By Daniel Prinn
With their province set to host the Founders’ Cup national championship this season, the Gloucester Griffins and Nepean Knights would love to be the Ontario Junior ‘B’ League League’s two representatives.
With what he believes is the best rookie class in the league, Griffins coach Jeremy Kearns says the goal for his squad is to be in Orangeville come Aug. 15-21.
Standing most squarely in their way are the defending-champion Akwesasne Indians, not to mention the Kahnawake Hunters, who are also part of the strong OJBLL far east division.
“Winning on the road is tough in this division,” signals Kearns. “Going into Kahnawake and Akwesasne’s barns is a bit tougher. They bring out the wood sticks and like to play a dirty game, but I think going in there with the focus that we’re as tough as they are and buckling down when we have a lead will be the key to winning games on the road.”
A chief challenge for Gloucester this year will be playing without their 105-point man and the league’s MVP from the past two seasons, who’s graduated from the junior ranks.
“We can’t really rely on a single guy like Fred Hartley score all of our goals,” notes second-year Griffin Justin Tkachuk. “We’re going to need guys to step up. I’m hoping to step up and try and fill a scoring role.”
“It’s tough to fill Fred Hartley’s shoes,” echoes Kearns, who believes Cam Badour just may fit the bill as perhaps the best player in Ontario, however.
Badour will miss the early parts of the season, still in Florida training in preparation for an NCAA field lacrosse career.
“Once he’s back, he’ll fill a huge void,” indicates Kearns, whose club went 6-1 down the stretch last season to finish 9-11. “With a great rookie class, we should be able to close to filling it.”Nepean coach busy starring in NLL
Nepean is in the same boat when it comes to missing top players through much of May, awaiting university students’ return home.
The Knights’ head coach isn’t back yet, either. National Lacrosse League star Callum Crawford is still busy with the Colorado Mammoth, set to enter the league playoffs after tying an NLL single-season record for assists with 83 and finishing 3rd in league scoring with 115 points in 18 games.
“He has a lot of knowledge and experience to share with the kids,” underlines Knights assistant coach Matt Firth, who’s currently manning the ship along with Ian Crawford. “Lacrosse is his life, basically. He’s got a good rapport with the players and has a good demeanour on the floor.”
The Knights finished 13-7 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs, as did the Griffins. Firth says the goal this year is a winning record and a playoff position.
“Last year we got off to a hot start and plateaued a little bit,” recalls Firth. “It would be better to be at our best when the playoffs roll around.”
The 25-team Ontario Jr. ’B’ league’s 20-game regular season runs until mid-June. Gloucester and Nepean will play a home-and-home on May 17 and 20.
~ SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM ~
We need your help to keep producing the local sports news you can’t find anywhere else!