Junior B Hunters clinch playoff spot
Going into the last weekend of the regular season, the Kahnawake Junior B Hunters can finish no lower than seventh in the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League (OJBLL) East division standings, meaning they will get a chance to defend their league title and qualify for the Founders Cup.
“I’m very excited for the playoffs this year. The intensity will be high, and we have to play harder than ever as we most likely have a target on our backs from what the Hunters did last year,” said rookie forward Jackson Norton, who played in the Junior C Hunters’ short playoff run last season.
Norton, one of five Hunters to play in all 17 games this season, said that he has not let the grind of the season affect him.
“This season so far has been a lot of games and practices, but you have to love the game in order to play this much in such a short amount of time,” said Norton.
During the weekend, the Hunters won 17-8 against the Newmarket Redbirds and 9-7 against the Orillia Kings. They were unable to end Akwesasne’s undefeated season, falling 14-7 on Wednesday night to the Thunder.
They will have played against the Nepean Knights on Thursday evening, after The Eastern Door’s publishing deadline. Their last two games will be tonight (Friday) against the Thunder at 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Saturday, against the Gloucester Griffins at 6 p.m. Both games will be at the Kahnawake Sports Complex.
On Friday, the Hunters, in collaboration with jersey company Xtreme Threads, will be auctioning off special “Stronger than Cancer” jerseys against the Thunder.
All the money raised by the auction will go towards Tetewatatia’takehnhahs, and the auction is being held in memory of William “Bulldog” Stacey, who passed away from cancer earlier this year. Stacey was the father of team owner Derek Stacey and grandfather of defender Rohahes Stacey.
The Hunters won’t know for sure who their playoff opponent will be until the regular season ends, but Norton said the team is heading into the postseason in high spirits.
“We’re all very confident right now,” said Norton, who cited the Hunters’ strong defense as something that helps them on the offensive side of the ball.
The Hunters have the best penalty kill in all of the OJBLL at 79.4 percent, while allowing the third fewest goals against (133) and having the third best goal differential (+42) in the East.
“I think that boosts our offence’s confidence,” said Norton.
“As our coach says, if we trust the process and play our game, anybody is beatable.”
Losing streak continues for Junior C Hunters
It has not been an easy stretch for the Kahnawake Junior C Hunters, who have now lost five games in a row following their two road losses over the weekend.
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With all teams making the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League (OJCLL) playoffs, they won’t have to worry about qualifying - but going into a playoff series cold is the last thing any team wants to do.
With three games left in their regular season, the 5-8 Hunters could still right the ship by chaining together some wins. If they win out, they’d finish .500, and could even finish in the top half of the East division standings by leapfrogging the North Shore Kodiaks for third in the six-team division.
That won’t be an easy task, though, as their last three opponents - the 9-2 Nepean Knights on June 14, the 10-3 Cornwall Celtics on June 17, and the 7-6 Kodiaks on June 18 - are currently sitting above them in the standings.
The June 14 game will be at home starting at 2 p.m. They’ll be at the Sports Complex again on June 17 at 8 p.m. before finishing on the road the next day.
