Mohawks make their mark at provincials

The U13D Kahnawake Mohawks can add another accolade to their great postseason, winning gold at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby, making them provincial champions in their division.

Brad Thomas, head coach of the team, said that it felt good to win on a big stage like this one, especially considering the team’s slow start to the season - starting the regular season with a single win in their first seven games.

“It was a big season, it really feels good to do that,” said Thomas.

The second half of their regular season was much better, as they won five straight regular season games, before winning both their games in the zone championships in the middle of July to bring home that banner and qualify them for provincials.

When they beat the Vets Minor Lacrosse team 11-3 in their opening game of the group stage at provincials, Thomas knew their hot streak would continue.

“Going in, I had a good feeling about the last two weeks. Once we got there, we got our first game over with, there was no doubt in my mind that we we’re going to win it,” said Thomas.

“We came out firing, and the boys and girl just executed everything we’ve been preaching and trying to teach them all season.”

They went undefeated in the group stage, beating the Kitchener Kodiaks 2 7-4 and tying the Toronto Beaches 8-8 to give them a quarterfinals berth against the Kawartha Lakes Fury.

The Fury gave them a bit of trouble in the opening period, going up 2-1, but a five-goal second period from Kahnawake sealed the deal, beating the Fury 8-6.

They clinched a finals spot by beating the Centre Wellington Riverhawks 2 6-3, setting up a meeting with the Halton Hills Bulldogs 2.

Even though he knew the Mohawks had it in them to win, Thomas still felt a little sense of anxiousness behind the bench, something he was trying to not spread to his players.

“I’m not even playing I’m just coaching these kids. I would try and keep my composure as much as I could,” said Thomas.

He told them to do the same as well, particularly as tempers started to flare a bit against the Bulldogs with the game tied at two after one period.

Hoping to keep them out of the penalty box as much as possible - a big part of the game plan was to never allow a numerical disadvantage, either by taking penalties or allowing fast breaks - Thomas told them to calm themselves down.

“I told them all to sit down, take a deep breath, everybody settle down our emotions,” said Thomas.”

His message worked well, as Kahnawake scored six unanswered goals to win 8-2.

“They held themselves accountable and each other accountable,” said Thomas.

He felt happy that the team was able to win a championship with Abby Diabo, the lone girl on the roster, before she would leave for girls-only lacrosse.

“We got this gold not only for us, but for her and this community too,” said Thomas.

He was also happy to be able to share this victory with his son, Carmelo, who plays on the team.

“I’m really happy to share this moment with him, because I never won a provincial championship, and I’m really proud of him, and I’m happy for him to get this done early on,” said Thomas.

Both the U13 and U15 girls also went to provincials, and while neither brought home banners, making it to provincials in their first year of existence is still a big accomplishment.

“I’m very proud of these girls,” said Al Jones, the U15 team’s head coach.

Going from almost not having a team, with two players joining last minute to ensure a season, to winning their Zone 5 Championships and coming close to a quarterfinals berth at provincials is something special for Jones, who saw the team come together as a unit on defense and show that they could be tough in a tough sport like box lacrosse.

“For the girls, it’s an amazing experience for them, having a tournament of this calibre for the first time,” said Jones.

“Just them walking into the arena, there’s five games going on at once. There’s fans in packed arenas, and just all the hype.”

The U15 girls went 2-2 at provincials, winning their last game 11-5 on Wednesday night against the Windsor Warlocks, although it was not enough to qualify them for the finals. The deciding game was a 3-2 loss to the Guelph Regals, where Guelph scored the game winner with nine seconds left on the clock after time expired on Kahnawake’s possession.

“We played a great defensive game, but they had a big goalie, and we had a tough time putting it past her,” said Jones, who called the loss as a “heartbreaker.”

Full results for provincials can be found on the Ontario Lacrosse Festival website.

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