IL Indoor

B.C. Junior A, Brampton Excelsiors, IL Indoor, MSL, Ontario Junior B, Peterborough Lakers, Road to the Founders, Road to the Mann Cup, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

Last night: Lakers raise Mann Cup banner, start off new season with a bang

Shawn Evans led the way with 10 points in the Lakers' season-opening win. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

After a shaky first five minutes, just about everything went right for the new-look Peterborough Lakers as they opened the 2013 Major Series Lacrosse season with a 14-4 win over the visiting Brampton Excelsiors. The crowd of over 3,000 was roaring in pre-game as the 2012 Mann Cup banner was raised to the rafters, but they were eerily quiet after a pair of goals from Mark White and Mike Burke gave the visitors an early lead. Then the Lakers settled down and the offence got the ball moving in vintage Lakers fashion, leading to a quick-stick power play goal by Cory Vitarelli that started a 5-goal run from which Peterborough never looked back.

The score was 6-3 after the first period and the Lakers took total control in the second period, outscoring Brampton 4-0 in the frame. Shawn Evans, fresh off an NLL scoring title and MVP award, kept his roll going with a 10-point night (2 goals, 8 assists). For a team where much of the external talk was about who wasn’t there (including John Grant, Jr., John Tavares and Tracey Kelusky), the player who were there made it clear that they’re capable of carrying the load. Jordan MacIntosh scored 4 times and added 3 assists. Vitarelli and Josh Gillam each scored twice; Vitarelli had 3 assists and Gillam 2. READ MORE »

Alberta Junior A, B.C. Junior A, Ontario Junior B, Road to the Founders, Road to the Minto Cup, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior A, Senior B

Last night: Saints & James Gang remain perfect in OLA Sr B, plus all the scores

The St. Catharines Saints and Norwood James Gang both remained perfect, each posting their fifth straight win to open the OLA Senior B season Saturday, and they’re on target for a clash of the titans in two weeks. St. Catharines rode Corey Fowler’s 7-point night (3g, 4a) and a hat trick from transition man Jay Thorimbert to a 16-9 thrashing of the Owen Sound North Stars. Norwood blanked Sarnia 3-0 in the third period to pull out a gritty 6-4 win over the Beavers to keep pace.

The James Gang gave up the first goal to Sarnia but then replied with a trio of their own to lead 3-1 after the first period. Chad Evans got Norwood’s first two goals on outside shots then Greg Reilly buried a beautiful touch pass over a pair of defenders from Gavin Barrie. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, Ontario Junior A, Ontario Junior B, Road to the Founders, Road to the Minto Cup, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

Last night: James Gang continue perfect run to start the season

The Norwood James Gang are out to prove that the Ontario Senior B lacrosse league isn’t a one-team race, and so far they’re doing a pretty good job of it. The St. Catharines Saints are getting lots of attention for the additions they’ve made to the team that already won the last two league titles and earned medals at the last two Presidents Cups. But Norwood has made some additions as well, and they’ve come out to a 4-0 start with last night’s dominating 15-6 win over the Brooklin Merchants, who knocked them out in the first round of playoffs last year.

“We play every year to win. We put out the best effort and we want a championship,” James Gang forward Matt Evans told IL Indoor after the game. “Every year we have a shot, this year I think we have a great chance at it. We’ve got a couple new additions and some real good guys coming off long layoffs.” READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, Buffalo Bandits, MSL, National Lacrosse League, Peterborough Lakers, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B, The Life

Kyle Clancy returns to lacrosse from neck injury, playing with Norwood James Gang

Kyle Clancy (second from left) with his Peterborough Lakers rookie of the year award in 2010.

Three years ago, Kyle Clancy scored 21 points in 6 games in his rookie year with the Buffalo Bandits. That summer he was the Peterborough Lakers rookie of the year and third leading scorer and he won a Mann Cup with the team.

Two years ago, Clancy stepped in when John Tavares was unable to start a game in the National Lacrosse League playoffs and scored 4 goals and an assist. He followed that up with a solid and reasonably productive summer with the Lakers, notching 13 goals and 23 assists in 16 games.

Last year, he was out of lacrosse with a chipped vertebrae in his neck after rolling his vehicle in bad weather. So getting back on a lacrosse floor is a big step for Clancy, and he’s enjoying his return to the game. For now, that is happening with the Norwood James Gang of the Ontario Senior B league. He has scored 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points, helping the James Gang to a perfect 3-0 start to their season. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

St. Catharines Saints add Boucher, Llord and Priolo in pursuit of Presidents Cup

Colin Boucher is among the additions the St. Catharines Saints have made to their team for 2013. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The St. Catharines Saints are determined that if they don’t win the Presidents Cup this year, it won’t be for lack of trying. The two-time defending OLA Senior B champions have added a trio of elite defenders to their roster in hopes of taking the final step up the podium after finishing third and then second at the last two Canadian Sr B championship tournaments. Earlier this week, the Saints acquired Colin Boucher, who was the 2012 defensive player of the year in CLax and co-winner of the same award in the Sr B league, along with returning Saints defender Mike Attwood. Now they’ve also added a pair of National Lacrosse League players to the mix, bringing in Ian Llord and Steve Priolo. READ MORE »

Behind the Scenes, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

St. Catharines Saints have their eyes set firmly on the top prize

Connor Danko will be hoping to win two championships for St. Catharines teams this year. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The St. Catharines Saints have two medals from the last two Presidents Cup Canadian Senior B lacrosse championships. That’s an admirable record of accomplishment any way you look at it. But as General Manager Dave Colbourne points out, neither medal was the colour they wanted. The Saints earned bronze in 2011 then took silver last year. Now, Colbourne is tweaking his roster in hopes of taking the final step up the ladder when the tournament is held in Kahnawake this summer. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

St. Catharines Saints add rookie Chris Attwood and veteran Tim O’Brien to roster

Chris Attwood (left) will be playing in his St. Catharines hometown this summer. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

The St. Catharines Saints are hoping that a young gun and a veteran tough guy can help them bring the Presidents Cup to the Garden City. IL Indoor has learned that the Saints have added graduating Jr A scoring star Chris Attwood and former NLL and MSL enforcer Tim O’Brien to the team for the 2013 season. Attwood, 21, led CLax in scoring in its inaugural year of 2012 and was sixth in the league this year with 28 goals and 31 assists. He’ll add some more pop to an offence that already led the OLA Sr B league in goals scored by 29 last year, totalling 205 in 16 games.

Attwood was selected in the Major Series Lacrosse draft by the Brampton Excelsiors. The plan, if he makes the Excels, is for him to play regularly with the Saints and suit up at least enough times with Brampton to make him eligible for the MSL playoffs.

The 35-year-old O’Brien played 148 career senior A games, scoring 16 goals and 35 assists while racking up 533 penalty minutes. He is also the property of the MSL Excelsiors.

The Saints won a bronze medal at the 2011 Presidents Cup tournament then followed that up by earning a silver medal in 2012. They are hoping to take one more step up the podium this summer when the tournament is in Kahnawake.

Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks, MSL, Oakville Rock, Ontario Junior B, Road to the Founders, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

Oakville Rock acquire Thenhaus and a pick for England, plus the links

Craig England

Terry Sanderson has completed his first trade as GM of the Oakville Rock, and it’s for someone he acquired in his other GM role with Toronto. Oakville sent Craig England to the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks in exchange for Brenden Thenhaus and a fourth-round pick in the 2014 Major Series Lacrosse draft. England scored 5 goals and 8 assists in 7 games for the Rock in Ajax last year, his first in the league after graduating from the Orangeville Northmen Jr A program. Thenhaus, a product of the Oakville Jr B team, has spent six years playing MSL with a pair of two-year stints in KW sandwiching two years with the Six Nations Chiefs. He posted 12 goals and 20 assists in 13 games with the Kodiaks last summer. His best statistical season was 2009 with KW when he put up 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points in 18 games. READ MORE »

IL Indoor, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B

Pat Campbell named new coach for Senior B St. Catharines Saints for 2013 season

Pat Campbell

The St. Catharines Saints are very pleased and excited to announce that President/GM Dave Colbourne has named Pat Campbell as the new head coach. Campbell, the highly accomplished former goaltender brings a wealth of lacrosse knowledge and playing experience to the bench, following an exceptional 14-year tenure in the National Lacrosse League where he gained acclaim as one of the top goalies and teammates in the league, winning 4 NLL championships along the way. The 36-year old Campbell started his career playing with the Ontario Raiders in 1998 and moved along with the franchise to Toronto where he captured his first two NLL titles in 1999 and 2000. He also had stops along the way with Columbus, Rochester, Edmonton and Calgary before returning to the Rock to win his fourth Champion’s Cup in 2011 with the Rock. READ MORE »

CLax, Canadian Lacrosse League, Durham Turfdogs, IL Indoor, Road to the Presidents Cup, Senior B, Toronto Shooting Stars

CLax and OLA Senior B trades announced: Ransom, Kenney, Komer, Bowen move

Dan Ransom now joins Bubba Durno on the Shooting Stars. (Photo: Tim Prothero)

It’s a day of trades for Canadian Lacrosse League players, although only one is actually a CLax deal. The Toronto Shooting Stars have shipped Blake Kenney to the Durham Turfdogs in exchange for Dan Ransom. Kenney is a 25-year-old rookie lefty who stands 6′3″ and weighs in at 210 pounds. He’s a dynamic player whose flash so far has outshone his production. Kenney has 4 goals and 6 assists for 10 points in 5 games with the Shooting Stars but the Turfdogs will be hoping the potential he’s shown with his stick skills and athleticism turn into bigger numbers as he adjusts to the league.

In return, Durham sent the 27-year-old Ransom, who is listed at 6′1″, 190. He’s also a lefty and proved last year that he can post some impressive totals. He was the Turfdogs’ second-leading scorer last year, potting 18 goals and adding 30 assists for 48 point in 13 games. This season he has 2 goals and 11 assists in 4 games. READ MORE »