September to remember for St. Catharines lacrosse
After being up 3-0 against the (Six Nations) Chiefs in 2016, we blew the lead, but the group this year was focused and worked hard to adapt each time we came across adversity. It was a great year and we came back down from a two-game deficit to win four straight, and proved how special this young group is.” Peterborough general manager Paul Day
In a span of four days no fewer than seven individuals put St. Catharines on the national and international lacrosse stage.
Last Friday night in New Westminster, B.C ., the Peter borough Lakers, featuring five former St. Catharines Spartan junior Bs and Athletics, captured the Mann Cup.
Three nights later one current Junior A Athletic, and a former A’s standout were drafted into the National Lacrosse League.
The Lakers battled back from a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the host New Westminster Salmonbellies 4-2 in the Mann Cup best of seven series, which is awarded to the top senior A lacrosse team in Canada.
Peterborough general manager Paul Day, who now calls Grimsby home and also coaches the St. Catharines Athletics minor lacrosse paperweight team, said the Lakers came together at the right time.
“We had a great journey to the Mann Cup,” said Day who will be inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in November, and also recently retired from the Niagara Regional Police Service.
“After being up 3-0 against the (Six Nations) Chiefs in 2016, we blew the lead, but the group this year was focused and worked hard to adapt each time we came across adversity. It was a great year and we came back down from a twogame deficit to win four straight, and proved how special this young group is.”
Meantime, one trophy eluded former Junior A Athletic Minto Cup Champion goaltender Matt Vinc – the Mann Cup.
Vinc, who had won gold with Team Canada, an NLL Championship with Rochester and a Minto Cup with St. Catharines, said the journey to national Sr. A Lacrosse supremacy in Canada wasn’t an easy one.
“It was an unbelievable experience, but it was a long time coming,” Vinc explained. “I was very fortunate to win two Minto Cups for my hometown, so when you graduate junior you think it is going to be easy.
“To win a Mann Cup it is a grind, not only for the players but for their families and everyone involved. It took 14 years but it was definitely worth it and something I look forward to sharing with my family and friends,” added Vinc who went 2-2, with a 10.47 goals against average, and .789 save percentage in B.C.
Vinc was joined by three other former Jr. A Athletics on the Lakers squad. Mark Steenhuis, Ian Llord and Joel Matthews.
As Vinc and his teammates were flying home from British Columbia Monday night, two more players from the A’s were cementing their names in St. Catharines lacrosse lore. Eric Fannell was drafted sixth overall in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) draft by the Rochester Knighthawks, and Jeff Wittig 39th overall to the Vancouver Stealth.
“It was exciting. I don’t really know how to put into words,” said a jubilant Wittig who still has another year of junior A lacrosse eligibility – his fifth, after starting his junior career with the St. Catharines Spartan junior B’s.
“There are lots of St. Catharines players in the league (NLL), and I’m just happy to be on that list. Some of those guys are already lacrosse legends.” Wittig is right. Sixteen players born in St. Catharines/Niagara now play in the National Lacrosse League, including Vinc, Llord and Matthews with the Rochester Knighthawks, and Steenhuis with the Buffalo Bandits.
As for Fannell, his story might be the most impressive. After playing his entire minor lacrosse career as a goaltender, and even starting his junior A career between the pipes, Fannell was drafted to Rochester as a forward.
The 6-foot-1, 220 pound, 23-year old earned first team all Big-10 honours at Ohio State University this past year leading the Buckeyes in points with 66 and finishing second in goals with 36.
As some would say, there is a reason the Junior A Athletics organization dates back to 1877, and the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame calls St. Catharines home.