Hunters head to historic final
Never before have the Kahnawake Hunters made it to the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League finals. But this is a history-making squad, and tomorrow, they’re going to make history again, as they head to Elora for the opener of the playoff finals after sweeping the Eastern Conference championship.
“It feels great to be the beast of the east,” said Hunters player Colby Dobbins. “We as a team are on an all-time high right now.”
Last Friday, the Hunters knocked the Orangeville Northmen out of the running, becoming champions of the league’s Eastern Conference in the process. The team celebrated a stunning 11-8 overtime victory, and though the game was played in Orangeville, Kahnawake fans turned up in their masses to support the boys.
“It felt like we were at home,” said Hunters’ head coach Garrett Cree. “The fans have been great, we can’t even describe all the support.”
Orangeville came out strong on Friday, with four goals to Kahnawake’s two in the first period. But the Hunters knew they only needed one more game to win the Eastern Conference, and rallied in the second period, equalizing the score to 6-6 by the start of the third. The teams proved themselves to be well-matched, with three goals each in the third period forcing the game into overtime.
“By the time we went into overtime, the guys were ready. They were pumped. They couldn’t wait for the overtime period to start, actually,” said assistant coach Mike Benedict. “Seeing and hearing that confidence come out of them, I knew that we were going to win the game.”
A trio of goals came from Deeland Martin, Ethan Drake, and Owen Rice, with iron-clad goaltending from Kasey Lahache ensuring Orangeville’s attempts at clawing back the game remained fruitless.
“You couldn’t ask for a better ending,” Benedict said. “You could see the crowd shifting, and our cheers got louder than their hometown crowd. They were behind us and it really lifted the crowd; it was a great win.”
Rice’s father, David Rice, was in Orangeville for the game. He said he’s been astounded by how far this Hunters team has come.
“It’s something to be extremely proud of. And Kahnawake is behind us, they’re embracing us. It’s not just the owners, it’s not just the coaches, it’s the whole community embracing something that’s never been done in Kahnawake,” he said. “When we were in Orangeville, I saw people that I’ve never seen at a lacrosse game in the last 15 years. It’s something that’s pulling Kahnawake closer together.”
The Hunters travelled down to Orangeville the previous day, as coaches wanted the boys to be well-rested and to move their muscles after the seven-hour bus ride. Mallory Rice, mother of Hunters star Shakononhkwahtsheronniennis Rice, said that the long trip was worth the effort.
“It was such an amazing thing to experience. So many emotions were felt throughout the game, I’m so glad I went,” she said. “I think that the strong presence of familiar faces helped the team stay motivated and without a doubt hearing everyone cheering them on boosted their confidence.”
The Hunters now go on to face the Elora Mohawks, a team from Elora, Ontario, who defeated the St. Catharines Athletics on July 23 to become the Western Conference champions. The first two games will be played in Elora, with Saturday’s game starting at 8 p.m. and Sunday’s at 2 p.m.
If the Hunters win this best-of-five series against Elora, they’ll be heading to Hamilton for the Founder’s Cup, where they’ll face off against other Junior B Lacrosse teams from across Canada for the coveted trophy.
It’s another seven-hour trip for the Hunters, though it’s expected that fans from Kahnawake will still make the trip. Lacey Paul, mother of the Hunters’ Tehahente Albany, will be making an extra effort, travelling back and forth between Elora and Whitby, where she’ll be supporting her other son in his U13 game. She said she wouldn’t miss the games for the world.
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“Most of the boys have been playing together since minor lacrosse,” she said. “It’s a great accomplishment for them and their teammates to be the ones to make it this far.”
Elora had a strong playoff season, winning both of their last best-of-five series in three games each. Dobbins said that he and the rest of the players are staying focused ahead of tomorrow night’s game, and the team has already been studying videos of Elora’s plays to develop their strategies.
“We can’t overlook Elora. They’re in the championship for a reason as well, they’re a talented and fast team,” he said. “But I’m excited and ready to bring a championship back to Kahnawake.”
