IL Indoor

Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Niagara Lock Monsters

CLax: Ben McCullough and Connor Danko are defender and goalie of the year

Ben McCullough of the Brampton Inferno is CLax's Defensive Player of the Year. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The Canadian Lacrosse League has announced Niagara Lock MonstersConnor Danko as the 2013 CLax Goalie of the Year and the Brampton Inferno’s Ben McCullough as the 2013 CLax Defensive Player of the Year.

In his rookie campaign, Connor Danko helped lead the Lock Monsters to an 11-3 regular season record. In nine regular season games, Danko posted a 7-1 record tying the Clax single season wins record. He also finished second in the league in both goals against average (10.20 GAA) and save percentage (.809). Earlier this week, Danko was also named a 2013 CLax First Team All-Star. READ MORE »

Barrie Blizzard, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Iroquois Ironmen, Niagara Lock Monsters, Ohsweken Demons, Toronto Shooting Stars

CLax: All-Star teams

First-Team All-Star Ben McCullough pins All-Rookie Team member John St. John to the boards. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The Canadian Lacrosse League has announced the 1st and 2nd Team All-Stars for the 2013 season. Niagara Lock Monsters rookie goaltender Connor Danko and teammate Andrew Potter both earned CLax first team honours. In nine regular season games, Danko posted a 7-1 record tying the Clax single season wins record. He also finished second in the league in both goals against average (10.20 GAA) and save percentage (.809). After being selected first overall in the 2013 Clax entry draft, Potter finished second in league scoring registering 31 goals and 48 assists for 79 points. READ MORE »

Barrie Blizzard, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Niagara Lock Monsters

CLax: Caleb Wiles named Rookie of the Year and heads All-Rookie team

Caleb Wiles scoring one of the goals of the year in CLax. (Photo: Tim Prothero, VintageLax)

The Canadian Lacrosse League is pleased to announce Barrie Blizzard forward Caleb Wiles as the 2013 CLax Rookie of the Year. ”As a newcomer to CLax, Caleb proved to be one of the most dynamic and prolific scorers in our game,” said CLax Deputy Commissioner Jim Veltman. “Game in and game out he would produce highlight reel goals made of magic.”

In his first season, Wiles finished fifth in league scoring registering 63 points including 35 goals and 28 assists in 12 regular season games. He collected 10 power play goals and led the league with seven shorthanded markers. His 35 goals was also tied for the second highest in CLax history.

Wiles played his Junior A career with Orillia and has been a member of the Major Series Brooklin Redmen the past two seasons. The league also announced the 2013 All Rookie Team. READ MORE »

Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs

CLax Playoffs: Durham Turfdogs pull out 11-9 win over Brampton Inferno

Shane Scott scoring the final goal of the night, his fourth, in Durham's playoff win. (Photo: Tim Prothero, VintageLax)

Last year, the Durham Turfdogs rode into their first Canadian Lacrosse League playoff games as the regular season champions after having won five straight games and seven of their last eight. Things weren’t nearly as smooth down the stretch this year and Durham entered the CLax quarter-final against the fourth-place Brampton Inferno as mild underdogs. While they lost that contest in 2012, though, the Turfdogs found a way to win when it mattered last night, scoring the last two goals of a back-and-forth contest to pull out an 11-9 win over Brampton to earn a spot in the Creators Cup final four weekend April 20/21. READ MORE »

Barrie Blizzard, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Iroquois Ironmen

CLax Players of the Week: Blizzard’s Wiles and Boucher, plus Saunders and Printup

Colin Boucher

The final weekend of the Canadian Lacrosse League regular season saw three games, all of which had the potential for playoff implications coming into the week.

The Iroquois Ironmen seem to be peaking at the right time as they won on back-to-back days clinching the final playoff spot. Their win over Brampton on Friday night also gave the Toronto Shooting Stars second overall positioning in the standings. Unfortunately it meant a game played for pride on Sunday in Barrie, but the Blizzard had their best game of the year in front of one of the loudest crowds in CLax history.

After the dust settled on the regular season, league officials combined with team coaches and general managers voted and selected the following as the Surge Apparel Players of the Week for week thirteen.

Offensive Player of the Week
Pat Saunders – Brampton Inferno
In Friday night’s loss to the Ironmen, Brampton found themselves clawing back all night long. It was often Pat Saunders scoring momentum-changing goals as he had five on the night to add to two assists. This is Saunders’ second weekly award. READ MORE »

Barrie Blizzard, Behind the Scenes, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Iroquois Ironmen, Niagara Lock Monsters, Ohsweken Demons, Toronto Shooting Stars

Blizzard debut blue turf in CLax season finale, beat Shooting Stars

Caleb Wiles, who, amazingly, scored on this play, and the Barrie Blizzard are 1-0 on their new blue turf. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The Canadian Lacrosse League is preparing for the playoffs that start this Friday night when the Brampton Inferno play host to the Durham Turfdogs in the first quarter-final. The other quarter-final is a rematch of last year’s Creators Cup championship game when the Ohsweken Demons and Iroquois Ironmen meet at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena Sunday. Before the regular season passed into the rearview mirror, though, the final game held a new twist that CLax is excited about for next year. The Barrie Blizzard unveiled their new blue turf as they won their final game of the season, downing the second-place Toronto Shooting Stars behind a 6-point performance from Caleb Wiles (3g, 3a). The Blizzard, who finished last and will miss the playoffs, none the less played before an enthusiastic crowd reported to be 1,000 strong. The league will sport three of the blue turf floors in 2014, when it returns for its third season. First, of course, there’s the matter of crowning a 2013 champion. The semi-finals will be held Saturday April 20 at the ILA followed by the Creators Cup final the next day at the same venue. Niagara and Toronto, the top two regular season teams, will face the quarter-final winners on the Saturday.

Barrie Blizzard, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Iroquois Ironmen, Niagara Lock Monsters, Ohsweken Demons, Toronto Shooting Stars

CLax: Iroquois Ironmen pull out 14-13 overtime win to bolster playoff hopes

Jerome Thompson was instrumental in the Iroquois Ironmen's 14-13 overtime win Friday night. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The Iroquois Ironmen made the Canadian Lacrosse League playoff race a lot more interesting last night by downing the Brampton Inferno 14-13 in overtime. Iroquois leapfrogged the Barrie Blizzard for the sixth and final playoff spot in CLax with the win, but both teams have one game to play. Iroquois can lock up the postseason berth by beating the Durham Turfdogs at 2 pm today in a game that can be seen live via JVI Video webcast. If they don’t, then the Blizzard can snag the berth back by beating the Toronto Shooting Stars at home on Sunday.

Toronto clinched second place and a first-round bye when the Inferno lost yesterday, meaning the playoff picture is almost set. The first-place Niagara Lock Monsters and the Shooting Stars receive a bye to the semi-finals, to be held April 20 at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The Creators Cup final is also there the following day. READ MORE »

Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Niagara Lock Monsters

CLax Players of the Week: Potter, Preece, Fowler and Caravello earn honours

Jay Preece was tough to beat, earning the CLax Defensive Player of the Week award. (Photo: Tim Prothero, VintageLax)

While Ontario’s school children were kicking back for March Break, the Canadian Lacrosse League season kicked into high gear playing seven games over five days. The action saw every team play twice. Key results include the Niagara Lock Monsters moving themselves into a position to clinch a first round playoff bye, the Brampton Inferno breaking their season-long tie for fourth with the Durham Turfdogs, and the Barrie Blizzard winning their first home game as a franchise. As the dust settles on week ten, here are the weekly award winners of CLax’s Surge Apparel Players of the Week. READ MORE »

Barrie Blizzard, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Iroquois Ironmen, Niagara Lock Monsters, Ohsweken Demons, Toronto Shooting Stars

CLax playoff positions slowly taking shape, Creators Cup schedule set

Could this goal by Caleb Wiles (Barrie's last in a 14-9 win) wind up putting the Blizzard into the playoffs? (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The playoff race is heating up in the Canadian Lacrosse League and the playoff schedule has been announced. Six of CLax’s seven teams will make the post-season with the top two receiving first-round byes. The Niagara Lock Monsters are very close to ensuring that they are one of those top two teams. In fact, they would have to lose at least their remaining three games—and have Toronto win out or Brampton win out and beat them by more than 5 goals—to finish lower than first. There is, actually, a scenario in which Niagara, Toronto, Brampton and Ohsweken could all finish tied for first at 9-5, but we won’t get into that unless it is still possible in a couple of weeks. READ MORE »

Barrie Blizzard, Brampton Inferno, CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, Iroquois Ironmen

Inferno down Turfdogs after taking early lead in CLax action

Mark Tinning goes airborne for a shot on Durham goalie Kalvin Thomas in Brampton's 12-7 win. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The Brampton Inferno took advantage of a discombobulated Durham Turfdogs club to score an 11-7 win and take sole possession of fourth place in the Canadian Lacrosse League Saturday. The Turfdogs, reeling from the mid-week dismissal of Head Coach Jason Crosbie, lost their second straight game after falling to the Ohsweken Demons Friday night. With Crosbie gone and Jonas Derks having to miss the game because of another commitment, Brad MacArthur stepped in to fill the top role for the day. He said his team fell behind not because of a lack of energy early but because that energy was misplaced. READ MORE »