Mimico lacrosse goes back generations in the area.
By REJEAN CANTLON
Sports Reporter
The road to lacrosse greatness ends in Orangeville
It was a mid-August night filled with anticipation and the 2024 Mimico Mountaineers had their backs against the wall – Game 6 of a best of seven series against the regular season champions, Orangeville Northmen leading 3 games to 2.
Do or die!
A victory before the packed home crowd would force the deciding game the following night up Highway 10, with the winner taking home the prestigious Iroquois Cup as the Jr. A Ontario lacrosse champions. The local boys didn’t disappoint, staying alive Saturday with a wild 11-8 victory.
Nothing comes close to winning a provincial title.
Winning team!
Game 6 started out quick for the Mimico home team with captain, Finn Thomson scoring the opening goal and setting off the crowd into a frenzy within 30 seconds of the first face-off. From there, it was a back and forth battle with the teams coming to a near even heat after 2 periods of play.
The last period witnessed the urgency and hunger of the Mountaineers to bring the series to a final and deciding Game 7.
The team’s defense was impenetrable along with tender, Nate Whittom standing on his head at times with the Northmen offense thinking nothing could surpass his mighty stature.
In the 3rd and final period, Angus MacDonnell, Justin Lee, Lucas Dudemaine, Finn Thomson and Mark Watters, all stepped up with high-light reel goals to help post the victory.
Winning shot for great team.
What a night for the Mimico home team
Unfortunately, the next night in Orangeville, the local boys dropped the series finale, 12-20 to a very formidable O’ville team.
Both squads have some the best-of-the-best players in the country and some imported talent from the U.S. To be this good at this level these athletes have been honing their skills since the time that they could walk and hold a stick.
For some, it came so naturally that they looked like they were butterflies prior to releasing their punishing shots on net. For others, it was a craft that took time and many hours of hard work with persistence to compete at such a high level.
The Jr. A Mountaineers consisted of 24 elite players ages 17-21. The next level is pro, the National Lacrosse League (NLL). This year’s Mimico crop had 11 graduating 21 year-olds who had their last kick at the can to win the coveted Ontario championship.
Orangeville moves on compete for the national championship, the Minto Cup (Aug 17-25), which dates back to 1901. They will face off against the champions of Alberta, BC and the host city team, Coquitlam, BC. The last time Mimico won the national championship was 73 years ago in 1951.
1951 Mimico Minto Cup Champs
The 2024 Mountaineers include the following players on their roster:
Finn Thomson, Lucas Dudemaine, Isiah Moran-Weekes, Justin Lee, Alex Roussel, Mark Watters, Justin Tavares, Angus MacDonell, Jordon Vincent, Ben McIsaac, Aaron Toguri, Aiden MacDonell, Nicholas Volkov, Cole Begley, Owen Hobs, Cameron Essensa, Henry Caponiti, Lucas Billing, Nate McDonald, Ethan Brown, Ryan Stines, Jacob Keller, Bryden Pitt, Kyle Kerrigan, Zach Abu-Ali, Enrico Lombardo, Cooper Sivicki, Kevin McFarlane, Adam Power and Nate Whittom.
Head Coach: Dean George
Assistant Coach: Tanner Thomson
Assistant Coach: Jeff Ivey
Assistant Coach: Riley Hutchcraft
Assistant Coach: Rob Michalsky
Trainer: Kristin Hodgens
Thanks for a great season boys!