By Josh Bell
In their rookie year, the Capital Region Axemen had one goal: the President’s Cup. After a first round playoff sweep of the Vermont Voyageurs, that is even more possible.
The Axemen still have to face their nemesis, the top-seeded Kahnawake Mohawks, for the Quebec Senior Lacrosse League championship, but both teams will be headed to the national championship. The QSLL has two entries into the President’s Cup since the Mohawks will be hosting the Aug. 26-Sept. 1 tournament.
The Axemen, who went 6-7-1 in regular season play, believed from the start that they had a good shot at getting to the President’s Cup despite it being their first season, signals veteran player Matthew Firth.
“We have a talented, hard-working line-up and a nice mix of young guys with skill and energy, and older guys with smarts and experience – and still some skill – plus superb goaltending,” Firth indicates. “It came together to beat Vermont. We’ll be ready to take our run at the Cup.”
The franchise was previously based in Montreal, where they were known as the Phoenix. The team was struggling, and team president Jason Tasse facilitated the move to Ottawa, which hadn’t hosted an elite senior lacrosse team for over a decade.
Around three-quarters of the current players dressed for the Phoenix previously, including Axemen coach Sean Moran. He explains that the transition has been successful, backed by the Ottawa lacrosse community.
“In Montreal, we had maybe 20 people per crowd,” Moran notes. “On average here we’re getting about 200. A lot of the young lacrosse players and their families are coming. We hope huge strides come in local lacrosse. We hope both junior programs (Nepean Knights and Gloucester Griffins) can advance players here.”
With 60 points in 14 games, the Axemen have been led by former Griffin Tim Bergin, who finished fourth overall in points behind a pair of Caughnawaga Indians and Nepean minor lacrosse grad Callum Crawford of the Mohawks.
“I played with a lot of good players, so that helped out a lot,” says Bergin, who juggles studies towards a law degree at Carleton University, where he also plays lacrosse. “From the very start of the season, we’ve had one thing in mind and that was to make it to the President’s Cup.”
Facing the top teams from each province will be the perfect way to conclude the team’s kickoff campaign, echoes Firth.
“I’m excited because it extends our season and gives us a chance to win a national championship,” he underlines. “It will be fast, high-calibre lacrosse. Every lacrosse player covets the opportunity to play against the best and for the biggest championships – so we’ll be ready.”