Hunters hold dual home openers

For the first time, two Kahnawake Hunters teams had their home openers on the same day, as the Junior B and Junior C Hunters played their first games in front of the hometown faithful on Saturday at the Sports Complex.

For the C Hunters, this was their first-ever home game, and although they did not get the result they wanted - losing 15-5 to the North Shore Kodiaks - coach Eric Jacobs said it was still a nice feeling to get to finally play at home.

“Having your family and your friends and everybody coming to the arena, it just gives everybody a good feeling,” said Jacobs.

The first home game is just one more first the team can check off the list, he added.

“Every game, every shift, every road trip, every home game, for all those kids, it’s their first time playing Junior, and it’s their first time playing Junior at home with a big crowd. You don’t know what to expect, we’re checking things off the list, so they’re not going to be new anymore,” said Jacobs.

As the young season progresses, the C Hunters are still figuring out what the season has in store for them.

“After three games, they’re starting to understand that they’re no longer in minor lacrosse, that they are playing against much older players, stronger players, and that ball movement and their footwork is very important. They have to move and move the ball,” said Jacobs.

“I keep telling them, every practice, it’s all a learning curve, every game, every shift, we’re going to learn. Every team we play, they’re all new teams. They’re all new systems. Everything’s different.”

While a 0-3 start is not ideal, Jacobs said that as the players get accustomed to this level of play, the games will get closer.

“For me personally, my goal is to start bridging the gap between our scores. Once they start realizing that we can actually compete, we’ll start playing tougher, faster, move the ball more as a team, they’ll start getting confidence,” said Jacobs.

The C Hunters are back on the road for their next game in a rematch with the Kodiaks at 7 p.m. at Mascouche Arena.

The Junior B Hunters, meanwhile, had about as good a home opener as they could have, doubling up the Orillia Kings 14-7.

“It means a lot to win at home,” said defender Darris Jones, who credited their strong goaltending and the high level of skill on the team for their success against the Kings and overall this year.

After their best season ever in 2024, Jones said expectations are different this year than they were in the past.

“Every game is a statement now; we are being looked at as the next big team. It is extremely important to win to elevate us as a team, and winning every game is important,” said Jones.

That means getting back to the Founders Cup - and winning it, this time.

“Not winning the Founders Cup last year was heartbreaking. We beat everyone,” said Jones.

But they did not beat the Elora Mohawks.

“Losing all three games, it killed our spirit,” said Jones.

“We’re out for revenge this year.”

Before that, there’s still the regular season, and while Jones said everything went perfectly against the Kings, that won’t happen every night, as demonstrated by their loss on the road against the Gloucester Griffins 12-8 on Wednesday night.

Against the Kings, Jones said that the team came out with a lot of energy and momentum, thanks to a big pregame speech by head coach Brandon Francis.

It was a different story against the Griffins.

“Against Gloucester, we were flat, that’s it. We came in tired, the opposing team was at home and had the edge,” said Jones.

“Skill alone won’t always work. Gloucester is a big example of that. They worked harder, they didn’t give up all game.”

Despite the loss, the Hunters still find themselves with a good record so far, standing at 4-2.

They’ll get a chance to improve that record this weekend with a pair of home games, marking the start of a six-game homestand.

Saturday’s game will be against the East Division’s last-place Barrie Bombers at 7 p.m. On Sunday, they’ll face the Clarington Green Gaels in a matinee game at 2 p.m.

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