So read a banner hanging inside the Fergus Arena prior to the start of the playoffs. One could understand such over confidence coming from a Peterborough or Brampton side but the Thistles had never won anything in Senior A. They were first place finishers in '82, however that did not mean much. Only once since 1976 had the pennant winner gone on to take provincial honours. Fergus would also fall short, though their playoff journey would be history making. As for Brooklin, the Redmen would suffer a hard defeat, yet it was nothing like the banner had anticipated.

Fergus took top spot with a 18-6 record. That was two wins better than Peterborough and Owen Sound. It was the first time the Thistles had been clear first place finishers. Rookie Phil Scarfone had graduated from the Hamilton Bengals and taken the Major League by storm. He won the scoring championship with 75 goals and 127 points. It was the second time in three years a rookie had won the title. Brooklin came in fourth place with a losing record. The young team with so much promise disappointed badly. They had the second lowest scoring team in the league and placed no scorer higher than tenth overall. Scarborough had the lowest scoring team, plus the worst defensive record. That explained why they only won three times. The defending champs pressed their luck once too often. This year Brampton fell to fifth, which was out of the playoffs. There would be no post season miracles this time around.

Still, there would be one post season miracle. Fergus and Brooklin paired up to do something never before done in OLA Senior A history. Whomever stuck up that banner must have been feeling very foolish after the series opener. They really had to feel downright dumb after Game Three. The series opened in Fergus and all looked well for the green and gold for 59 minutes. Larry Graham scored for Brooklin in the last minute to tie the contest 8-8. Ken Colley next scored the winner with 18 seconds remaining. Phil Scarfone was held scoreless on the night. The great defensive work of Jim Branton and Fred Upshaw shutout the Fergus sniper in Game Two as well. This match also went Brooklin's way thanks to a seven goal second period. The Redmen scored three times in 20 seconds to drive Rob Mason from goal. They went on to win 11-7. Another unsung hero was Brian Colm. He controlled draws and even chipped in a goal. I wonder if that notorious sign was taken down after the third game? The Thistles were embarrassed at home, falling behind 3-0 in the best of seven series. Scarfone missed the contest, thus Fergus managed only two goals on Wayne Colley. It was still very close until the visitors scored five times in the last period to clinch the 8-2 victory.

No team had ever come from three games down to win in league history. That was about to change. Coach Larry Smeltzer was quoted as saying, "the game plan we'd had earlier wasn't working so we threw it out." Not sure what they replaced it with, however the result was a convincing 13-5 Fergus win. Mason was excellent at one end, while Scarfone broke loose to score six times at the other end. The next night the Thistles won at home 12-5. Game Six started out even. The scotsmen scored four straight at the end of the first period for a 6-3 lead. They later extended that advantage to five goals. They did this even though Bill Gerrie was forced to replace Mason in goal. The star was once again Scarfone. He scored seven points as Fergus won 14-11. So it was back to the Fergus Arena and that banner one last time. The desperate Redmen pulled out all the stops. Coach Brian Brady arranged to have Kelly Mitchell flown in from Calgary for the game. Mitchell's great Jr.A career had been followed by a brief stint in Major before work took him to Alberta. The seventh game would be the last in his senior A career. He scored a hattrick to lead the visitors. It wasn't enough. The Thistles jumped all over their shellshocked opponents and outscored them 5-0 the opening 20 minutes. They went on to a comfortable 13-7 victory. The banner was correct after all. The Redmen had gone down hard.

After such a narrow escape the Thistles luck ran out. Peterborough had disposed of Owen Sound 4-1 in their semi final series. The OLA Final would also be a five game affair. The Lakers were too strong and experienced for Fergus. The last contest was a 15-11 win for the Petes. Fergus led at one point 8-7, until Paul Evans tied it. Four more quick markers followed, chasing Bill Gerrie from the goal. That was the end for the Thistles. The Lakers next turned their attention to the Mann Cup.

Given the strength of Peterborough lacrosse, and the number of times they had played for the Mann Cup, it was remarkable that they had never beaten New Westminster. The Salmonbellies swept them in 1959 and 1970. The westerners were also defending their 1981 title. Furthermore, they were not a team with a losing record this year. They had finished first with a commanding 17-7 mark. Yet all those previous accomplishments had been performed at Queen's Park Arena. The '82 Final would be hosted by Peterborough.

The Cup Holders won the opener 13-9. They jumped in front with three early goals. The moment the home side battled back to tie it Derek Dickson gave the Salmonbellies the lead for good. The closest the Lakers got after that was 8-7, thanks to a pair of third period goals by Bob Wasson.

Peterborough evened the series with a Game Two victory. They won a wild affair 19-13. With Jim Wasson, J.J. Johnston and Paul Evans leading the charge the easterners got off to a 7-1 start. The defending champs fought back and tied the match 9-9 in the second period. The turning point came shortly after. Lyle Robinson picked up an extra major penalty for pulling Mark Evans hair at the end of their fight. Mark Tuura scored shorthanded to tie it 10-10. After that the Laker power play struck twice. Brian Evans and Jim Wasson put the home side ahead 12-10. Wasson was star of the game with 5 goals, 9 points and numerous loose balls won. The Ontario champs next grabbed the series lead with an 11-7 triumph. Ten different Lakers scored in the game. Jim Wasson registered two counters.

The Salmonbellies got off to a good start in Game Four thanks to a close call going their way. On Peterborough's first power play of the night, Jan Magee blasted a shot off Doug Zack's head. Jim Wasson popped the rebound into the net. Yet the goal was not allowed. It was ruled that play had been stopped for the injured Zack. Later, on the same power play, New Westminster scored two shorthanded goals for a 3-0 lead. They went on to double the Lakers 16-8. Geordie Dean finished the night with five markers.

That was the westerners second and final victory of the championship. Their host dominated Game Five until the late stages. Peterborough was up 13-7 when the Salmonbellies scored five times in two minutes! Still, the easterners hung on for the win. J.J. Johnston got an insurance marker with 35 seconds remaining. it was his fifth goal on the evening.

The sixth and final game was even more dramatic. Approximately 2,500 fans watched their team lead throughout the match but the visitors never quit. Eric Cowieson's four goals kept them in the game. It was 8-8 in the last period when a Laker surge appeared to clinch the title. They jumped in front 11-9, only to see their opponents come back one last time. With Mac Maude on the bench for an extra attacker, Barry Powless scored with 25 seconds remaining. That tied the contest 11-11 and sent it into a ten minute overtime period. Diminuitive Frank Kylie starred in the extra period. He won all eight draws, guaranteeing the Lakers ball possession much of the time. They didn't take advantage until the last two minutes. At the 8:20 mark J.J. Johnston scored the only goal of the session. 12-11 Peterborough and their first Mann Cup win in four years.

The Oshawa/Whitby rivalry met in the playoffs for the second and last time. The Semi Final series went the distance. Given that Iroquois Park and the Civic Auditorium were only 90 minutes walking distance apart, home advantage was meaningless. The visiting club won the first four contests. The Builders took control of the series by finally winning at home in Game Five. They also looked like sure winners in Oshawa again the next night. In Game Six they built up a 10-5 second period lead. As Whitby fans taunted the Gaels' bench the series appeared to be over. Then Joe Roznik brought Oshawa back from the brink of elimination. Roznik was in his final year of junior. He'd been a second line player his entire career, talented but never to the point of becoming a superstar. His one moment of glory came towards the end of the second period of Game Six. He scored three times as the Green Gaels fought back. Over the last 20 minutes they won the contest going away. Roznik finished the night with five goals. The ever dependable Derek Keenan added six more and Oshawa won 19-14. Roznik's effort was so impressive that Jim Brady went out of his way to congratulate the Gael. The Whitby coach knew that his team had blown their chance.

That set the stage for the grand finale to Junior Lacrosse's most intense rivalry. The two clubs would play four regular season games in 1983, however a depleted Oshawa squad would be easy pickings for Whitby. The seventh game took place at Iroquois Park on a Saturday night. The two high powered offences became entangled in a hardnose defensive struggle which saw only eleven goals. The netminding of Ken Passfield and Rob McLean was at its best. The Builders led 5-3 through 40 minutes, however Passfield shut them out in the third period. The Green Gaels fought back for a 6-5 victory. The winning goal came with 8 minutes remaining. Warren Palmer scored off a rebound.

Depth had never been the Gaels strength. Plus coming off such a long, emotional series they were in no condition to meet first place Peterborough in the league final. The well rested James Gang swept the Gaels. This marked the end of Derek Keenan and Jayde Gibbs' careers. Both players had passed Cam Devine as the league's all time leading scorer. Keenan finished with 1,086 points, Gibbs 1,070 and Devine 1.039.

Peterborough headed west to Vancouver Island. The defending Minto Cup champs met a Victoria-Esquimalt Legion squad loaded with veterans - ten last year juniors. The James Gang, however, had the talent and displayed it immediately. The Batley Boys(Wayne and Todd) both scored four goals as the visitors won the opener 13-5. The Legion came back to win the next contest dramatically. They trailed 5-3 with less than 9 minutes remaining. Gord Taylor tied it with a pair of goals six seconds apart. Wayne Christiaens potted the winner with 3 minutes left. After this game, the defending champs lost their leading scorer Wayne Batley for the series. Some hotel horse play prematurely ended Batley's season with a heel injury. Nevertheless, following their fourth loss of the season, the James Gang was at its best. Brian Hall scored five times as they won 13-2. Victoria's two markers came 47 seconds apart in the middle of the match. The fourth game was much more entertaining. The Legion led 6-2 after the first period. The tide turned Peterborough's way when Hall and Larry Floyd scored consecutive shorthanded goals in the second. That put them ahead 7-6. Four third period tallies clinched a 12-9 victory.

This win was marred by western complaints about the officiating. The griping about the work of Ontario referee Don Brockie in particular but also his BC counterparts Bill Geddies and Reg Higgins had been going on from the start of the series. The protests climaxed after Peterborough took a 3-1 series lead. James Gang President Dan Quinlan was not impressed. "The thing that is most disappointing to me is the attitude of the whole community against referees. Right from the first meeting we had there were comments about the referees. They had never even met Brockie."

Officiating aside, the James Gang closed out the series in Game Five. Their penalty killing had been so strong(only one power play goal against the entire series) that Victoria stopped challenging their ballcarriers while shorthanded. Peterborough built a 10-6 advantage after two periods and made that score stick. Goaltender Shawn Quinlan - playing on an injured ankle - shut down the Legion's offence the final 30 minutes. At the end of the contest, the champs took half a victory lap with the Minto Cup then went to their dressing room to change.

Oshawa Green Gaels record of seven Minto Cup wins was equaled by the Peterborough Juniors this year. The James Gang won their third consecutive Canadian championship without too much trouble. The nine team OLA league played a split schedule. After a 16 game double round robin the top four clubs advanced to the championship round while the bottom five played for a Tier Two title. St.Catharines Athletics were the victims of this arrangement. They had a promising young squad but finished fifth, thus they were knocked out of the championship race before the end of June. Their new coach, Jim Brady, was incensed with the schedule which forced his club to meet Oshawa early in the year, when they were still making the transition to a new coach. Consequently Oshawa won both contests and that proved to be the difference as they edged out the A's for fourth spot. Tier Two play also ended disappointingly for the Double Blues. Hamilton defeated them in five games for the title.

Of the Big Four, Oshawa was out of its depth. Years of an unproductive minor system had taken their toll, thus the Gaels' local talent had dried up. General Manager Bob Duignan did his best to keep the team in contention. He brought in players from Six Nations, Orillia, Guelph and even Alberta! It still wasn't enough. Oshawa would lose every game they played against arch rivals Whitby and Peterborough. Their final trip to Iroquois Park was a heartening overtime defeat. Still, the writing was on the wall. This twenty-first season was the Oshawa Green Gaels last in Junior A.

Meanwhile the James Gang rolled to another Minto Cup win. Their only defeat was to Whitby as they went 23-1. Playoff sweeps of Oshawa and Etobicoke followed. The Eclipse may have had Whitby's number but they could not beat Peterborough. Eight straight losses was extended to ten during the Minto Cup tournament. The James Gang added four more victories to their record, against New Westminster and Etobicoke. In the end, the Canadian championship final was played between two Ontario teams. Peterborough met the Eclipse for the eleventh time. It was a one game shot, so the previous ten results meant nothing. With nothing to lose, Etobicoke gave the defending champs a bit of a scare. The James Gang survived it, mainly by holding Adam Oates to one goal in his last game. Doug Evans scored three goals and seven points. Peterborough won the contest 12-8. Minto Cup Number Seven was in the books.

Another Peterborough Double was on the cards much of the year. The Senior Lakers were defending Mann Cup champions. The big question was whether the veteran crew had one more title left in them. Their chief challenger in the East would be Brooklin. The youthful Redmen finally began to live up to the promise they initially showed three years earlier. Rookie Gil Nieuwendyk won the scoring championship. Yet Brooklin stumbled to a 14-10 regular season record. Only six points shy of the Cup Holders, however they also trailed Owen Sound by two points. The circuit was rounded out by fourth place Fergus, then Brampton and Scarborough.

In the playoffs, the Redmen came of age. They matched Peterborough's sweep of the Thistles by quickly disposing of the North Stars in four games. After the series Owen Sound coach Derek Forbes predicted: "Brooklin will beat Peterborough in six games if they keep running. The moment they stop, they're finished."

The series opener was attended by over one thousand fans. Brooklin had started fast every game against the North Stars, however the Lakers ended that trend quickly. After 40 minutes the Redmen had scored only once and trailed 5-1. The netminding of Wayne Colley kept the deficit from being greater. He was unbeatable in close. Peterborough sniper's solved him in the third period with long, low shots which fooled Colley. When asked about the low shooting after the game, Laker coach Cy Coombes merely smiled. The champs won Game One 11-5.

The Redmen evened the Final at home. Again the Laker defence dominated early. Brooklin scored only once on Shawn Quinlan in the first period. Quinlan had replaced Tim Barrie because, as Coombes put it, "Barrie never had good luck in Brooklin." After the second period the coach had to admit that, "Quinlan wasn't making the stops." The home side surged ahead 6-4, enroute to a 10-9 victory. Bryce Jordan won it in the last minute, scoring after Quinlan had stopped a John Jordan shot.

Next, the Redmen won in Peterborough. Andy Perroni scored the first and last goals. He broke a 7-7 tie with less than 4 minutes left. Gil Nieuwendyk returned from a referee's clinic and contributed one marker. It was the first time Peterborough had been held under 8 goals all year. "I hope Brooklin knows they haven't won anything yet," Cy Coombes warned.

They immediately gave home advantage back to the Lakers. Even with three power play goals in the first 5 minutes, the Redmen were unable to win Game Four. Peterborough battled back to take the period. Four straight goals in the second knocked Colley out of the match as the Lakers pulled ahead 8-3. They evened the series with a 13-9 victory. "Some of our players had it all counted up before playing the game," Brooklin coach Brian Brady complained.

The home teams won the next two contests. Quinlan posted a third period shutout as Peterborough extended a 5-4 lead to win 9-4. Then Brooklin got two timely goals from Emil Labaj in Game Six. The turning point came on a Derek Keenan shorthanded marker to put them ahead 8-7. Keenan was flown in from Syracuse for the game. He'd been away at Ithica College. Next Colley robbed J.J. Johnston at one end of the floor then John Fusco scored at the other. The Redmen went on to an 11-8 triumph.

That would be Brooklin's last win of the season. Close to 3,000 spectators watched the deciding match. It was settled early, thanks to an 8-1 Peterborough first period. The second period the benches cleared for a brawl. In the end, the Lakers won 20-4. J.J. Johnston and Jim Wasson both led with four goals each.

Thus everything was falling into place for Peterborough to sweep the Junior and Senior titles once again. For the Mann Cup the Lakers would face a third place Victoria club which had a losing record. There were two catches however. First, the final would be played in Victoria. No eastern team had won in the west since 1969. Second, two of the past three Mann Cup winners had losing regular season records.

The first game was played in Nanaimo. A crowd of 2,000 saw former Timberman Kevin Alexander score 76 seconds into the series. He'd finish the night with four goals and two assists. It was 3-0 before J.J. Johnston got the visitors on the board. By the end of the first period it was 7-2. The Lakers inched back in the middle stanza, to 8-5. The Pay Less scored on four of their first six shots to begin the third period and it was over. They went on to double Peterborough 14-7.

Victoria's Memorial Arena was a kinder setting for the easterners. They registered their first win in BC since 1955. Bob Wasson missed the opener due to work committments. He scored six points in Game Two. Johnston added four goals. The home team nearly turned the 13-11 result around with a late rally. Alexander hit three posts in the final 2 minutes.

The Pay Less took charge with wins in the next two matches. A 10-9 victory was followed by a 15-7 romp. Peterborough outshot them 53-44 in the fourth contest. Mac Maude had their number, including four big saves on one power play. Meanwhile Tim Barrie was pulled during the second period after surrendering three goals in 61 seconds. Jim Meredith beat him shorthanded. Next, John Crowther scored off a backhand pass from Kevin Alexander. Then Jim Lynch capped the run.

The defending champs prolonged the final with a fifth game triumph. It was a narrow 7-6 decision. A six goal beginning to the second period made the win possible. Bob Wasson scored four times as the Lakers led 7-3 by the 30 minute mark. The third period heroics were reserved for Shawn Quinlan. Among his many great saves, "Walter" Quinlan robbed Dan Green twice, stopped Paul Michael on a breakaway and Dave Lowdon one on one. In the last minute Norm Baker beat the Peterborough goalie but hit the post.

Over 4,000 witnessed Victoria win the championship in Game Six. It was an 8-6 victory, in which Alexander and Crowther both scored hattricks. Cy Coombes lamented that: "We couldn't shutdown Crowther and Alexander. What can you say? Take your eyes off them for a second and the ball is in the net. What could we do? We checked them as well as humanly possible."

Both Victoria stars finished the series with 16 goals. Crowther led all scorers with 30 points. He took home the Mike Kelly Award as series MVP. Crowther would come east to play for Owen Sound in 1984. Back in BC, he was tragically murdered during the off season.

Mark Vitarelli had plenty of experience when it came to winning. From his playing days with the P.C.O.'s to his coaching the James Gang, Vitarelli was well acquainted with the Minto Cup. As a coach, his record was the envy of his peers. In '79 he defeated both the offensive powerhouses of Durham Region, only to fall one game shy of a Canadian championship. The next year ended with an OLA Final loss to Whitby. Then came three near perfect seasons. The only drama during the James Gang dynasty was Vitarelli's threatening to quit in the middle of the '82 season. He was not satisfied with the efforts of his players - too much playing well enough to win but no more. Yet he stayed behind the bench. His players peaked for the playoffs that year and went on a 16-1 run, including four wins on the west coast. After Vitarelli's third consecutive win in '83 it was time for a new challenge. Cy Coombes had stepped down as the Lakers coach. Enter Mark Vitarelli. The journey towards another Canadian championship had begun.

Arguably the Peterborough Lakers of 1984 were the greatest box lacrosse team of all time. They were a veteran crew which had to hold off an emerging powerhouse in Brooklin, plus defeat the best the west had to offer from Victoria. They also had to make their way through a Major League enjoying its last competitive season for some time. There was no free ride for the Lakers. Still they brought the Mann Cup back to Peterborough for the last time. They did it in style by posting a mark of 38-2. The two losses was a Senior A record for the least ever in the box era. Likewise, their .950 winning percentage was the best anyone had yet seen. Not a bad effort for a club considered to be "long in the tooth".

The Lakers were not the only ones making history during the summer of '84. Phil Scarfone was in his final season. He would also depart in style. Scoring records in the OLA had been slow to fall. Bill Isaacs had the first great season by scoring 101 goals and 165 points over a 30 game schedule. During the most offensive season ever, in 1946, Gordon Gair also hit triple figures, while his teammate Vince Reddy topped Isaacs mark with 102 goals. That was also achieved over 30 games. Isaacs' points record would last until another explosive season - 1971. That year Gaylord Powless scored 171 points, while John Davis set the record for good at 197. The OLA played a 32 game schedule that year. Davis had a perfect attendance record, however Powless missed seven games.

Next came 1984 and a new figure was about to join the titans of the game. It was an extraordinary year for Phil Scarfone. Not only did he amaze lacrosse fans with a 93 goal, 183 point season, but he went on to smash university football records that fall. As the start quarterback of the McMaster Maurauders, he led his club to a perfect regular season record, only to be upset in the playoffs by eventual winner Guelph Gryphons. He also became the first Maurauder to be named the best player in the country. Scarfone was also chosen the MVP in the OLA. His lacrosse team also faltered. He had joined Brampton and the Excelsiors fell in a quarter final loss to Owen Sound.

Such disappointments only make Scarfone's achievements that much more impressive. Football wise, McMaster had always been one of the weak sisters in the OUAA. For the two years under Scarfone they were contenders. After his retirement the Maurauders slipped back to mediocrity. Lacrosse wise, he did his scoring on a team with a losing record. The numbers tell it all. Scarfone scored more than a quarter of Brampton's goals and was involved in more than half of them. His 183 points was 14 shy of Davis' record, however Scarfone only played a 24 game schedule. Likewise, his 93 goals came in six games less than Isaacs, Gair or Reddy had played. In light of those facts, one cannot be blamed for considering Phil Scarfone's effort to be the greatest in OLA history.

Another group destined to make their own history was the Brooklin Redmen. The momentum of their seven game loss to Peterborough the previous year carried over to '84. Brooklin soared into undisputed #2 spot in Ontario lacrosse. They posted a 20-4 record, miles ahead of third place Owen Sound. The post season began with them sweeping St.Catharines three straight. Their semi final date with the North Stars was more of a challenge.

Brooklin began the best of five affair with a convincing 19-8 victory. A ten goal second period settled this one. Gil Nieuwendyk scored nine points, Ken Colley counted five goals and John Jordan added seven assists. The Redmen won the next contest, also at home, 12-8. Owen Sound only dressed fifteen players. One was John Crowther, whose hattrick kept them in contention. Jordan led all snipers with four goals. The next two nights the series moved up north. Owen Sound upset their guests twice. They opened Game 3 with a 7-1 lead and carried it to a 14-10 triumph. Todd Stark led with five goals, while Brian Hall scored six points. On Saturday night, the North Stars squared the series with a 12-10 win. Mike McMillan had a hattrick but Gil Nieuwendyk led all scorers with eight points. The deciding contest was an easy 17-8 Brooklin romp. Back at home Nieuwendyk scored three of the first seven goals. John Jordan contributed five assists on the night and Cam Devine - called up from Orillia - chipped in a couple of goals. Dave Cruickshank scored five times in vain.

Next came a meeting between the current dynasty and the dynasty to come. The Lakers had not lost since May 14th, when Brooklin defeated them 12-7. Thus they entered the Final on a 26 game winning streak. Game One was the Redmen's fifth contest in seven nights. That would be the difference. The visitors took a 7-6 lead to the third period only to see Peterborough comeback for a 12-9 win. Paul Evans led with four goals. The next night the Redmen again started well. They won the first period 4-1 before fading in front of their hometown fans. One goal in each of the next two periods wasn't enough as the Lakers prevailed 9-6. Jim Wasson dominated with five points.

Finally Brooklin was granted a night off. They returned to Peterborough refreshed and determined to win. A stunning start put them up 6-1. Jim Wasson scored the Lakers' second goal with 25 seconds left in the opening period. From that point on the veterans chipped away at the lead. Twenty minutes later it had dwindled to 8-6. Gil Nieuwendyk's hattrick kept the Redmen in front but it wouldn't last. Peterborough tied it in the third and Brian Evans scored the winner in overtime. 10-9 Lakers and a 3-0 lead. The next game was Brooklin's ninth in fourteen nights. They would get a long rest after Peterborough eliminated them. The Redmen won the first period 4-3. A six goal second by the Lakers ended it. 10-6 was the final result.

Peterborough hosted Victoria in the Mann Cup. They defeated the defending champions in five games, avenging the loss from the previous year. Victoria's Kevin Alexander led the series with 19 goals. Alexander was in his prime, having just won the second of his three straight scoring titles. Junior call up Gary Gait scored eight times in the final, as did Huntsville native Jim Meredith. St.Catharines junior graduate Ted Sawicki tended goal for the Pay Less. A great offensive goalie, Sawicki assisted on ten goals in the series. Even with all that going for them, Victoria was able to win only once.

There was a power shift down highway 115 in Junior A. With Vitarelli's departure came a two year championship drought for Peterborough. It would take the coaching duo of John Martin and Dan Dunn to win the Minto Cup for a record eighth time. The Petes only fell to second best, nevertheless it was unfamiliar territory.

Into the void stepped the Whitby Warriors. This was the year the Whitby club settled on the nickname Warriors - a winning name for certain. Whitby benefited greatly from the demise of the Oshawa Green Gaels. Coming over to the Warriors were Barry and Steve Kent, Ross Tabor, Jason Richards, Ken Passfield, Dean Brown, Rob Phinney and Steve Skene. Not a bad haul! Barry Kent would finish second in league scoring in '85. His brother Steve would captain the '85 winner and Tabor would be his assistant. Jason Richards would play six years for Whitby and be the OLA's top playmaker in 1989. Ken Passfield joined Dave Holding in goal and would eventually win the starting job for both Warrior Minto wins. One last Gael, John Pipher, had to sit out two years (due to being Peterborough property) before he could play for Whitby. If that wasn't enough of a green connection, longtime Whitby assistant Elmer Tran was an original Oshawa Gael. His son Todd was a fixture on the Warrior power play. To top it all, Peter Vipond returned to the coaching ranks. The last Green Gael captain to hoist the Minto Cup would set the Whitby ship on course for BC.

The Warriors went west after winning the OLA without too much difficulty. Out west, they played in a three team Minto tournament with New Westminster and Victoria-Esquimalt. They twice defeated Victoria to guarantee themselves a spot in the one game final. Against the Salmonbellies, they lost twice. The first contest was a 14-13 thriller. The rematch was a meaningless 14-10 defeat because Victoria had already been eliminated. When it really counted Whitby bested New Westminster 16-8. Captain John Fusco scored five points in his final game. Passfield was named game MVP. Future NHLer Joe Nieuwendyk won the McConaghy with a tournament leading 13 goals and 22 points.

If there is anything better than going out a winner, it's coming back a winner. Just ask Peter Vipond. The Minto Cup winning coach of the Whitby Warriors stepped down after winning the Canadian championship. This ended his brief career as a Junior coach. The Major League was waiting. Vipond jumped to Brooklin. By the time he retired as coach of the Redmen(once again going out a champion) he would be the winningest coach in the history of Senior A lacrosse.

Up Highway 12, there was trouble brewing in the village of Brooklin. Despite falling one game short against the eventual Mann Cup winners, the Redmen players were in revolt. The majority of them did not want Neil Armstrong back as head coach. Consequently Armstrong did not return, opening the door for Vipond. Yet "Army" was also far from done. He travelled down to Port Whitby and replaced Vipond as the new Warriors coach. He teamed up with assistant Elmer Tran, the start of a successful partnership.

Such team hopping was enough to make any fan's head spin. When the dust had settled, Durham Region could boast two Canadian championships.

OLA Jr.A lacrosse was in a transitional phase. The total dominance of Peterborough, Whitby and Oshawa from 1978 on had taken its toll. Rexdale and Mississauga were gone. Elora would soon follow. Eventually Etobicoke Eclipse would drop out of the league. St.Catharines A's had made a successful return, however they would need to endure a long apprenticeship before they could flirt with a championship. The lack of competitiveness would only get worse. Soon the league would dwindle to six teams. One of those six, Peterborough Maulers would be untouchable. Yet Whitby Warriors had one more great run in them.

Even without their star Joe Nieuwendyk for much of the regular season, Whitby finished first with a 19-5 record. Ex-Gaels Barry Kent and Ross Tabor pick up the scoring for the Warriors. Kent narrowly lost the scoring championship to Kurt Drury. Drury was the third successive Pete to lead the league - after Mark and Doug Evans. Jamie Batley would win the next two titles for the Maulers.

League playoffs were a breeze for the Minto Cupholders. They were tested their first post season game by a competitive Brampton crew led by Jim Veltman and Troy Cordingley. Nieuwendyk led a huge third period comeback as Whitby stole the win. Seven more wins followed earning the Warriors the right to host the Canadian Championship.

The '85 Minto featured three of the most talented youngsters the championship had ever seen. Joe Nieuwendyk was in the twilight of his career. Even though he had two more years of Junior eligibility he would give up lacrosse after this series in order to concentrate on hockey. Along with Adam Oates, who had recently retired, he would be one of the biggest losses our game has ever suffered. Nieuwendyk's opponents from Victoria were the Gait twins. Gary and Paul were only getting started.

The final was back to a best of seven affair for this one year. It was a blessing for all fans as the matchup was a marquee one and the series did not disappoint. Victoria-Esquimalt Legion won the opener 12-10 in overtime. The home team came back hard the next night. They won 19-12 as Nieuwendyk scored seven times and goaltender Ken Passfield set up five goals. Whitby then squeeked out a 10-9 win. Nuewendyk was again the difference with four markers. Victoria evened the final 2-2 with an 11-10 victory.

The remaining three matches would be over the Labour Day weekend. Three games in three nights, plus the brutal humidity from a week long heat wave would be too much for the BC boys. The Warriors took Game Five 16-12. Eric Perroni stepped up with a seven point game. The Legion came back to win the next night 11-7. It was the third game in three nights which finished the visitors. A dozen different Warriors scored goals as they ran Victoria off the floor in Game Seven. Whitby won 16-8 and successfully defended their Canadian championship.

Brooklin Redmen were poised to win their first Mann Cup in sixteen years, however their rivals from Peterborough remained the chief obstacle. The Lakers were not about to go away. They waltzed to a first place finish with 19 wins and 1 loss, to Brooklin. The Redmen finished 16-4, three of those losses to Peterborough. Needless to say, it was not a very competitive league.

Senior A lacrosse in Ontario was in trouble. Most of the talent in the province resided in either Peterborough or Durham Region. These were lean years for everyone else, including Brampton. The Major League had already lost Fergus, after a 0-19-1 season. In 1985 Scarborough finished 1-19. St.Catharines was marginally better with three wins. None of these teams had the stomach to endure years of Peterborough/Brooklin dominance while waiting for their own local talent to reemerge. Thus they all quit the league. Even competitive Owen Sound would flee to Senior B after the '85 campaign.

Thus the Laker/Redmen Final would be the one highlight of the year. In fact, Laker/Redmen Finals would be the only highlights in league play for the next six years! Peterborough continued their dominance by winning the series opener. Would the youthful Redmen ever be good enough to breakthrough? In fact, they were on the verge of breaking through. They followed the opening loss with three straight wins. Brooklin made one last trip north to finish the defending champs off.

But there was trouble in Peterborough. It was late August, which in Canada - and only Canada! - means hockey season. The Lakers were unceremoniously booted out of the Memorial Centre in order to put ice in for the Peterborough Petes. The public outcry was second to none. Not since the mistreatment of Bob Allan had Peterborough sports fans shown such passion for lacrosse. In recent years they certainly had not shown much for regular season games in mostly empty arenas. However a playoff game against rival Redmen was completely different. The Memorial Centre was flooded with threats from fans vowing to cancel their season tickets for the Petes if the Lakers were not allowed back in. With a couple of thousand Redmen fans - many of them ex-Gael fans finally getting a chance to see their boys win a series over hated Peterborough - heading up Highway 115 for the fifth game, hasty action had to be taken. Boards were put over the ice. There was no time for proper preparation, thus the result was a disaster. Game Five did start as planned. It did not last long. The boards were wickedly slippery. They were so bad the game had to be postponed part way into the first period.

They eventually got it right and Game Five was replayed a couple of nights later. Brooklin won it, ending the Lakers three year dynasty. The King is dead, long live the King. The Redmen dynasty would more than double Peterborough's three year reign.

First came a trip west to challenge for the Mann Cup. The Redmen were the last easterners to win on the coast. However their competition back then was Senior B calibre. One needed to look all the way back to 1953, when the Trailermen beat the best BC had in their own backyard. Brooklin faced the most legendary of all western clubs - the Salmonbellies. That meant a series in Queen's Park Arena - more boards!

The series would be a reunion or sorts. Goaltenders Wayne Colley and Rod Banister would face off again. Banister got the better of Colley during the Minto Cups of 1977-78. The first meeting Banister especially stole the show. He took home the McConaghy Award as series MVP. Colley struggled terribly that first matchup. In '85, Wayne Colley would get a second chance.

New Westminster won a tight first game. Ivan Tuura tied the contest 8-8 with two minutes left. In spite of the Redmen outshooting the Salmonbellies 22-11 in the third period, the home side managed to get to overtime. They had the netminding of Banister to thank for that. 1977 all over again? Geordie Dean scored twice during the extra period as New Westminster won 11-9.

It was Colley's turn to shine in Game Two. He made 47 saves compared to Doug Zack's 38 stops. Nevertheless, Brooklin played from behind much of the night and lost 7-5. They were soon down 3-0. Banister turned away 52 shots as the Salmonbellies hung on for a 9-8 victory.

Yet another eastern failure on the coast, what else was new? Everyone had suspected the Redmen were too inexperienced. Now they were down 3-0 and certain to lose. In lacrosse, no team had ever come from 3-0 down in a Canadian championship final. The greatest comebacks the Mann Cup had seen was when Vancouver had come from 3-1 down to win in '64. New Westminster did the exact same thing the next year. Both teams had done it against Brooklin!

Yet the easterner champs were not dead yet. Colley was playing the best lacrosse of his life - a red wall in front of his net. With his goaltending, Brooklin registered their first win in Game Four. Derek Keenan and Gil Nieuwendyk both scored two goals during the 7-6 victory. The next game the Salmonbellies showed up to finish the Redmen off. They outshot their opponents 20-8 in the first period. Thanks to Colley, New Westminster only won the period 2-1. That was the turning point in the series. On the strength of a five goal third period the visitors won the contest 7-5. After the win Peter Vipond said, "they have a bigger club and are more experienced but it's not over yet." It was far from over. Wayne Colley was just getting started.

Brooklin evened the Final at 3-3, thanks to another huge third period. They led only 3-2 after the second but broke away for a 9-5 triumph. Nieuwendyk led them with a hattrick. Over 3,000 fans attended the game. The Redmen had started the series with ten supporters. By the end of Game Six their grit and determination had won over the Vancouver and Coquitlam fans.

The seventh match would once again be an exercise in frustration for the Salmonbelly shooters. For the third successive night they would only beat Wayne Colley five times. They did win the opening period 2-1. Brooklin inched ahead in the second and took a 4-3 lead to the intermission. This contest went down the stretch even 5-5. Ken Colley scored the championship winner with less than five minutes remaining. The OLA had ended its drought on the coast! And under the most unlikely circumstances.

The Major League nearly fell apart prior to the '86 campaign. During the off season half the teams in the league dropped out. Owen Sound, Scarborough and St.Catharines were gone, leaving just Brooklin, Peterborough and Brampton. It was the worst disaster to befall the league in its 75 year history. Year 76 would proceed, however Sr.A lacrosse in Ontario was on a downward spiral it has yet to recover from.

Poor Brampton was the one loyalist which had to pay the price. During an abbreviated 12 game schedule, the Excelsiors won only twice. In the Double Round Robin playoff they lost all four of their games. It was a two team league and Brampton was no match for Brooklin or Peterborough.

The Lakers were regular season champs for the fourth straight year. It would also be the last time they'd finish in first place. Their record was a modest 9-3, still that was two wins better than the Redmen. Brooklin could boast to having the scoring champ John Fusco. He was followed by teammate John Jordan. In total, Brooklin had four in the Top Ten. Peterborough had the other six.

Consequently, May through July was basically passing the time awaiting the OLA Final in August. The series started at Keene, on the north shore of Rice Lake. This was cottage country, were the mosquitoes come out after dark and outnumber the fans in the arena. These mosquitoes are big suckers, big enough to wear advertising billboards! Thus the Eastern Canadian championship began on a hot summer night, with malaria in the air.

Keene was not kind to the hometown Lakers. Brooklin doubled them 14-7. It was a Redmen club playing their first meaningful game since the previous September. Peterborough would retreat up the Otonabee River, to the Memorial Centre, for their remaining home games.

The next two contests went the Laker's way. They won in Brooklin 15-12(another small town arena which had no business hosting a Provincial Final) then doubled the Redmen 10-5 back in Peterborough.

Game Four was when the momentum in the series shifted one last time. Brooklin earned a hard fought 11-8 victory at home. Derek Keenan put the game away with two power play insurance goals. The next match in Peterborough drew 1,500 fans. It was a flop. Ron Harinck beat Wayne Colley midway through the second period for the Lakers one and only goal. The Redmen scored a dozen to take a 3-2 lead in the series. They clinched the title the next game with a 17-5 rout. Keenan led them with 10 points.

The Mann Cup Final was held at Whitby's Iroquois Park Arena. New Westminster provided the opposition. The Salmonbellies had tied for first in the WLA with a 14-10 record. Then they narrowly survived a seven game Semi Final series with Vancouver. The Bellies were nothing special on offence. They had only two players average more than a goal per game, while the team averaged less than ten a game. Their defence was the best in the west. That was what carried them through to another championship.

With only 22 games under their belt - many of them meaningless affairs - the Redmen were ill prepared for a Championship final. To make matters worse, Gil Nieuwendyk would miss the opener on his honeymoon. Derek Keenan would miss the first two contests for school.

New Westminster hit them with Ben Hieltjes right off the bat. Hieltjes had sat out the previous summer because he would only play for the Salmonbellies. That allowed him to become a free agent and join New Westminster the next season. He wasted no time surging to prominence. Five of his six goals in the series came in Game One. The contest was tied 8-8 when the westerners broke it open with six consecutive tallies. Then they held on for a 14-10 triumph.

The beginning of Game Two was delayed 15 minutes because of a violent thunderstorm. Once it commenced Nieuwendyk burst into the series with two quick goals. He'd contribute four assists later on. Brooklin knocked former Laker goaltender Shawn Quinlan out in the second period. Doug Zack entered with his team down 8-3 and went on to earn game MVP honours. It wasn't enough to save the day. The Ontario champs won comfortably 11-6.

The next contest was the highlight of the Final. Todd Lorenz completed his hattrick by breaking an 11-11 tie with three seconds remaining. Lorenz would finish top scorer in the final with 7 goals. The Salmonbellies led 2-1. Things were about to turn ugly.

Game Four was spoiled by a terrible brawl at the end of the first period. Eight Game Misconducts were handed out as the "Big Bad" Salmonbellies lived up to their reputation. Not that the Redmen were any angels. However Brooklin ran a high flying offence - finesse, not brute force was how they succeeded. Several Brooklin regulars - like Tom Wreggitt, John Jordan, Calvin Avison, Kevin Van Sickle and Murray Graham - had less then 10 minutes in penalties the entire year! Van Sickle picked up 17 minutes in the six game series with New Westminster. The doneybrook concluded with Brooklin claiming that Brian Nikula had spat on John Fusco. Funny that the pair would be teammates two years later. In spite of all the extracurricular activities, the home side found a way to win Game Four. Wreggitt snapped a 5-5 tie with less than 3 minutes remaining for the victory.

Game Five was another defensive struggle which had Salmonbelly coach Steve d'Easum raging over, what he considered, biased officiating. "It was like they had seven on the floor all night. It was so onesided," he complained. The Redmen had a shot edge of 39-29. Yet New Westminster prevailed 10-8. Three shorthanded goals were the difference. Brooklin also lost John Fusco with a broken finger.

Wayne Colley held the westerners scoreless through the first 36 minutes of Game Six. Shawn Quinlan kept the Salmonbellies in the contest with some big saves. Three times he stopped Kevin Van Sickle on breakaways. When New Westminster finally hit the score sheet, they struck twice 16 seconds apart. John Gilchrist notched the first goal and Steve Voelpel followed immediately after. That cut Brooklin's lead in half to 4-2. The last 20 minutes the BC champs came on strong to win the series. They scored six times in the third period to pull out an 8-6 victory.

With Whitby losing so many Juniors, Peterborough became the power in the east again. Whitby and St.Catharines would fight it out for second best for the rest of the decade. Peterborough Maulers would reign supreme. John Martin and Dan Dunn's youthful '86 crew swept through the OLA without a loss. A perfect 28-0 record propelled them west for the Minto Cup. The Maulers also had the top four scorers in the league. Jamie Batley won the scoring title. He was followed by teammates Kevin Evans, Kurt Drury and Joe Hiltz.

Out west they faced the Gait led Victoria-Esquimalt Legion, a club determined to make up for their narrow loss the previous year. Victoria dominated the double round robin playdown by winning all four of their games. On top of two losses to the Legion, Peterborough only managed a split with Coquitlam. The Ontario champs squeaked into the one game final on goal difference.

Victoria had done everything right. Yet in one period they threw away a Canadian championship. The Maulers surprised them in the Final and jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The stellar goaltending of Terry Preston combined with the typical hard nosed Peterborough defending made that lead stand. Kevin Evans scored four times, Kurt Drury added five points and Andy Oglivie chipped in a four point effort. It all carried the Maulers to an 11-7 win and the Minto Cup.

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