Historic season closes with Founder’s Cup win

Everyone is back home, the streams and watch parties are over, the trophy is in town being photographed, drunk out of, and even used as a putter.

But despite all of that, the Kahnawake Hunters winning the Founder’s Cup still doesn’t feel real quite yet to many members of the organization.

“It still feels like a dream right now. It still hasn’t sunk in that we did it. I watched the videos and everything, and it makes me feel so good inside, but it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Hunters’ team owner Derek Stacey.

“I don’t even know it’s real,” said defender Darris Jones.

“During the game, no one knew what to feel, whether to cry or smile or laugh. We were just trying to go through the emotions.”

The emotions were palpable on the faces of everyone in the 7 Chiefs Sportsplex in Alberta’s Tsuut’ina Nation, with the Hunters celebrating their accomplishment together on the floor after beating the Coquitlam Adanacs 9-4 in the finals on Sunday afternoon.

But before that celebration, there was the game, against an Adanacs team that had a very talented and complete roster, much like the Hunters did.

“Their offense was pretty talented; they had a lot of depth compared to most of the teams who played in the Founder’s tournament,” said Jones.

“If you have a team of five amazing goal scorers who can take over games by themselves, and then the rest of the five on offense are still pretty good, no matter what line you put out, no matter what combination you put out, they’re still all going to be good.”

Coquitlam scored first, 26 seconds in, before Tehahente Albany tied things at one at 15:25.

Each team would score another before the end of the period to tie things at two after one.

“It was a little nerve wracking, the first period, I’ll be honest,” said Jones.

In the second, the Adanacs scored a goal with less than 30 seconds elapsed, and added another one, this time on the power play, to make it 4-2 at 14:08.

That goal would be the last allowed by the Hunters for the rest of the game.

Lacrosse is a game of runs, Jones said, and the Hunters went on one big one at the best possible time.

Winter Rivera scored his second of the game at 11:06 of the second; Owen Rice scored his first of the game at 6:03 and then his second at 2:46 to give Kahnawake the lead.

They did not let up in the third, starting on the power play, where it was their turn to score quickly, courtesy of Shakononhkwahtsheronniennis Rice.

Hawi Francis added a goal at 16:45 to fully put Kahnawake in the driver’s seat, and the defense stepped up big time to go all in on shot suppression, allowing a measly six shots on goal in the third.

Kaymen Diabo scored at 5:06 and Owen Rice finished his hat trick at 2:40 to finish the job.

Jones said the coaching staff - first-year head coach Brandon Francis, Brett Bucktooth, Thunder Jacobs, and Kahnawiio Dione, - were a huge part of the Founder’s Cup win.

“Brandon sat us down and told us ‘I’m changing everything, flipping this team over and remaking the Hunters, because we need it,’” said Jones.

In particular, his focus on reducing the amount of penalties Kahnawake took was a big part of this new philosophy.

“He said, ‘penalties kill us forever,’ Kahnawake is known for that, it’s not a secret, it’s not hidden. I’m not a perfect player, either,” said Jones.

It paid off when it counted, with the Hunters taking a grand total of two minor penalties against the Adanacs.

Stacey said the decision to revamp the coaching staff prior to this season was not an easy one, but it was a needed one.

“Brandon brought a whole new, different culture to the team with Brett, and it worked,” said Stacey.

He was sure to shout out Dione and Jacobs, who have been with the team for many years and were very willing to work with the new staff.

Dione in particular made the offense shine, and both he and Jacobs served as coaches, mentors, and role models for the players, Stacey said.

“I can’t leave those guys out, because they’ve been with me the whole time,” said Stacey.

He also thanked general manager Greg Horn and assistant general manager Kirby Joe Diabo for their work in helping put together the team and managing it.

“It’s a lot of work. I know it’s a lot of work. People don’t give him credit where credit is due, but I’ll give it to him now,” said Stacey of Horn’s work behind the scenes.

The whole community of Kahnawake came together to cheer on the Hunters, whether it was at home, at a Knights of Columbus watch party, or even in the stands in Alberta, where dozens came all the way from Kahnawake to support the Hunters.

Jones had his parents, Al Jones and Christine Loft-Jones, in attendance for the finals.

“Looking up into the stands, seeing Hunters shirts all over the place like that just made it feel so much like home, and made everything so much easier on the floor,” said Jones.

The Knights of Columbus watch parties started when community members asked Harry Angus Rice if they could have a public place to watch the tournament games.

“The answer was easy: yes,” said the watch party organizer, who soon saw the 40 or so people there for game one balloon to 120 for the finals game, for which he got help from Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takéhnhas Community Services (KSCS) for food and drinks.

“What a way to promote the gold medal match,” he said.

“It did get loud when the Hunters scored. And of course, the 10 second countdown.”

As far away as the Hunters were from Kahnawake for the Founder’s Cup, the amount of people behind the team felt just as loud to them, too.

“The support this team had, I have never seen anything like it before,” said Stacey.

“The players won the game, but in all reality, our fans and our community got us here,” said Jones.

When the Hunters were founded nine years ago, after years of playoff losses, after last year’s sweep against Elora in the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League, after learning they might not even be able to go because their flight had been cancelled, the Hunters winning the Founder’s Cup seemed like just a dream, a figment of the imagination of a hopeful fanbase and community telling themselves that someday, it may be their turn.

On August 24, that dream came true.

Hunters get individual honours

Three Hunters were named first team all-stars for their outstanding individual performance throughout the tournament: forward Owen Rice, defender Shatekaienthon Van Dommelen, and goaltender Kasey Lahache.

Rice scored 11 goals and had nine assists for 20 points, placing him in a tie for second for goals and sixth for points.

Van Dommelen was held scoreless, but his outstanding defensive play and very low amount of penalties taken - just two - were key for a stingy and effective Hunters’ defence.

Lahache was stellar in goal, as he often has been during his time as a Hunter. He had a goals against average of just six and a 0.85 save percentage. Lahache never allowed more than nine goals, and only allowed more than six just once.

Forward Winter Rivera was named the tournament’s most valuable player. He was tied for second-best with Rice with 11 goals, and his 23 points led the entire tournament.

[email protected]