Arrows aiming to bring Minto Cup back to Six Nations

SIX NATIONS – The Six Nations Arrows Express represent the first Six Nations lacrosse team to appear in a national title championship this season. The Minto Cup will be hosted at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, BC this year beginning August 16th and will run through to August 24th. The Arrows will face the Coquitlam Adanacs in the seven game series.

The Six Nations Arrows Express have a date with an old friend at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. and the name is Minto. The Arrows hope to bring the trophy back to Six Nations after a seven-year wait. The Arrows last won the Cup in 2007 with a win over the Burnaby Lakers, but have not been to the big show since then. Before that the Arrows won it in 1992. Photo by Jim Windle
The Six Nations Arrows Express have a date with an old friend at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. and the name is Minto. The Arrows hope to bring the trophy back to Six Nations after a seven-year wait. The Arrows last won the Cup in 2007 with a win over the Burnaby Lakers, but have not been to the big show since then. Before that the Arrows won it in 1992. Photo by Jim Windle

The win was especially sweet for the Arrows, given that it was the Whitby Warriors who last year eliminated the Six Nations in seven games and ended up taking the Minto Cup.

The format for the tournament has changed back to what it was several years ago, with a two-team best-of-seven games format for the national title.

Last Tuesday night, while the August 6th edition of the Two Row Times was being printed, the Arrows eliminated last year’s Minto Cup winners, the Whitby Warriors, four games to none, with a 13-11 road win.

The small break between the Ontario Championship and the Minto Cup will be welcomed as time to heal up from any bruises and pains sustained in the Whitby series, but it may also work against them, breaking the momentum the Arrows have going. Only time will tell which way that will go.

Last Tuesday night in Whitby, the Arrows Express opened a 5-2 lead after 20 minutes. Haodais Maracle was a one man wrecking crew scoring five goals and assisting on another. Brendan Bomberry also contributed three goals and three assists, and Johnny Powless set up six.

The Warriors inched back in the second but the Arrows still controlled the game 9-7, after two periods. The teams exchanged four goals each in the third period leaving Six Nations with the 13-11 win.

Doug Jamieson who has come on strong in the playoffs was the goaltender of record for the Arrows. The Warriors actually outshot the Arrows 49-29, an indication of how well Jamieson played. In doing so his performance won him best goaltender in the playoffs with a 6.64 goals against average. Offensively, Johnny Powless’ 21 goals and 42 assists earned him playoff scoring leader honours with 63 points.

The Minto Cup is awarded annually to the champion junior men’s lacrosse team of Canada. The cup was donated in 1901 by Governor- General, Lord Minto, and from 1901-1909 was awarded to the senior men’s champion of Canada.  Starting in 1910, the Minto Cup was awarded to the professional championships of Canada with the newly inaugurated Mann Cup becoming the replacement for the senior men’s national championship.  In 1934, the Minto Cup was transferred to the Canadian Lacrosse Association to supervise the Cup, who decided to award it as the trophy for the national junior men’s champion, starting in 1937.  Since 1960 the Minto Cup has been competed for by Junior A provincial champions of British Columbia of the British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League, Ontario of the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League and Alberta of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League.

 

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