Canada beats U.S. in World Field Lacrosse Championship Game

if you didn't grow up in maryland/virginia/maybe jersey area, i'd be very surprised that this description fits another location better.

 

I guess sports tend to go in and out of fashion too. I remember my brothers playing lacrosse in the early '70s and then it seemed to disappear. Here in Mimico which is as blue collar as it gets, it's a really big deal.

 

Box lacrosse has always been big where I'm from, among all socio-economic groups, just because this is also a hockey town and the two sports are so closely linked. But that's the way it should be, considering box lacrosse was invented in the 1930s so towns could put their arenas to use during the spring and summer months.

The Mann Cup, which lacrosse people in Canada equate to the Stanley Cup, used to go to the top field lacrosse team in the country but boxla far outstripped field lacrosse in popularity within only a couple of years of its birth. The Mann became a boxla trophy in 1935 and I don't even know if there is a national field championship any more.

 

There's a great photo at the Blue Goose of Brendan Shanahan and his brother Brian in their parent's backyard.

Brendan's holding the Stanley Cup and Brian. the Mann Cup. Brian's a colour commentator on Toronto Rock games.

Brendan was also a helluva lacrosse player.

 

Wasn't he thinking of playing for the Toronto Rock during the NHL lockout?

Two more stellar lacrosse players who found more fame and fortune in hockey: Adam Oates and Joe Nieuwendyk.

Oates still holds the Ontario Junior A record for most assists and points in a single game -- 19 assists and 29 points for the Etobicoke Eclipse against the Kitchener Braves. He won the scoring championship that year with 79 goals, 102 assists and 181 points in only 19 games.

Nieuwendyk's lacrosse peak came in 1984, when he scored 83 goals (tops in the OLA Junior A league) and 143 points (second in scoring) and was named the most valuable player of the Minto Cup championship, which his Whitby Warriors won over Gary and Paul Gait's Victoria Esquimalt Legion team. Nieuwendyk and the Warriors repeated as national champs in 1985, with Gary Roberts on the roster with his childhood buddy.

Down the road in Brooklin in '85, Nieuwendyk's older brother Gil was the Major A scoring champion and led the Redmen to the Mann Cup over the New Westminster Salmonbellies. They became the first team in Canadian lacrosse history to rebound from an 0-3 deficit in the final series.

 

HC,
Since you know me from the outting, I can tell you in my neck of Podunk, lax is huge. Public schools in my area crank out numerous D1 college players.
Not too many prep schools in this locale, so lax is a middle class sport.

 

Interesting. Maybe it's more geographical than economic?

 

And the Mimico Mountaineers, the local JR B team,  take a 2-1 lead in a best of five against Barrie in the quarters. Both their wins come in double OT.

Fourth game tonight at the Mimico arena.

 

Do we know why they're called the Mountaineers when there isn't a mountain for miles???  ???

 

Ask your good buddy Larry. He'll know.

 

New Westminster Salmonbellies and Coquitlam Adanacs (Canada spelled backwards of course) and two of the great team names in any sport.