the Timbermen travelled to the Haig Bowl and were blasted 16-5! Al Frick led with a hattrick and seven points. Jim McMahon also scored a trio and five points. The Mann Cup holders only won Game Three 12-9. Max Woolley bedeviled them with a seven point effort. The series ended with a 15-9 triumph for the Petes.

The West Yorks advanced to the Semi Final after a convincing performance against Hamilton. They started on August 29th with an 18-10 victory. Frank Facto next scored five goals in a 12-6 win. The Tigers took their only game 9-6, thanks to the heroics of Doug Favell and a pair of goals each from Merv McKenzie and George Masters. The series concluded with a 15-7 Toronto triumph. Nick Ferri scored four times as Don McPhail and Leo Teatro each potted hattricks.

Owen Sound and Mimico squared off one last time - another tremendous series. The Mounties went ahead early. A tight 11-9 win up north gave them a 2-0 advantage. Denny Peterson scored four goals and Ralph Gowland three more. The Crescents came back. A 14-13 thriller at the Drummond Bowl kept them alive. Back home the Sounders got a four goal effort from John Lumley and a trio from Don McWhirter enroute to an 18-11 victory. The finale in Mimico was anti-climatic. Red Hartley held Owen Sound to five goals as the home side ran in sixteen! Fred Sandford was high man with four markers.

Lacrosse's version of a Subway Series - though there was no subway running from Mimico to Weston - featured in the OLA Semi Final. Funny enough, a month later the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers would meet in baseball's first Subway Series. Ontario's version was a disappointment. Toronto bounced Mimico out of the playoffs in three straight. The margin of victory grew each contest. After a 14-11 win, the West Yorks won by scores of 17-10 and 21-11.

That placed the underdog Toronto crew up against the powerful defending champions. They looked out of place initially. The opener was all Lloyd Wotton. He shutdown the Yorks' offence as Peterborough breezed to a 13-5 win. Al Garbutt bulged the twine three times and Ike Hildebrand counted four points. In Weston, the Timbermen turned on the offence. 21-13 was the result. Five goal games from Hildebrand and Harry Wipper. Russ Slater added a quartet. At least Toronto's offence came to life. Bill Timpson scored four times and Ken Croft had a seven point night. Back at the Miller Bowl, the Yorks sent a warning shot across the bow. A stunning 10-8 victory sent the Pete supporters home shellshocked, Deuces from Croft, Jim McNulty and Jack Kapasky out shone Slater's hattrick. The Mann Cup holders quickly regrouped. They won a tight 9-7 battle in Weston to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Another hattrick for Slater. Everyone expected the series to be wrapped up in Peterborough, yet Toronto again won on the road! They doubled the hometown boys 10-5. McNulty's hattrick marked a turning point in the series. yet he got extra support from his mates. Two goal efforts by Kapasky and Croft, a three assist game for Leo Teatro, plus stellar goalkeeping by Gordie Johnston humbled the Timbermen. The Yorks went one better by finally winning at home. A narrow 8-7 win as a number of players chipped in with a two or three point evening(Stu Scott, John Hewitt, McNulty, Timpson, Don McPhail and Nick Ferri). Suddenly the Final was knotted 3-3 and Peterborough would have to fall back on home advantage to save them. That plus extra spoonfuls of honey!

The deciding game turned into a marathon. On the strength of Teatro's three goals Toronto took a 9-7 lead to halftime. Player/Coach Bob Thorpe must have gazed skyward for divine intervention. The Lacrosse Gods smiled on him and his Timbermen. The clouds rolled in the rain began to fall. It continued long enough to have the contest postponed and rescheduled to be played in its entirety the following night. Thus the Yorks two goal advantage evaporated. As well, the visitors would have to make the long trek back to Peterborough the next night. Advantage had shifted back to the Mann Cup holders and they made it count. Great playmaking work from Nip O'Hearn and Curly Mason would sink Toronto's cause in the rematch. O'Hearn set up five goals and Mason four as the Petes took the finale 12-8.

This year Peterborough hosted Vancouver in the Mann Cup. Once again the ICLL champs had come from a mediocre third place standing to win the West. This time they did not drive the Timbermen through seven hard games. It was the first best of seven final to end in less than seven contests. In fact, it was as short as possible, four straight. The first match was an absolute catastrophie for the travel weary westerners. They beat Lloyd Wotton only once. 9-1 was the score. Vancouver found themselves the next couple of nights, only to lose nailbiting 8-7 and 9-8 games. Game Four was a 15-6 romp for the Timbermen. Defensive specialist Lou Nickle became the first OLA runner to claim the Mike Kelly Award. He contributed 4 goals and 3 assists in the series. Another great two way player, Don Ashbee, was tops with 11 points. Dootch Vitarelli and Russ Slater both led with 6 goals.

It was the ICLL which took the lead in bringing the game into the modern era. Before their season commenced, they abolished the Rover position, limiting the number of runners on the floor from six to five. To balance the removal of one defender, the nets were reduced from 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 to 4 feet by 4 feet. The OLA soon followed suit. In midseason the Senior League switched to the new system. On July 6th, six man lacrosse started in Ontario. It was merely a trial, to be reviewed at season end, however it was a successful trial which would remain until the end of the century. The change paved the way for Jim Bishop and his fast break game which hit the Jr.A League the next season. Thus the first steps towards the high speed modern game were set in motion. All that was left was the introduction of the 30 second clock in the 1960s.

It wasn't just a summer of change, it was also a summer of turmoil. After twelve games and only three victories, Brampton decided to merge with Mimico. The idea fell through and the Excelsiors dropped out of the league. None of their players headed down to the lakeshore and the Mounties went on to finish last with a 2-28 record. There was also trouble in Weston. The West Yorks packed their bags and moved to Orillia in the middle of the season.

Perhaps the most curious incident of the year happened in Peterborough when Mimico's Pop Chard allegedly attacked referee Lewis Vipond, giving him a bloody nose. So said the Peterborough Examiner. However Vipond once told me the incident never happened, that he never had any trouble with Pop Chard. Creative journalism or selective memory?

Peterborough even changed things up a bit. They inked a new sponsorship deal with McGuinness Trailers, thus the Timbermen became the Trailermen(though the people responsible for official CLA records never bothered to change the nickname). First the Lumberjacks, then the Timbermen and now the Trailermen, Peterborough lacrosse and its' multiple nicknames were off and running. The Juniors were the worst culprits. They'd already been known as the Filter Queens and Pats. Still to come were the Petes, U.E.W.'s, P.C.O.'s, Gray-Munros, Centurions, James Gang, Maulers, Lakers and Javelins!

Even though Peterborough had won consecutive titles the league had been competitive. That began to change. As the Trailermen grew stronger, many of the other clubs fell apart. Owen Sound dropped down to Intermediate, Brampton would leave the league for most of the decade, Mimico was on it's last legs, the game had abandoned Toronto, Hamilton Tigers were a mere shadow of their former greatness as they struggled to balance the books and St.Catharines continued to fight against a severe talent drain. The Dark Age had come to the OLA - as it was hitting the ICLL hard too. Dwindling attendance combined with minimal media coverage would cripple the game beyond repair. It was similar to what the CFL went through in the late 1980s and 1990s...people ceased to care. Television had a major impact on the situation. Hockey and Football had their profiles heightened, while lacrosse was ignored. More importantly, people began to stay home at nights, rather than go down to the local bowl to support the home team. It was all a bad situation, made worse in the OLA by a dominant Peterborough team which smothered all competition, thus killing interest outside the Peterborough area.

The Petes were challenged one last time during the regular season. The Athletics had a vastly improved squad and they took a run at first place. Roger Smith led them with a league record 81 assists. He won the scoring title with 129 points. Al Frick and Derry Davies both scored over fifty goals. The A's fell two points shy of the Mann Cup holders, finishing with a 24-6 record. It could have been a much different situation had the Double Blues all their local boys playing for Peterborough(Jerry Fitzgerald, Don O'Hearn, Bob Thorpe and Harry Wipper) or the West Yorks three top ten scorers, all from St.Catharines(Ken Croft, Tony D'Amico and Leo Teatro). Alas they didn't.

Only two clubs finished with winning records. The rest struggled terribly. Orillia managed a 15-15 mark for third place. Fergus grabbed fourth spot with 14 wins, as Bob Dobbie led the league with 70 goals. Hamilton narrowly missed the playoffs two points back. The Tigers no longer had the funds to lure St.Catharines talent to the Steel City. The very best A's were either heading to Peterborough or out west. Hamilton did pick up Brampton Junior graduate Jack Bionda. The game's next superstar scored 10 goals and 7 assists in six games.

The senior Lacrosse revival in Orillia was shortlived. They met the defending champions to start the playoffs and were dispatched four straight. The scores were: 19-3, 14-8, 14-8 and 27-7. The twenty goal blowout was the last Sr.A game ever played in Orillia.

St.Catharines also won their opening series in four games. On August 11th they doubled the Thistles 12-6. Ted Howe led the A's with three goals. They won in Fergus 16-11. A big five goal night for Don Moore. Derry Davies chipped in with four. Don Gear scored four times for the scotsmen and J.J. Hill added three. The Double Blues next won 17-9. Norm Corcoran was high man with four markers. The final contest was a much closer 11-7 result. Gear scored a hattrick in vain. Al Frick had three for the winners.

In the OLA Final, St.Catharines four game winning streak was transformed into a three game losing streak. Defence and goaltending was the difference as Peterborough grabbed a 3-0 series lead. Lloyd Wotton was slightly better than Doug Favell. The scores were: 12-8, 10-8 and 9-4. The Athletics avoided elimination with an inspirational 14-6 victory at home. That was the only game they would take from the Mann Cup holders. At the Miller Bowl, the Trailermen ended the series with another 9-4 win. Ross Powless was high man in the post season with 26 points. He was just one better than teammates Don O'Hearn and Ike Hildebrand. Jerry Fitzgerald was two back with 24. Russ Slater and Derry Davies were top playoff goal scorers with 19 each. Al Frick was right behind them with 18 counters.

A new power had emerged in the ICLL. Victoria Shamrocks finished in first place for the third straight year but this time they got it right in the playoffs. They nearly didn't as fourth place Nanaimo pushed them the distance in the best of five Semi Final. In the league final the Shamrocks avenged past defeats by finally beating Vancouver 4 games to 1. Thus Victoria reached the Dominion championship with an all western squad - the last such team for some time to come. There was an eastern flavour to the club with three ex-Excelsiors in the line up(Archie Browning, Lew Landess and Whitey Severson). They were a strong side, however no match for the Trailermen. Peterborough won out west for the second consecutive time, something no team had ever done before. They put the Shamrocks away in five games, the most onesided eastern win on the coast in history! Plus the third straight Mann Cup win tied Orillia's box record. Ross Powless was named MVP. Jack Mason led the series in points with 13, while he and Russ Slater each scored 9 goals. Lloyd Wotton held Victoria to under eight goals per game. Browning and Jack Northup led the irish with 6 goals and 2 assists each. ICLL scoring champ Whitey Severson was shutout!

Official records credit New Westminster Salmonbellies with six consecutive Mann Cup triumphs from 1920-25, however their accomplishment paled in comparison to Peterborough's four straight wins from 1951-54. For one thing the Salmonbellies never had to leave B.C., whereas the Petes twice had to venture west. The Fishmen were also spared having to face any OLA competition. Weston had its own dynasty going in Ontario but never travelled west to challenge for the Canadian championship. New Westminster can hardly be faulted for that. Yet there is no denying that the road to the Dominion championship was much easier for the Salmonbellies. The Timbermen/Trailermen had to face all the demands that modern fans are accustomed to. They can claim the Box record, however theirs was the superior achievement.

Still one can make the arguement that New Westminster best represented the true spirit of lacrosse and the Mann Cup competition. Their six winners were claimed by local boys, compared to Peterborough's four championship all-star teams. The '54 Trailermen had imports from St.Catharines(3) Owen Sound(3) Toronto(2) Mimico(1) and Fergus(1). Of the 275 regular season goals they scored, only 93 were from the sticks of local boys! Of 121 playoff goals, Peterborough natives scored 30. Thus the Trailermen's ability to pay players, something the amateur Fishmen were not allowed to do, was a huge advantage. In light of that, the greatest Mann Cup dynasty of them all might be the Athletics of 1938-41, three championships in four years with an all St.Catharines team. Or the Brooklin Redmen from 1985-88. Once again three titles in four years, two of them won in B.C.!

The O.L.A. Senior League had dwindled to four clubs. Given that one of the teams was woeful Mimico, the league really was in a sad state. The Mounties won only five times in twenty-seven tries. Losing Denny Peterson to Peterborough sealed their fate before the season began. The Trailermen also picked up ageing Don Campbell and from the Peterborough Juniors added Bob Allan and Bob Curtis. They ran away with first place thanks to a 23-6-1 record - 13 points ahead of St.Catharines. Hamilton placed third with a losing record.

The Tigers one bright spot was scoring champion Jim McNulty. He would defect to the west for the '55 campaign. St.Catharines local Tony D'Amico also made the top ten wearing Black and Gold, along with Fergus' Bob Dobbie. Peterborough dominated with six top scorers: Harry Wipper(2nd) Denny Peterson(3rd) Russ Slater(4th) Bob Allan(6th) Bob Curtis(8th) and Jerry Fitzgerald(10th). Norm Corcoran was the solo Athletic to make the list.

Last place Mimico was dropped from the playoffs. The remaining three squads attempted to play a rain disrupted triple round robin. Eventually Peterborough and St.Catharines squared off in the Final. The Trailermen won every game. The scores were: 8-3, 17-7, 14-8 and 11-4.

Victoria Shamrocks came east to try and end the Petes' dominance. They led the series opener 4-3 when rain washed out the contest. They came back to defeat the Mann Cup holders 8-4 the next evening. Former West York, Gordie Johnston outdueled Lloyd Wotton. Peterborough responded with consecutive wins of 11-4, 9-4 and 10-8. The fourth game was evenly played as Victoria outshot the home side 39-38. Still they were not a happy crew. Game Four had been delayed a day because of rain. Thus the Shamrocks were so unhappy about the Miller Bowl that they threatened to quit the series if it wasn't moved indoors. This was awkward. The Civic Arena was the only local site available. It could squeeze in 2,500 spectators if no one told the fire marshall. Miller Bowl comfortably held 4,000. Given the financial situation of most of the Senior organisations at that time, 1,500 less tickets sold would be a big blow. For instance, Hamilton would have to seek a major sponsor during the off season to keep their team going. Thus the Tigers became the Lincoln Burners! Yet Victoria were serious about quitting the series(perhaps because they knew they were second best) thus their demands were met and the series finale was played at the Civic Arena. Indoor or outdoors it didn't matter, the Trailermen had the best lacrosse team in Canada. They won the fifth game 10-3. Lloyd Wotton was named MVP for a record third time!

At year end, CLA Treasurer Gene Dopp retired. Dopp had been involved in the game forty years. First he had played Senior and won OLA titles with Young Torontos. He had moved on to coach St.Simon's Anglicans from 1922-25. He was best remembered as the longtime OLA Secretary.

With Hamilton, St.Catharines and Fergus all playing indoors, Senior Lacrosse fans were forced to sit through many uncomfortable evenings during a very humid summer. On top of that, Tiger, Athletic and Thistle fans had to watched their boys being consistently thumped by dominating Peterborough. The Trailermen dominance was so great that even their own fans lost interest. While the Peterborough and District Softball League was averaging 4,000 fans a game, the Trailermen were only able to draw 600 to the first game of the OLA Final! At least the Junior League was booming. Jim Bishop's fastbreaking Newmarket Green Gaels tore up the league with the kind of talent and speed the game had never before seen. Yet the Gaels would also succumb to the weather in the end. Despite a runaway first place finish, Newmarket would run out of gas in the OLA Final and be upset by Long Branch Monarchs. In the last game Long Branch would win 5-4 in overtime. In another game the Monarchs prevailed 3-2! So much for the Bishop offence which had been scoring 20 to 30 goals a game most nights.

These really were rough times for lacrosse. When legendary Joe Cheevers was asked about it he responded with a note of optimism: "Lacrosse is presently in the low ebb of a cycle. Other sports have felt the same fall in interest and they've come back stronger than ever. I feel sure that lacrosse can also make a comeback. It sure is too good a game to fold up completely."

Three weeks before the season began Mimico Mountaineers dropped out of the league. A rule change dropped the four 15 minute quarter format to be replaced by three 20 minute periods. Another change, like the move indoors, to copy hockey. A second reform was a Residential Rule which forced players to play for the Senior Club they lived closest too. It was suppose to help the weaker teams(not Peterborough) but really changed little. St.Catharines still could not use Harry Wipper or Bob Thorpe as they lived in Peterborough, nor Jerry Fitzgerald who had moved to Fergus. Plus the rule did nothing to prevent Jim Bradshaw, Derry Davies or Jim McNulty from moving west. The three period idea did nothing to revive interest either. The Athletics home opener didn't even draw 500 spectators.

The game did make television thanks to Channel 11 showing Hamilton games. Norm Marshall called every game in a suit and tie regardless of how warm it was inside the Hamilton Forum. Such a move to the big time did not do much to boost the Lincoln Burners cause. Sponsor/Manager Lefty Jordan had spent as much as he could to bring in players but that left no money on the payroll for a coach! Late in the season Jack Gair agreed to be player/coach. Hamilton still defaulted a July 5th game in St.Catharines due to lack of players. They were fined $86 and the game was rescheduled for the end of the season if it effected the standings.

Peterborough waltzed to first place with a 19-5 season. They scored 100 goals more than any other club and surrendered 100 less. Ike Hildebrand, Bob Allan and Bob Curtis swept the top three spots in league scoring. Yet one writer described the Trailermen as an average team with a phenominal goaltender. This comment came after Lloyd Wotton had a 51 save night in an 11-7 win over St.Catharines. Wotton missed only one game all year. On July 22nd he was replaced by a 16 year old Juvenile named Pat Baker. Baker started his illustrious Senior career with a 20-12 victory over the Double Blues.

St.Catharines battled with Fergus for second spot. Yet it was a troubled year for the A's. Goaltender Justin Howe was briefly lost with two broken ribs. Doug Favell was called out of retirement by coach Roy Morton. Morton also brought in Lewiston Intermediate Ross Powless for a number of games. One of the reasons attendance at St.Catharines games was dropping was due to so many late starts over the years. If there was anything worse than an 8:30pm start it was an 8:30 start which didn't actually begin until well after 9pm! Couple that with Athletic home games being on a Tuesday night and it was a disagreeable arrangement. Case in point was the August 3rd game against the Trailermen. The Double Blues defeated the Mann Cup holders 12-6. Yet the win was marred because the Petes showed up 37 minutes late. Why were they late? Because St.Catharines had been late their last visit to Peterborough. With attitudes like that, lacrosse was dying a justifiable death.

The defaulted Hamilton/St.Catharines game needed to be played as the fight for second place went right down to the end of summer. A very important battle because the third place club would draw Peterborough in the Semi Finals. The Athletics won the replay, setting up a Tie break game against Fergus. The two teams met at the Hamilton Forum. The Thistles led 4-3 with three minutes remaining in the opening period when Ken Watkins went to work. He scored then set up Don Gear. By the intermission it was 7-3. The scotsmen poured it on in the middle frame. Gear had a goal and three assists as they outscored the Double Blues 7-1. 35 seconds into the third period Tony D'Amico made it 15-4. Fergus went on to double the A's 18-9.

St.Catharines had no more success against the Trailermen. Up in Peterborough they were beaten 19-9. Ike Hildebrand and Bob Allan both scored 5 goals. Barney Welch had four in a losing cause. The Athletics best game of the year came at home. Naturally the encounter began 20 minutes late. The patient fans were rewarded with a strong 12 minutes from the Double Blues. They battled the Petes evenly but couldn't beat Lloyd Wotton. The best they could manage was six posts in the period. Peterborough eventually broke the deadlock and ran in seven straight goals. They went on to a 14-4 victory. Double Blue leading scorer Doug Smith made his first playoff appearance but reinjured his sprained ankle. Wotton was star of the game. The agile 210 pounder could still cover all the corners despite being 30 years old. Ken Croft expressed Athletic frustration best: "how are you going to put the ball in the net when you can't even see it behind Wotton?" The rest of the series was a cakewalk for the defending champions. They outshot St.Catharines 40-28 in Game Three, a 15-5 win. Allan had four goals and three assists while Hildebrand set up five goals. In desperation Coach Morton tossed Doug Favell between the pipes for the finale. It was only his fourth game of the year, and the last of the hall of famer's career. He wasn't able to shutdown the Mann Cup holders. Favell turned aside 28 shots, however Harry Wipper beat him four times and Bob Thorpe three times. Croft had a hattrick for the Double Blues but they still lost 16-9.

Meanwhile Fergus was on its way to the OLA Final for the first time in 23 years. Though a late entry to the league, Jerry Fitzgerald had transformed the Thistles into contenders. Fitzgerald also finished eighth in league scoring. J.J. Hill was the only player outside of Peterborough to score 50 goals. Plus Tony D'Amico and Don Gear both cracked the Top Ten List.

The scotsmen defeated Hamilton 4 games to 1 but they were no match for the Trailermen. Peterborough blasted them 26-6 in the series opener. At the Fergus Arena the Mann Cup holders won 15-6. Gear managed a hattrick in the third contest, however it was another loss, 18-6. Lloyd Smith scored four times in the last game - the Thistles best offensive effort as they beat Wotton nine times. Peterborough firepower netted twenty-four goals!

Thus ended a disappointing OLA season. The gloom was apparent as many feared for the future of the Hamilton club. On the bright side, Fergus had established itself in the Senior ranks and along with Peterborough and St.Catharines the league could count on three returnees. A big deal considering the league had lost five teams in five years. There was hope that Brampton would return. There was also optimism that Long Branch's many graduating Juniors might result in a Senior club on the lakeshore again. Even if it wasn't pretty, the Senior Circuit would trundle along.

All eyes shifted towards Victoria and Peterborough's Mann Cup defence. The Trailermen picked up Tony D'Amico for the series. The Thistle star would score five times in five games. Victoria also added a St.Catharines native, Derry Davies. Their first choice had been scoring champ Jim McNulty but he was out with a charleyhorse. That gave the Shamrocks a grand total of one ICLL top ten scorer on their side. Despite finishing second and upsetting Nanaimo in the league final, the irish did not have a single player among the top eleven scorers. Not even star import Jack Bionda, who would miss the Mann Cup Final due to his hockey committment.

A crowd of 4,200 witnessed the series opener. Victoria started fast but Wotton came up with a dozen saves. The first quarter ended 2-2. The Shamrocks played with the lead after that - 6-4 by halftime and 10-9 heading into the final fifteen minutes. Ike Hildebrand, Harry Wipper and Lou Nickle all scored early in the fourth period to turn the tables. The Petes went on to a 15-12 triumph. Hildebrand was top man with seven goals. Jim 'Pee Wee' Bradshaw scored four times for the home side.

That was the last game Peterborough won all year. They lost the next four while being outscored 51-29. Former West York Gordie Johnston stumped the Trailermen shooters at one end of the floor. At the other end the Victoria power play was devastating. In the series the Petes took the majority of penalties, 114 minutes compared to the Shamrocks 51, and they were punished while shorthanded. Bill Bamford set up twelve goals, most of them with the manadvantage. Jim Bradshaw scored eleven times and Larry Booth counted ten goals, including six in the fifth game. Ike Hildebrand was best for Peterborough with nine goals and a series high sixteen points. The chief culprits who ended the Trailermen dynasty were Jack Mason(25 penalty minutes) Lou Nickle(20) and Harry Wipper(19). No one on the Shamrocks had more than eight minutes. Doubtless there was much grumbling about the officiating by the dethroned champs. But the Peterborough boys had been treated like Kings in '55, compared to how they would be treated in two years time!

St.Catharines Athletics organisers move to the Garden City Arena paid off one year later. In 1955 they had moved indoors in time for a sweltering, humid summer. Didn't look like a good move at the time but when the rains came in '56 their fans were glad to be dry. The worst of the wet weather hit at the end of August, just in time for the playoffs. Unluckily the A's were matched against Peterborough and the Miller Bowl witnessed four rainouts in the series. The end of outdoor lacrosse was nearing.

Peterborough lost player/coach Bob Thorpe for the bulk of the season due to suspension. Thorpe didn't start his year until the fourth game of the playoffs. St.Catharines also entered the post season shorthanded. Frank Farley gave Al Frick a blow which needed five stitches. Referee Chuck Simpson gave no penalty on the play thus Frick went after Simpson. That earned him a suspension for the final three regular season games plus the entire playoffs. Even in Junior Lacrosse the officials were not safe. Longtime referee Joe Murphy had turned in his whistle to coach the Long Branch juniors. In one game he became so upset with Mickey McDonald that he threw a few punches at the official.

Long Branch's three successive OLA junior championships translated in a move to the senior ranks. They joined the four returning clubs. Hamilton had survived the off season and were back. The Lincoln Burners signed Ross Powless as player/coach, then added Max Woolley, Leo Teatro, Jack Sibbald, Al Doyle, Denny Peterson and Roger Smith. All those imports would help them to a winning record and second place. Fergus was back with plenty of promise. It didn't work out. After a 2-10 start the Thistles dropped out of the league.

Peterborough was still the team to beat. They were once again frontrunners thanks to 19 wins and only 6 losses, ten points clear of their nearest rival. This club's greatest asset was depth. Bob Allan had headed to Nanaimo, joining ex-Trailermen Don Ashbee and Arn Dugan. All three would be top ten scorers and Allan would win the scoring championship with a record setting 89 goals! The '56 Petes could not boast of a single fifty goal scorer. Bob Curtis came closest with 47, while Jim Heffernan's 60 points were third best in the league. Ike Hildebrand also made the top scoring list. Junior call up Paul Parnell saw his first taste of senior action. He scored a goal and an assist in four games.

St.Catharines and Hamilton both finished with 14-11 records. The Burners were awarded second place. This marked the first time in OLA history a Tie break was not played. Long Branch finished a distant fourth with seven victories.

Ross Powless won the scoring race with 59 assists and 89 points. The A's Doug Smith gave him chase but fell 18 points shy. He might have finished closer had he not spent 60 minutes in the penalty box. There was little to choose between the top three offences. Peterborough scored 275 goals while both Hamilton and St.Catharines registered 269. The Burners had only one other top ten marksman, ex-Excelsior Jack Sibbald. Double Blue littered the scoring list. Al Frick placed fourth and Ted Howe was close behind him. Defending ICLL champ Jim McNulty found the going tough back in the OLA. He finished eighth with only 31 goals(compared to the 77 he'd scored out west the year before). Long Branch Monarchs struggled to score 219 goals. Ralph McCormick was their solo top ten performer.

Hamilton disposed of Long Branch in four quick games to begin the playoffs. The Peterborough/St.Catharines series was a longer one practically before it could start! Game One was twice rained out before the defending champs dumped St.Catharines 14-8. Bob 'Rock' Batley, Dan Quinlan and Ike Hildebrand each had hattricks. The Athletics surprised Peterborough by winning the next contest 11-10. Doug Smith scored four times and Jim McNulty added a trio. The Trailermen responded with a confident 16-9 win. Bob Curtis bulged the twine six times and Jack Mason aided the cause with six points. In his first playoff game Paul Parnell scored two goals and three points. Back at the Garden City Arena the Double Blues evened the series at 2-2. The scoring was well balanced as they won 11-7. Bill Allen had a pair of goals in his first game of the series. It was also Bob Thorpe's first appearance. He counted two goals and two assists. Netminder Pete Morningstar was the A's star of the game. The victory was marred by an ugly penalty box brawl which drew both benches in. In the midst of it all was Rock Batley who hit timer Bill Frick over the right eye. Plenty of fist and stick swinging followed. After ten minutes the lights in the arena were turned out. The squads definately needed to cool off before the next encounter and Mother Nature cooperated. The fifth game at the Miller Bowl was twice postponed because of rain. Finally the OLA shifted the match to St.Catharines. Indoors the Trailermen ended the homer series with a 10-8 triumph. St.Catharines was without Jim McNulty and none of his teammates could manage to beat Lloyd Wotton more than twice. Bob Curtis' hattrick led the Petes and Junior scoring champ Ron Jay tallied a couple. Eventually the weather cleared and the series returned to the Miller Bowl. The defending champs finished the A's off in style with a 20-5 romp. Six goals each for Hildebrand and Batley.

The well rested Lincoln Burners waited. Peterborough easily bounced them 13-5 on September 6th. Curtis and Batley both registered hattricks. Hamilton came back with a 15-10 home win. Max Woolley scored four times and Ivan Thomas chipped in three. Next the defending champs were give a scare at the Miller Bowl but escaped with a 12-10 victory. Ross Powless scored six points in the loss. Curtis' four goals saved the home side. Ray Hill stumped the Petes' shooters in Game Four, a 10-8 Burner victory. Thomas was high man with three goals. Peterborough continued to be perfect at home thanks to a 9-4 win. A crowd of only 1,000 cheered the Trailermen on. Hamilton coach Powless protested the game due to what he considered inefficient refereeing from Lewis Vipond and Chuck Simpson. The protest failed. Peterborough claimed their sixth straight league title the next evening in Hamilton. They won 14-12 as Thorpe and Lou Nickle both scored four times. Powless also had a four goal night.

Nanaimo Timbermen were on their way east. They easily won the ICLL championship with 28 wins and only 6 losses. They also averaged over fifteen goals per game. Their high powered offence featured five top ten scorers, four of them Ontario boys. For the Mann Cup they picked up Jim Bradshaw and Bill Bamford from Victoria. Bradshaw would play in all five games, while Bamford would see action in three. Two Timbermen, Bob Allan and player/coach Harry Wipper, had been on the '55 Trailermen squad.

Peterborough would count heavily on pick ups and junior call ups for the series. Ike Hildebrand would play in only one game due to his hockey committments. Pick up Ross Powless would be the Trailermen's second best scorer. Max Woolley and Doug Smith would appear in four and three games respectively. Junior Ron Jay would score five goals in five games. Dan Quinlan and Paul Parnell would also play in every game.

Only once had a western team won in the east. Back in 1908 the New Westminster Salmonbellies had won the Minto Cup in Montreal and taken the trophy back to the west coast. Almost fifty years later BC Lacrosse would have another breakthrough. Loaded with six eastern boys, who scored 30 of the Timbermen's 50 goals in the final, Nanaimo upset Peterborough in five games. The Trailermen outscored the westerners 51-50 but lost all the close games. The worm had turned on the eastern champs. Due to their success, lacrosse was booming in Peterborough, meaning that the Trailermen could field their most local team ever. Local, accept for the loss of Peterborough boy Bob Allan. Allan crushed his former team with nine goals and fifteen points to lead the series in scoring. Derry Davies and Bob Curtis both scored ten goals, as Davies was named MVP. Allan would return to his hometown the next year. The Trailermen continued to move away from relying on imports. However Vancouver Island was teeming with eastern stars. On top of that New Westminster was about to get into the act. The '56 win for Nanaimo was a sign of things to come. Home advantage would no longer help the OLA champs.

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