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From THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

JUNE 16, 1931

BALTIMORE, Md., June 16—(CP)—Swinging fists and sticks indiscriminately, lacrosse teams representing Canada and the United States in North American championship series fought through the first major game ever played under flood lights at Homewood last night. The Canadians won 1 – 0, but failed to regain the Lally Cup, emblematic of championship, which is awarded upon basis of total goals in the two-game series.

St. John’s College of Annapolis, National champions of United States entered the game with a five to two lead as a result of the first contest, and protected its margin in a wild encounter.

Midway of the first half, Jimmy Parks, St. John’s defense man, and Chuck Davidson of Canadian All-Star attack, dropped their sticks and exchanged blows in a fist fight that drew teammates and onlookers to the centre of a swirling mass just inside the fence in front of the South Stand. Nearly two hundred reached the battle point before police were able to clear the field. They vaulted fence and swarmed from all sides.

The players who began the disorder were banished for the duration of the half, although subs were permitted to replace them at expiration of the penalty time of ten minutes. The eight thousand spectators witnessed the rough contest and most of them sat unheeded while a thunderstorm gathered, then broke with heavy rain and sharp lightning.

For St. John’s, it was both a triumph and defeat. It saw an end to their dreams of a season without defeat, as the proud three-time National champions of the United States found a bewildering wall of Dominion defence sticks, that resembled a thicket of pine saplings in their impenetrability barring the way to the Canadian goal. Shot after shot rained toward the Canadian net but a staunch Canadian body or intercepting racquet barred the path.

Bert Lange, in Canadian goal, gave one of the finest exhibitions in his position ever seen here. Gordon Thom, captain of the invaders, guarding Bobby Pool, leader of the Johnnies and bright star of the first game, checked the opposing high scorer so closely that he did not get a single shot. Only a minute or so of the first half remained when Canada shot the only goal of the contest. Young Bucko McDonald, who had been kept on the side-lines at the start, in a line-up shift that sent Chuck Davidson, Bert Haynes and Toots Whits into the close attack, had replaced Barron, Davidson’s substitute late in the period.

He broke for an open shot on the right side of the crease as White manoeuvred behind the goal. He had only a step to go as two defence men converged upon him, but the opening was sufficient for a perfectly timed slap shot as the pass came lightning fast to his whirling stick. Bill Armacost had no chance to move a muscle to intercept or block the shot.

(reprinted with the permission of the Niagara Falls Review).

A TC footnote on the Canadian goal scorer…“Young ‘Bucko’ McDonald”.