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From The St.Catharines Standard

Monday June 25, 1924

ST.CATHARINES -- The Athletics regained their position at the top of Group “B” of the senior O.A.L.A. Saturday, when they beat the Hamilton Tigers in twenty minutes’ overtime by a score of 5 to 4.

Contrary to all the dope, the Athletics proved to be better “mudders” than the Tigers, although, heretofore, they have depended a great deal on the speed of their attack to get goals. The Tigers have a lot more weight than the locals and many people predicted that they would tire out the smaller St. Kitts team in the heavy going, the entire game was played in a rain storm that seemed more like a cloud burst at times.

Every man on the St. Catharines team put all they knew into the game, the writer never saw a team work harder to win than did the Athletics on Saturday. In spite of the rain many spectacular plays were pulled off and the crowd was on its toes every minute. At only one period of the game did more than one goal separate the two teams, and that was in the last quarter when the Tigers had the locals on the short end of a 4 to 2 score. But they did not hold their lead for long, Cornelius and Miller each scoring one to tie it up 4 – 4.

Oille in the Game.

Percy Oille made his first appearance in an Athletics uniform this season, and he put up a great game. He scored the first goal of the game on a beautiful bit of individual play. He started through the Tiger defence, early in the second period, to take a pass. The pass came but Oille did not have time to recover to make the shot and went right past the net. He turned around on the slippery footing however, and skidded around the net giving Rohmer no opportunity to save. The goal was a great reminder of the old days of Fitzgerald and Kalls, and was a beautiful piece of work.

Shortly after this, Cornelius received the ball on the outside of the defence, passed two men and notched St. Catharines’ second goal.

Overtime Periods.

The overtime periods, perhaps, proved the most exciting part of the game. The score was 4 – 4 at the end of the eighty minutes of play, and referee Hamburg ordered five minutes each way to break the tie.

Both teams started out strong to get the winning goal and took all sports of chances. Both Rohmer and Jimmie Williamson, rival goalies were called upon to keep the rubber out of their respective nets, and they both did good work. Williamson made a couple of wonderful stops in the overtime when Hamilton men shot the ball at him like a bullet from fairly close in. But Jimmie was at the top of his game and kept everything out.

Neither team was able to score during the first ten minutes of the overtime, and the teams turned around and started another ten to break the tie. The Tigers had the end of the field where there was most grass for the first five, but they could not make it mean a thing. At the end of the first five minutes, the teams changed ends and St. Kitts had the advantage.

Wagstaffe Scores.

With only a minute to go, Wagstaffe did the trick. He got the ball well outside the defence and started a lone rush. He made a shot waist high at the goal and although Rohmer got his stick on the ball, it was too late, the rubber was in the net and the game was won. It was a great finish to a hair raising and exciting game.

Red Miller was right on his toes all the time and many a loose ball was recovered by this player. Switzer, Cornelius and Bye were also “there.”

The field showed a vast improvement over their last game against the Toronto St. Simon’s. Oille and Bennett did plenty of work around the centre of the field. The defence showed that they are a real stone wall and in good shape. McGlashan, Purdy and company were up and down the field several times and in the last quarter, everybody went up after that winning goal, leaving only one man on the defence.

First Quarter.

The first period was late in starting, the Tigers being behind time. The latter were short Brown, Dextras and Farr, but they arrived soon after the start.

Hamilton started in a strong way and the St. Kitts defence was called upon to stop several rushes. The local defence showed their mettle this quarter when they upset several rushes that seemed bent on scoring at any cost.

Finally with ten minutes of the period gone, Cooper took a shot from outside the defence that slipped under Williamson for the only goal of the opening session which ended 1 to 0 for the Tigers.

Second Quarter.

The Athletics forced the play in the second, but for a while Rohmer kept his goal clear. Kitchen had his head cut, but he resumed playing. Tigers began to attack and carried the ball to St. Kitts goals a couple of times unsuccessfully.

Oille got a pass when he was going in but went past the goal. He then pulled off his nice play, recovering and running around the other side to score and even the count 1 – 1.

Shortly afterwards, Cornelius put St. Catharines out in front when he beat two men and slipped the ball under Rohmer. The second period ended St. Catharines 2, Hamilton 1.

Third Quarter.

After about ten minutes of play, Williamson was called upon to make a difficult stop. He stopped the shot, but the ball went out to Kitchen who slapped it right back evening up the score 2 – 2, after sixteen minutes of play.

Brown got a break when the St. Kitts man who was checking him slipped and fell, leaving only Williamson for him to beat. Brown took no chances with the shot and went right up close to score giving Jimmie no chance to stop. A melee ended the quarter, Gannon and Bye getting 10 and 5 minutes respectively.

The quarter ended, Hamilton 3, St.Catharines 2.

Fourth Quarter.

Miller and McGlashan were each given five minutes on the penalty bench and Brown again scored for Hamilton with a long one, making the score 4 to 2 for Hamilton.

The Athletics came right back however, and Cornelius got one for St. Kitts on a nice play.

At the face off Cooper was given the bench for cutting Oille on the face. Kitchen soon after, was given five minutes for a cross check.

Miller’s Goal.

The Athletics went after another goal and practically the whole team went down to score. Red Miller did the scoring that evened up the count. He had the ball behind the Hamilton net, but slipped and fell flat on his back. He crawled on all fours, with the ball still in his stick, to the front of the net and slipped the ball past Rohmer.

After this Williamson kept the score tied by stopping hot Hamilton shots that few goalies get. Then came the overtime with St. Catharines scoring after about nineteen minutes of scoreless play.

The line-ups:

Hamilton

Goal…Rohmer
Point…Laing
Cover…Stuart
Defence…Day, Sergeant, Gannon
Center…Kitchen
Home…Burnside, Goudie, Cooper
Outside…Brown
Inside…Dextras
Subs…Thomas, McBride

Athletics

Goal…Williamson
Point…McGlashan
Cover…Purdy
Defence…Herr, England, A. Gayder
Center…Oille
Home…Wagstaffe, Lounsbury, Cornelius
Outside…Switzer
Inside…Miller
Subs…Bennett, Haynes, Bye

Officials – Hugh Jack and W. Hamburg

And Now, For the Rest Of The Story

Percy Oille’s return to the Athletics was the source of some considerable elation for St. Catharines lacrosse fans. This standout from the Garden City appeared to be the missing ingredient that would soon propel the locals into serious contenders and their win over the Hamilton Tigers with Oille in the line-up seemed to confirm that.

But soon Oille and the Athletics would soon have a growing dilemma on their hands. Earlier grumbling about Oille being in violation of the league’s residence rule seemed to be resolved with the A’s assertions that O.A.L.A. President Wright had given the team permission to play Oille in their next two games. But just before the second game, O.A.L.A. Secretary Harcourt notified the A’s that the league would not allow Oille to play. The Athletics were livid, and voted in the dressing room not to play without Oille.

At a late night meeting at Toronto’s Prince George Hotel on the next day, the Athletic’s laid out their position before the executive, a position that would not be substantiated by the president. On Friday July 4th, the Standard would report, “President Wright in his reply stated he had no intention of allowing anyone to make a ‘goat’ out of him, and absolutely repudiated the statement that he gave permission for Oille to play, qualifying it by saying that he had no authority.”

Did President Wright change his stance on an important decision? Or did the Athletics try to force the issue by playing Oille without certification? It all comes down to whom to believe.

One thing for certain, the A’s win over the Tigers was overturned, the missed game against the Maitlands was given to the team from Toronto, and the Athletics were fined $50. All over the application of a residency ruling on a player in his fourth year with the team.

The Athletics response was quick and forceful; they chose to quit the O.A.L.A. then and there. They took their ball and went home, and they wouldn’t return for four years.

From The St.Catharines Standard

Thursday July 3, 1924

ST.CATHARINES -- The Athletics Lacrosse Club want to make a full explanation to the public regarding the unfortunate affair that occurred on the Lacrosse Grounds on the holiday.

Secretary Harcourt of the O.A.L.A. wired the president of the Athletics, advising that the officials for Tuesday’s game against the Maitlands had instructions not to allow the game to be played if Oille were on the line-up.

This was a very arbitrary stand to be taken by any secretary without the full meeting of the executive, in view of the fact the President Wright had authorized Mr. Elliott to use Oille in both Saturday’s and Tuesday’s games, and until the executive had an opportunity of meeting again, where the case would be re-opened.

Percy Oille, the player in question, a native of St. Catharines, has been for years a member of the Athletics and very anxious to play, and, when President Wright’s sanction had been received for the both games, he was requested to report for practices and to appear on the line-up. It was, of course, understood that either Hamilton or Maitlands had the privilege of protesting, but there was absolutely nothing to justify any such stand as was taken Tuesday by the O.A.L.A.

Manager Johnson of the Maitlands stated that the case was entirely in the hands of the referee and he had to do as requested by that official, but Referee Powers was very emphatic in his statement that he was ordered by Secretary Harcourt not to allow the game to be played, either as a scheduled or exhibition game, with Oille on the line-up.

There is absolutely no doubt about president Wright authorizing the use of Oille in the two games referred to and a man in his position should be backed up by his executive in every way. If President Wright had no authority to give permission for Oille to play, then it should have been so stated, and Oille would not have been on the line-up for Saturday.

A poll of the Athletics was taken in the dressing room and they all refused to line-up against the Maitlands without Oille, and this decision was handed to referee Powers who declared no game would be played, irrespective of the fact that one of the Maitlands had thrown the ball in the net, but that, of course, was contrary to his instructions.

From THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

FRIDAY JULY 4, 1924

Lacrosse suffered a severe blow yesterday and the season which promised to be such a record one was practically wrecked. Two senior teams dropping out of the race because the O.A.L.A. would not grant them all their own way. St. Catharines refused to continue on account of the ruling to continue on account of the ruling of the O.A.L.A. at its meeting Wednesday when the St. Kitts club, which is leading Group “B”, was fined $50 for refusing to place a team on the field against Toronto-Maitlands last Saturday, and the game was awarded to the Toronto Combines, while the game St. Kitts won in overtime from Hamilton was awarded to the Tigers, as the Saints used P. Oille, who was ruled not eligible to play with them under the residence rule.

Ottawa Shamrocks who joined the O.A.L.A. this season in an effort to bring back the national game in the east, was the other club to retire for the season. Ottawa dropped out on the grounds that the O.A.L.A. would not order Orangeville to play a scheduled game in the Capital city next Saturday after the Ottawa officials had arranged for the game at a later date and claimed it could not field a team to fill the engagement if the game were ordered played Saturday.

Three Teams Drop Out.

Mimico started the dropping out epidemic about a month ago when it defaulted all its games for the remaining part of the season after a poor start and trouble with the lacrosse executive. Whether the teams in the north are sports enough to take the decisions against them is yet to be learned, as the Weston club was ruled against for using Farr, who was suspended and a win over Brampton was ordered replayed.

More trouble may yet be caused before the next two weeks pass as the O.A.L.A. has granted Conacher, Cotton, and McCurray permission to play with the Irish Canadians under the student residence rule. Several of the teams in the race have threatened to protest if the Pittsburgh hockey trio play for the Irish and the question is far from settled.