Hunters set to finish tonight

Lacrosse has always been a medicine game, and that was shown to be especially true at the Kahnawake Sports Complex last weekend, when community members took part in a smoke dance before the Eastern Conference Finals series of the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League.

The Kahnawake Hunters triumphed against the Orangeville Northmen, taking home two wins and putting them up 2-0 in the best-of-five series, the third game of which is taking place tonight.

“For me, watching the game is medicine, and seeing the dancers out there, hearing the song, the drum beat, was energizing,” said community member Karihwakatste Deer, who was at the Hunters game last Sunday, which the team won 12-5.

“It showed strength and resilience. This is our game, here on our land and this is our way of connecting our mind and heart to what we are about to do.”

Two Hunters players, Shakononhkwahtsheronniennis Rice and Tehahente Albany, also took part in the smoke dance before the game, something Albany’s mother, Lacey Paul, said was especially moving to watch.

“It was a proud moment. He’s sharing his culture with everyone. I’m just very proud of him to go on the floor and do what he loves,” she said. “He loves to dance, he loves to sing, he loves to play lacrosse, so everything as an Onkwehón:we person is on that floor.”

Albany scored his first playoff goal on Sunday at the start of the third period, a special moment for his mother to see.

“I was so, so happy for him,” she said, adding that the bond between parents and fans in the stands is unparalleled.

“Everyone loves everyone’s child, so everyone’s happy for everyone.”

The games themselves demonstrated the bond on the floor, with the boys working together to secure the wins. On Saturday, the Hunters were on fire, coming out with five points in the first period, including an early one from Ethan Drake within the first three minutes.

Defense was equally strong, with goalie Kasey Lahache continuing to be a wall between the pipes, letting in zero goals from Orangeville in that first period.

Though the Northmen made attempts to recover the game, they fell short, losing 7-4 to Kahnawake.

Sunday was a similar story, though the Northmen came out with more zeal, putting up three goals against Kahnawake in the first period. But Kahnawake clawed it back in the second and third periods, scoring five and six goals respectively for a final score of 12-5.

Head coach Garrett Cree said the boys are becoming stronger and stronger with every game.

“Everything you ask the team to do, they do it, and they’re having fun,” Cree said. “They’re staying disciplined, they’re learning how to get better at staying calm and adapting to other teams.”

He said that the showing from fans has been off the charts, with the smoke dance setting the tone for the games last weekend.

“When we scored a goal, I thought the roof was going to blow off the arena,” he said. “It’s pretty loud in there, it’s nice to see all the community support.”

Tonight, Kahnawake takes on Orangeville on their home turf at 8 p.m. Cree said the team is trying something new and headed down early for the game instead of driving down on the same day.

“We’re getting there early to rest, and do some activities, and we’re going to focus to do our best to get game three out of there right away,” he said.

If the Hunters win tonight’s game, they will knock Orangeville out of the series, and will become the Eastern Conference champions. They’ll proceed to the finals against the Western Conference champions – the Elora Mohawks – and fight for entry to the Founders Cup in Hamilton.

Cree said that now it’s about keeping an eye on the prize.

“I don’t expect Orangeville to roll over, I expect them to come out and give us a hard-fought battle,” he said. “I can’t wait for it.”

For those who couldn’t make it to the game in person, Brandon Bordeau will stream the game live on his YouTube channel, Baby Blue Memories, starting at 8 p.m. this evening.

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