Minor lacrosse successful in Zone champs
The five Kahnawake Mohawks Minor Lacrosse Association (KMMLA) teams that won their Zone 5 championships were acknowledged prior to Wednesday’s Hunters game at the Sports Complex. Courtesy Kahnawake Hunters
The Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA)’s Zone 5 championships - in short, their divisional playoffs - in Nepean and Ottawa saw five teams from Kahnawake walk away with championship banners.
The U11-1 C mixed, U11-2 F mixed, U13 C boys, U13 girls, and U15 girls were the five victorious teams for the Kahnawake Mohawks Minor Lacrosse Association (KMMLA).
“This is big for our association, especially our girls’ teams,” said KMMLA president Kirby Joe Diabo.
The fact that it is the first year of both the girls’ teams existence makes these championship wins all the sweeter.
The U13 girls were a strong team the entire season, going 10-2-0 during the regular season, before beating both Akwesasne Storm teams, the first 18-1 in the semifinals and the second 5-3, to claim victory.
“The girls work hard, a lot of them it’s their first year, and the ones that have been playing, they stepped up tremendously in the final game,” said Derek Stacey, the team’s head coach.
In that finals game, Kahnawake found themselves down one in the first period, Stacey called a timeout early in the second to reset his team.
“Then we just opened the floodgates,” said Stacey.
He also said that first-year goaltender Memphis Mayo was a big reason for their success this season.
“She was outstanding,” he said.
For provincials, happening at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in early August, the team will be placed in the A division.
“It‘s kind of scary, but good at the same time,” said Stacey. “You always want to be playing the best. We’re the best in the east. The girls, for a first-year team, that’s a big accomplishment.”
The U15 girls, for their part, did not have a regular season as successful as their younger counterparts, going 1-8-1.
But, they won when it mattered, in the playoffs, beating the Cornwall Celtics 9-6 to bring home their banner.
“It feels really good to win this banner, because at the beginning of the season no one thought we could do it, but we all proved them wrong,” said captain Ashtyn David.
“I knew we could win this, we just had to work and not give up.”
David was a big reason for the win on the offensive side of the ball, scoring seven of her team’s nine goals.
She was sure, though, to shout-out her teammates.
“I am very proud of my teammates, because it was their first season for most of them, and they all played really well. During the games, it looked like they had been playing for five years,” said David.
In Kahnawake’s other banner-clinching games, the U11-1 C Mohawks beat the Gloucester Griffins 8-2; the U11-2 F Mohawks beat the Akwesasne Storm 7-1; and The U13 C Mohawks beat the Gloucester Griffins 8-2.
Prior to the Kahnawake Junior B Hunters’ playoff game against the Akwesasne Storm on Wednesday, the five banner-winning teams were acknowledged at the Sports Complex, in front of the cheering hometown crowd.
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“We acknowledged all their wins. I hope they appreciate that, I’m here to support any sort of lacrosse in Kahnawake, as long as it builds the game and helps future Hunters coming up,” said Stacey, who is the team owner of the Hunters.
Provincials for the girls’ lacrosse teams will be happening at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival from August 5-7. For the U11 teams, it will take place August 8-10, and August 1-3 for U13 teams. The full schedule can be found on the Ontario Lacrosse Festival’s website.
