Jr. B Bengals stalk elusive playoff berth

This, Jeff Dowling reasons, should be the year.

The first-year coach and secondyear general manager of the Hamilton Bengals junior B lacrosse team says that after nine straight years out of the playoffs, his team is primed to qualify for the post-season.

“We expect to be a playoff team,” the Ancaster resident said this week as his team prepared for its season opener this Saturday in London, and home opener, May 4.

“Last year we were close, just two or three points out. We’re very happy with our young players.”

The Bengals kept a number of younger players, such as left-hand shot Tye Argent, in Junior C last season so they could get more floor time, and Dowling says those players are ready to make a contribution in more difficult B company. He also cites the strong seasons the past couple of years by players in the upper age-class divisions of rep teams from the Hamilton Lacrosse Association, which is entering its third year as the Bengals’ owner. That’s providing a solid base to the Junior B pyramid.

“Four kids from last year’s midget team will be with us,” says Dowling, who has National Lacrosse League head coaching (Calgary and San Jose) and assistant coaching (Calgary and Buffalo) experience.

“I think it’s a good sign that we had 50 kids come out to training camp.”

The Bengals won six of their seven exhibition games this spring, losing only to perennial powerhouse Six Nations Rebels.

Almost the entire Bengals roster comes from the Hamilton-Burlington catch basin.

Jackson Brown, from Burlington, and Hamilton’s Dylan Sprentz will man the nets for the Bengals.

Dowling likes his top left-hand shots, in Tanner Brennecke, who enters his sophomore season, rookie Trevor Barrett of Hamilton (who was drafted by the Burlington Chiefs Junior A’s but will spend the season with the Bengals), Jordan Gillis and Argent.

But two right handers from Burlington led the team in scoring in their successful pre-season schedule: Yvon Bolduc, a sophomore, and Luke Robinson, entering his first Bengal season. So there’s a promising left-right scoring balance on the roster.

The Bengals open in London on Saturday, followed by road games in Orangeville, St. Catharines and Windsor before playing their home opener at the Dave Andreychuk Arena on Thursday, May 4, at 8 p.m. against Six Nations.