Time to peel off a few layers about me so you understand my unique place in all of this.
Many of you may know me as Sam Rook, the retired Board Referee or Sam Rook, President of Oakville Buzz. Very few of you know I have lived in Mississauga nearly my entire life and grew up wearing the Orange and Blue of the Tomahawks. When my Mississauga junior career wasn't going anywhere I became a bit of a suitcase in the junior leagues (Caledon, Milton, Brampton, Mimico) but I always gave back to Mississauga through officiating and coaching.
At the end of my playing career in 1997, I moved into coaching rep lacrosse for the Tomahawks. I started with a group of Tykes when they were 7 years old and coached them all the way until their final year of midget. During this time I became more involved in the association as first referee in chief, then Rep Director and finally a President for nearly 4 full seasons. I believe my last year as President was in 2008.
I was burned out and in need of some time away and Missy needed some new faces to take over. This ultimately led me to the Oakville Buzz, where I find myself now.
Mississauga is a wholly unique market that is unlike any other Lacrosse town in Ontario. The factors that made it such a hotbed in the 60s and 70s have completely disappeared. The demographics of the city have changed drastically as have the financials involved. Areas that were once filled with families and children and now filled with seniors whose children have grown up and moved away. I live in Clarkson and I can attest that there are huge swaths of homes with the original owners from 1964 still living there. The north of Mississauga is filled with newer homes but many of these are bought by new immigrants to Canada who have no cultural attachment to the sport...and the sport has no marketing savvy to attract them. Young families of Mississauga-raised kids moved to Oakville, Georgetown or Burlington where houses were more affordable and available.
The other issue that makes Mississauga unique is the massive overlay of 2 hockey organizations that are marketing behemoths. The Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) covers AAA, AA and A hockey from Mississauga to Scarborough and up to Vaughan. On top of that, Mississauga has it's own hockey league that covers 4 levels of House League plus A-level rep teams. The freedom to move within the GTHL/MHL allows kids to play for the Marlies or Don Mills Flyers with little impediment. As players age the focus of coaches within the GTHL is to keep their players on the ice 12 months a year. Parents eat this shit up (It happens in Lacrosse too, let's not kid ourselves)but the reality is that when you are faced with a hockey bill of $5000- $10,000 a year, you are biased to continue to favour this "investment" to see some sort of return out of it.
The mix of the two factors above weakens Mississauga Lacrosse and makes it a very tough place to gain traction to develop players, coaches and volunteers. Mimico Lacrosse has always done a great job of connecting with their "small community in the big city" target market to maintain their program. Oakville Lacrosse has risen on the power of long-term dedicated volunteers and strong committment from a number of people to offer great coaching and facilities to attract players.
Mississauga has lurched from regime to regime over many years with whole swaths of volunteers departing all at once. When I see the names of their board members I recognize only 1 person that was involved only 8 years ago. I see no one that can explain the long and storied history of Mississauga Lacrosse to people. Everyone knows John Tavares is from Mississauga but few, if any, know Neil Dodderidge, Ted Dowling, John and Joe Rosa, the McMahons and Sandersons all have strong connections to Mississauga Lacrosse. Mary Rosa and Carol Wannamaker gave years of their lives to ensure that Mississauga Lacrosse would survive in the early 80s. Jack Wilson ran the Junior A franchise for so long he probably had orange blood. The list can go on and on.
Now we are here, where a guy named Kevin Johnston and his idea of "Select Lacrosse" has turned everyone on their heads. It makes me question a lot of things;
1- What is really wrong with house leaguers playing games against house leaguers from neigbouring towns? If everyone is for it then let's give some freedom for it to happen. You are always allowed to say no. We need to get over our obsession with "the way it has always been done" and open our minds to need ideas. Of course, the current rules are not set up to allow it but that is an easy amendment to discuss and vote on in November.
2- I have known Wendy Bennet-Costante for many years. She is a principled and fair person but will be tough when she needs to be. As Zone Director she had every right to investigate concerns raised about Missy House League per the OLA Bylaws.
3- What in the hell goes through the minds of some people to write a long diatribe and post it online (yes, I get the irony) using harsh, accusatory language? Worse, it was as if he was writing officially for the MTLA. Was his letter approved by their board before going online? If so, they should all take a hard look at their culpability in this whole mess. If not, they should be working to immediately remove Mr. Johnston from his position and find a capable adult to finish the season.
(letter here: http://www.mississaugagazette.com/news_article/show/651639?referrer_id=1650064 )
4- perhaps we need a SAGM module on the implications of Insurance vs non-Insurance. I can run it quite well so everyone understands when they are covered and when they are not covered. This is very important because insurance is a sinkhole of costs UNTIL the time you actually need it because someone got injured and now your ass is getting sued.
So in closing, Kevin, if you ever read this I implore you to stop being such an asshat. Take your medicine now and work to properly change the rules at the OLA AGM in November (I'll save you some time after my 412 amendments-haha).
Years of dedication to lacrosse in Mississauga by many volunteers before you are being thrown out the window because you cannot simply adjust to the current way and work positively with people. You are getting attacked online from many different lax people, some of it brought on by yourself and some of it unfair. Take a timeout. It is only serving to make you look more like an intractable loon that is digging a hole for no reason.
Call and apologize to Wendy. I am sure she will be happy to have a constructive conversation with you about your idea. She should also apologize to you. It's what adults do...they move past shit.
Running unsanctioned games without carded officials is exposing you, the Tomahawks association, the City of Mississauga and all the players, coaches and trainers to serious legal risk. This exposure would be enough to wipe out the Association and likely be the death knell for the sport in a market with enough cards stacked against it already.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
2014 OLA Jr A Season Preview
Do to some non-lacrosse stuff we are way behind on this but as they always say...better late than never!
Its a condensed version Season Preview
2014 might be the year where everything finally turns on its head and parity comes to the fore. Last year's Minto Champion, Whitby Warriors have lost a truckload and the Six Nations Arrows have also lost their fair share to graduation so could this leave the door open for the Bramptons of the league to sneak by?
Remember the last Excelsiors Ontario Title? It was 20 years ago. With a big trade to pick up Zach Herreweyers from the Lakers, the Maroon faithful are certainly hoping for an end to the drought.
Will they do it? We do not know. But LLB expects this to be a crazy and wide open year with at least five contenders....each with a glaring question mark to still answer.
Predicted Order of Finish
1- Six Nations
2- Brampton
3- Whitby
4- Peterborough
5- Burlington
6- Barrie
7- Orangeville
8- Beaches
9- KW
10- St. Catharines
11- Mississauga
1- Six Nations
Regular season Johnny P is great. Playoff Powless needs to seize control of a series and never let go.
New Staats not yet as good as the old Staats.
Alton has good stats but can he handle full time role?
2- Brampton
Zach Herreweyers was solid pickup to help their O but did he peak in 2012 or was he poorly utilized by Peterborough last year?
Can a team that takes a lot of penalties be a true title contender now?
An older team making the push in a wide open league and it will likely come down to untested goalie, Kevin Flanigan.
3- Whitby
Lost a lot to graduation but smartly have enough developed that should help them pull out some close games.
Reilly O'Connor still top 2 player in Jr A...which helps a lot.
Their Minto experience will bode well come playoff time.
4- Peterborough
Maybe we are drinking the Kool-Aid again but a team this talented eventually has to figure it out....right?
No matter where they finish (and they have widest possible range of expectations) they are always a tough team to beat in playoffs.
They have the talent but do they have discipline and goaltending to do it?
5- Burlington
Buchan in net is ready to step up as best goalie in the league so they will be tough to score on.
Loss of Corbett and Ruest srings...they need another player to go parabolic in scoring like Dan Lomas did last year.....those do not happen too often.
Do not think they will repeat last years great regular season record but also believe they are now better fit for playoff noise
6- Barrie
The best of the rest. Lots of talent up front but still shakey enough at back and in net.
7- Orangeville
No Sawyer for first time in years on the bench
Will be their usual gritty Northmen but this is a learning year for their youthful roster
8- Beaches
Flipped a coin between Beach boys and KW and may regret it with KW having better backend
9- KW
Lots of Cloutier and Jackson but Orleman in net will be key to playoff question.
10- St. Catharines
Will be better but still far from playoff contention
11- Mississauga
Rumours of two attempts to transfer the team being shot down at league meetings and departure of GM means another year of losses for the Tomahawks.
Playoffs
Watch for Nations, Brampton to be the favourites to make final. Both have enough question marks that Whitby, Burlington and Peterborough all have great chances to break through. We will go with Brampton as our preseason choice.
Its a condensed version Season Preview
2014 might be the year where everything finally turns on its head and parity comes to the fore. Last year's Minto Champion, Whitby Warriors have lost a truckload and the Six Nations Arrows have also lost their fair share to graduation so could this leave the door open for the Bramptons of the league to sneak by?
Remember the last Excelsiors Ontario Title? It was 20 years ago. With a big trade to pick up Zach Herreweyers from the Lakers, the Maroon faithful are certainly hoping for an end to the drought.
Will they do it? We do not know. But LLB expects this to be a crazy and wide open year with at least five contenders....each with a glaring question mark to still answer.
Predicted Order of Finish
1- Six Nations
2- Brampton
3- Whitby
4- Peterborough
5- Burlington
6- Barrie
7- Orangeville
8- Beaches
9- KW
10- St. Catharines
11- Mississauga
1- Six Nations
Regular season Johnny P is great. Playoff Powless needs to seize control of a series and never let go.
New Staats not yet as good as the old Staats.
Alton has good stats but can he handle full time role?
2- Brampton
Zach Herreweyers was solid pickup to help their O but did he peak in 2012 or was he poorly utilized by Peterborough last year?
Can a team that takes a lot of penalties be a true title contender now?
An older team making the push in a wide open league and it will likely come down to untested goalie, Kevin Flanigan.
3- Whitby
Lost a lot to graduation but smartly have enough developed that should help them pull out some close games.
Reilly O'Connor still top 2 player in Jr A...which helps a lot.
Their Minto experience will bode well come playoff time.
4- Peterborough
Maybe we are drinking the Kool-Aid again but a team this talented eventually has to figure it out....right?
No matter where they finish (and they have widest possible range of expectations) they are always a tough team to beat in playoffs.
They have the talent but do they have discipline and goaltending to do it?
5- Burlington
Buchan in net is ready to step up as best goalie in the league so they will be tough to score on.
Loss of Corbett and Ruest srings...they need another player to go parabolic in scoring like Dan Lomas did last year.....those do not happen too often.
Do not think they will repeat last years great regular season record but also believe they are now better fit for playoff noise
6- Barrie
The best of the rest. Lots of talent up front but still shakey enough at back and in net.
7- Orangeville
No Sawyer for first time in years on the bench
Will be their usual gritty Northmen but this is a learning year for their youthful roster
8- Beaches
Flipped a coin between Beach boys and KW and may regret it with KW having better backend
9- KW
Lots of Cloutier and Jackson but Orleman in net will be key to playoff question.
10- St. Catharines
Will be better but still far from playoff contention
11- Mississauga
Rumours of two attempts to transfer the team being shot down at league meetings and departure of GM means another year of losses for the Tomahawks.
Playoffs
Watch for Nations, Brampton to be the favourites to make final. Both have enough question marks that Whitby, Burlington and Peterborough all have great chances to break through. We will go with Brampton as our preseason choice.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Lacrosse: Canada's First Game
We have been bantering around some random thoughts on the topic of improving Lacrosse for the better. Obviously everyone has their own "Big picture" ideas and realistically, very few of them will happen because this sport changes at a sub-glacial pace.
There has been an interesting discussion recently on the Unofficial OLA Fan Forum (the wild, wild west of Lacrosse fandom) about promoting the sport beyond the traditional communities (mostly caucasian and natives) in Ontario. You can follow everything here if you want to catch up to speed:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/333879/message/1394475214/Lacrosse+operators+.+You+need+to+see+this%21
Ron Messer is right. We don't do a bad job of marketing to new immigrant communities...we don't do the job AT ALL. The core GTA is one huge market in Canada and recent statistics show that more and more immigrants are settling in this area and yet we have failed to even attempt to bring them out to Lacrosse. It's not a failure of promotion, it is that we have not even tried...which is even worse.
I have a good friend who was born in Hong Kong but has lived in Canada since he was a toddler. I worked him hard to come watch a game. It took a few years but he finally relented and showed up to a Junior B game I was coaching. He even brought his oldest son. They both enjoyed the game and could see the merits of playing or being a fan. His son has not played and they have not been to a game since then but no sport is for "every person". The real key is what he said to me a few weeks after. When I asked what he thought he mentioned "All I saw were white people and no other races. The game is great but when you are new to a country you search out for some comfort in seeing people "like" you."
Here we are sitting with a marketing plan to a dwindling proportion of the populace (Toronto now over 50% non-caucasian). It is nice to have pie but over time our slice of the pie gets smaller and smaller all because we CHOOSE to limit our market. We CHOOSE to limit our growth. Maybe it is time we CHOOSE to make a change and be encouraging of participation from new Canadians to the greatest game of Canada.
So join us in this new movement. We've coined a new marketing slogan for the game "Lacrosse: Canada's First Game" to replace "The Fastest Game on Two Feet" which has been used for over 30 years now. If you speak another language, translate the new slogan and post it in the comments below or tweet it out with the hashtag #newlaxslogan. We will RT everyone who uses it.
The onus for promoting the game does not fall on the governing body, it falls on everyone who participates in the game. The goal is to have 3% of registrations from visible minorities by 2020. A few hundred more players means a few thousand more fans of the game.
There has been an interesting discussion recently on the Unofficial OLA Fan Forum (the wild, wild west of Lacrosse fandom) about promoting the sport beyond the traditional communities (mostly caucasian and natives) in Ontario. You can follow everything here if you want to catch up to speed:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/333879/message/1394475214/Lacrosse+operators+.+You+need+to+see+this%21
Ron Messer is right. We don't do a bad job of marketing to new immigrant communities...we don't do the job AT ALL. The core GTA is one huge market in Canada and recent statistics show that more and more immigrants are settling in this area and yet we have failed to even attempt to bring them out to Lacrosse. It's not a failure of promotion, it is that we have not even tried...which is even worse.
I have a good friend who was born in Hong Kong but has lived in Canada since he was a toddler. I worked him hard to come watch a game. It took a few years but he finally relented and showed up to a Junior B game I was coaching. He even brought his oldest son. They both enjoyed the game and could see the merits of playing or being a fan. His son has not played and they have not been to a game since then but no sport is for "every person". The real key is what he said to me a few weeks after. When I asked what he thought he mentioned "All I saw were white people and no other races. The game is great but when you are new to a country you search out for some comfort in seeing people "like" you."
Here we are sitting with a marketing plan to a dwindling proportion of the populace (Toronto now over 50% non-caucasian). It is nice to have pie but over time our slice of the pie gets smaller and smaller all because we CHOOSE to limit our market. We CHOOSE to limit our growth. Maybe it is time we CHOOSE to make a change and be encouraging of participation from new Canadians to the greatest game of Canada.
So join us in this new movement. We've coined a new marketing slogan for the game "Lacrosse: Canada's First Game" to replace "The Fastest Game on Two Feet" which has been used for over 30 years now. If you speak another language, translate the new slogan and post it in the comments below or tweet it out with the hashtag #newlaxslogan. We will RT everyone who uses it.
The onus for promoting the game does not fall on the governing body, it falls on everyone who participates in the game. The goal is to have 3% of registrations from visible minorities by 2020. A few hundred more players means a few thousand more fans of the game.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Unofficial OLA Jr A Draft order
We've done some work tracking down traded picks and here is the unofficial draft order for the OLA Jr A Draft to be held later in January. With the player movement freeze lifted in the new year expect lots of movement heading into the draft.
We will do some work and hope to be able to bring you live draft action this year but negotiations have yet to fully begin so don't get too excited. Regardless, we will do our best to bring you all the draft results as fast as possible.
Round 1
We will do some work and hope to be able to bring you live draft action this year but negotiations have yet to fully begin so don't get too excited. Regardless, we will do our best to bring you all the draft results as fast as possible.
Round 1
1. Six Nations (from Mississauga via Burlington)
2. Whitby (from St. Catharines via Brampton)
3. Toronto
4. Brampton (from KW via Missy)
5. Barrie
6. Peterborough
7. Orangeville
8. Mississauga (from Brampton via Burlington and St. Catharines)
9. KW (from Burlington)
10. Burlington (from Whitby via St. Catharines)
11. St. Catharines (from Six Nations)
Round 2
12. Brampton (from Mississauga via Peterborough and St. Catharines)
13. Burlington (from St. Catharines)
14. Toronto
15. Mississauga (from KW via St. Catharines)
16. Barrie
17. St. Catharines (from Peterborough)
18. St. Catharines (from Orangeville via Mississauga and Six Nations)
19. KW (from Brampton via St. Catharines and Whitby)
20. Six Nations (from Burlington)
21. St. Catharines (from Whitby)
22. Six Nations
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Ontario Junior A Final Preview
After a blitz of a season we end up with the top two teams in the regular season battling for a trip to New Westminster, BC and a shot at the Minto Cup. It's Whitby vs Six Nations just like we all predicted in the preseason (ok maybe not all of us)
Here are some keys to watch:
For the Arrows-
1- Can their defense/goaltending hold up?
After springing leaks against KW in the opening round, Six Nations tightened the screws on the Peterborough Lakers in round 2, holding Turner Evans and Co to 7 goals per game. Whitby's fast break presents a difficult task and the Arrows will need some big stops by Warren Hill and Don Alton.
2-Powless: The man, the myth...the legend?
In our season preview we wrote that Powless and Randy Staats would only be judged by how they fare in this series. Powless has been a force all playoffs long. For him to become a legend of the game, he needs to take over this series much like Jeremy Noble did for Orangeville in 2012.
For the Warriors-
1- The Buque Wall.
Alexis Buque was a deserving choice as best goaltender in 2013 and he needs to be every bit the best goalie for Whitby to win this series. If he outplays the Arrows duo, Whitby wins this series going away. If the Arrows goaltending can match Buque, then BC should prepare for the JP93 experience.
2- Been there, done that
The big guns of this Warriors team have been to two straight Minto Cups (admittedly as hosts in 2012) and will carry a sizeable advantage in big game experience because of it. If Whitby can keep their composure in the cauldron that is the ILA and steal an early road win, they have the know how to book a third Minto Cup berth.
Best guesstimate:
Do we go with the best player in Jr A (sorry BC guys like Wes Berg) in Johnny Powless or the experienced Warriors? Will the final matchup of Warren Hill and Alexis Buque (both 1992 born players who have battled since Tyke) be an epic battle or a one-sided mismatch? Have we spent our entire preview without mentioning Reilly O'Connor, Curtis Knight, Dan Lintner, Michael MacDonald, Josh Johnson, Vaughan Harris and Brendan Bomberry? (yes, all of them are excellent players in their own right and well worth the price of admission).
Our estimate is that this series will turn on Game 3's result. We'll take the experienced and on fire Warriors to win this in 6...warily. This is really too close to call.
Here are some keys to watch:
For the Arrows-
1- Can their defense/goaltending hold up?
After springing leaks against KW in the opening round, Six Nations tightened the screws on the Peterborough Lakers in round 2, holding Turner Evans and Co to 7 goals per game. Whitby's fast break presents a difficult task and the Arrows will need some big stops by Warren Hill and Don Alton.
2-Powless: The man, the myth...the legend?
In our season preview we wrote that Powless and Randy Staats would only be judged by how they fare in this series. Powless has been a force all playoffs long. For him to become a legend of the game, he needs to take over this series much like Jeremy Noble did for Orangeville in 2012.
For the Warriors-
1- The Buque Wall.
Alexis Buque was a deserving choice as best goaltender in 2013 and he needs to be every bit the best goalie for Whitby to win this series. If he outplays the Arrows duo, Whitby wins this series going away. If the Arrows goaltending can match Buque, then BC should prepare for the JP93 experience.
2- Been there, done that
The big guns of this Warriors team have been to two straight Minto Cups (admittedly as hosts in 2012) and will carry a sizeable advantage in big game experience because of it. If Whitby can keep their composure in the cauldron that is the ILA and steal an early road win, they have the know how to book a third Minto Cup berth.
Best guesstimate:
Do we go with the best player in Jr A (sorry BC guys like Wes Berg) in Johnny Powless or the experienced Warriors? Will the final matchup of Warren Hill and Alexis Buque (both 1992 born players who have battled since Tyke) be an epic battle or a one-sided mismatch? Have we spent our entire preview without mentioning Reilly O'Connor, Curtis Knight, Dan Lintner, Michael MacDonald, Josh Johnson, Vaughan Harris and Brendan Bomberry? (yes, all of them are excellent players in their own right and well worth the price of admission).
Our estimate is that this series will turn on Game 3's result. We'll take the experienced and on fire Warriors to win this in 6...warily. This is really too close to call.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Your 2013 Ontario Junior A All Stars and Award Winners
Congratulations to the below All Stars and Award winners. The selections below all had incredible years and were very deserving of being honoured.
First All Star Team
Goalie: Alexis Buque- Whitby Warriors
Def: Derek Searle- Burlington Chiefs
Def: Graeme Hossack- Whitby Warriors
Off: Johnny Powless- Six Nations Arrows
Off: Dhane Smith- KW Braves
Off: Turner Evans- Peterborough Lakers
Second All Star Team
Goalie: Doug Buchan- Burlington Chiefs
Def: Austin Divitcos- Orangeville Northmen
Def: Nick Weiss- Peterborough Lakers
Off: Curtis Knight- Whitby Warriors
Off: Randy Staats- Six Nations Arrows
Off: Rob Hellyer- Orangeville Northmen
Robert Melville Award (Lowest Goals Against Avg- Goalies)
Don Alton and Warren Hill- Six Nations Arrows
Bobby Allan Award (Scoring Leader)
Dhane Smith- KW Braves
Joe Nieuwendyk Award (Rookie)
Dallas Bridle- Orangeville Northmen
Gus McCauley Award (Defensive Player)
Derek Searle- Burlington Chiefs
Gaylord Powelss Award (Sportsmanlike)
Rob Hellyer- Orangeville Northmen
Jim Veltman Award (Outstanding Player)
Johnny Powless- Six Nations Arrows
Jim Bishop Award (Coaching Staff)
Barrie Lakeshores- Lindsay Sanderson, Jim Rankin, Nate Sanderson and Brandon Ree
Sanderson Memorial Award (Outstanding Goalie)
Alexis Buque- Whitby Warriors
Dennis McIntosh Award (Most Valuable Player)
Johnny Powless- Six Nations Arrows
First All Star Team
Goalie: Alexis Buque- Whitby Warriors
Def: Derek Searle- Burlington Chiefs
Def: Graeme Hossack- Whitby Warriors
Off: Johnny Powless- Six Nations Arrows
Off: Dhane Smith- KW Braves
Off: Turner Evans- Peterborough Lakers
Second All Star Team
Goalie: Doug Buchan- Burlington Chiefs
Def: Austin Divitcos- Orangeville Northmen
Def: Nick Weiss- Peterborough Lakers
Off: Curtis Knight- Whitby Warriors
Off: Randy Staats- Six Nations Arrows
Off: Rob Hellyer- Orangeville Northmen
Robert Melville Award (Lowest Goals Against Avg- Goalies)
Don Alton and Warren Hill- Six Nations Arrows
Bobby Allan Award (Scoring Leader)
Dhane Smith- KW Braves
Joe Nieuwendyk Award (Rookie)
Dallas Bridle- Orangeville Northmen
Gus McCauley Award (Defensive Player)
Derek Searle- Burlington Chiefs
Gaylord Powelss Award (Sportsmanlike)
Rob Hellyer- Orangeville Northmen
Jim Veltman Award (Outstanding Player)
Johnny Powless- Six Nations Arrows
Jim Bishop Award (Coaching Staff)
Barrie Lakeshores- Lindsay Sanderson, Jim Rankin, Nate Sanderson and Brandon Ree
Sanderson Memorial Award (Outstanding Goalie)
Alexis Buque- Whitby Warriors
Dennis McIntosh Award (Most Valuable Player)
Johnny Powless- Six Nations Arrows
Monday, July 15, 2013
ON Jr A Expanded Standings- Season Ending Edition
It was a quick turn around from the final games on Friday to the first playoff games on Sunday but here is the end of season Expanded Standings for the Ontario Jr A league.
Some Notes:
10 goals was the key to victory this year. Teams that held their opponent under 10 goals won 94 games out of 110, an astonishing 85% of games. Each team in the league won at least 1 game when holding the opponent under 10 goals...yes Mississauga's lone win qualified.
Six Nations was the only team to score 100 goals in a single period this season (101 in the second period). The next highest goals for in a period was Orangeville's 82 in first periods this year.
The KW Braves played 21 games this year. Well not really but their 6 overtime games is the equivalent of one extra game. They finished 0-5-1 in those overtime games.
A late scoring binge pushed the league to over 19 total goals per game this year (19.17 to be exact).
Six Nations, Whitby, Burlington and Brampton were a combined 56-0 when leading after the second period. The same four teams were 1-17-1 when trailing after the second period.
Now onto the final Expanded Standings for 2013
Some Notes:
10 goals was the key to victory this year. Teams that held their opponent under 10 goals won 94 games out of 110, an astonishing 85% of games. Each team in the league won at least 1 game when holding the opponent under 10 goals...yes Mississauga's lone win qualified.
Six Nations was the only team to score 100 goals in a single period this season (101 in the second period). The next highest goals for in a period was Orangeville's 82 in first periods this year.
The KW Braves played 21 games this year. Well not really but their 6 overtime games is the equivalent of one extra game. They finished 0-5-1 in those overtime games.
A late scoring binge pushed the league to over 19 total goals per game this year (19.17 to be exact).
Six Nations, Whitby, Burlington and Brampton were a combined 56-0 when leading after the second period. The same four teams were 1-17-1 when trailing after the second period.
Now onto the final Expanded Standings for 2013
| Team | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Home | H GF | H GA | Away | A GF | A GA | OT |
| Six Nations Arrows | 17 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 243 | 141 | 9-1 | 124 | 62 | 8-2 | 119 | 79 | 1-0 |
| Whitby Warriors | 15 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 223 | 147 | 9-1 | 121 | 67 | 6-4 | 102 | 80 | |
| Burlington Chiefs | 14 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 225 | 176 | 8-2 | 134 | 86 | 6-3-1 | 91 | 90 | 1-0-1 |
| Brampton Excelsiors | 13 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 216 | 195 | 7-3 | 116 | 99 | 6-4 | 100 | 96 | |
| Orangeville Northmen | 12 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 212 | 187 | 6-4 | 102 | 88 | 6-4 | 110 | 99 | 1-1 |
| Peterborough Lakers | 11 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 229 | 192 | 6-4 | 119 | 90 | 5-5 | 110 | 102 | |
| Barrie Lakeshores | 10 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 186 | 191 | 5-5 | 97 | 93 | 5-5 | 89 | 98 | 3-0 |
| KW Braves | 7 | 12 | 1 | 15 | 184 | 190 | 2-7-1 | 84 | 89 | 5-5 | 100 | 101 | 0-5-1 |
| Toronto Beaches | 6 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 164 | 215 | 2-7 | 84 | 107 | 4-6 | 80 | 108 | |
| St. Catharines Athletics | 3 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 113 | 209 | 1-9 | 61 | 105 | 2-8 | 52 | 104 | |
| Mississauga Tomahawks | 1 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 114 | 266 | 0-10 | 61 | 120 | 1-9 | 53 | 146 |
| Team | 2 G or less | 3G or more | v.500+= | v.500- | GF 1 | GA 1 | GF 2 | GA 2 | GF 3 | GA 3 | GF OT | GA OT |
| Six Nations Arrows | 1-2 | 16-1 | 9-3 | 7-0 | 75 | 41 | 101 | 54 | 64 | 44 | 3 | 2 |
| Whitby Warriors | 2-3 | 13-2 | 8-3 | 7-1 | 71 | 44 | 79 | 58 | 73 | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| Burlington Chiefs | 3-1-1 | 11-4 | 7-5-1 | 6-0 | 72 | 52 | 79 | 64 | 71 | 59 | 3 | 1 |
| Brampton Excelsiors | 5-3 | 8-4 | 7-5 | 6-2 | 72 | 59 | 78 | 71 | 66 | 65 | 0 | 0 |
| Orangeville Northmen | 4-2 | 8-6 | 5-8 | 6-0 | 82 | 71 | 64 | 60 | 62 | 53 | 4 | 3 |
| Peterborough Lakers | 2-3 | 9-6 | 4-6 | 6-3 | 78 | 62 | 81 | 64 | 70 | 66 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrie Lakeshores | 5-3 | 5-7 | 3-9 | 6-1 | 52 | 71 | 79 | 59 | 49 | 59 | 6 | 2 |
| KW Braves | 2-5-1 | 5-7 | 2-7-1 | 5-3 | 60 | 70 | 72 | 66 | 48 | 42 | 4 | 12 |
| Toronto Beaches | 3-2 | 3-12 | 2-10 | 4-2 | 60 | 71 | 62 | 78 | 42 | 66 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Catharines Athletics | 0-2 | 3-15 | 1-12 | 2-4 | 38 | 73 | 36 | 84 | 39 | 52 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississauga Tomahawks | 1-2 | 0-17 | 0-15 | 1-4 | 37 | 83 | 36 | 109 | 41 | 74 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | Ld 2L-L5 | Ld 3+- L5 | Tr 2L-L5 | Tr 3+ -L5 | T-L5 | Ld 1st | Ld 2nd | Tr 1st | Tr 2nd | Opp >=10 | Opp <10 td=""> |
| Six Nations Arrows | 1-1 | 15-0 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 12-1 | 17-0 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 15-1 |
| Whitby Warriors | 2-0 | 12-0 | 1-3 | 0-2 | 1-0 | 11-0 | 14-0 | 2-2 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 15-3 |
| Burlington Chiefs | 5-0 | 11-0 | 1-1-1 | 0-4 | 2-1 | 12-0 | 14-0 | 0-3-1 | 0-5-1 | 2-5 | 12-0-1 |
| Brampton Excelsiors | 5-1 | 10-0 | 0-2 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 11-1 | 11-0 | 0-4 | 1-6 | 3-7 | 10-0 |
| Orangeville Northmen | 7-1 | 5-0 | 0-1 | 0-6 | 2-2 | 9-1 | 9-1 | 2-6 | 1-7 | 2-8 | 10-0 |
| Peterborough Lakers | 2-1 | 10-0 | 0-4 | 0-7 | 0-1 | 8-1 | 10-2 | 0-6 | 0-7 | 2-8 | 9-1 |
| Barrie Lakeshores | 2-0 | 5-0 | 3-6 | 0-8 | 4-0 | 5-0 | 7-0 | 4-8 | 1-9 | 3-9 | 7-1 |
| KW Braves | 2-2-1 | 5-0 | 0-4 | 0-6 | 0-5 | 4-2-1 | 7-0-1 | 1-8 | 0-9 | 1-9 | 6-3-1 |
| Toronto Beaches | 3-0 | 4-0 | 1-3 | 0-11 | 1-1 | 3-3 | 5-1 | 2-9 | 1-12 | 0-11 | 6-3 |
| St. Catharines Athletics | 1-0 | 3-0 | 0-3 | 0-15 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3-1 | 1-14 | 0-16 | 0-12 | 3-5 |
| Mississauga Tomahawks | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-16 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-15 | 1-19 | 0-17 | 1-2 |
Sunday, July 14, 2013
LLB's Quick 2013 Playoff Preview
Here is our no muss, no fuss first round playoff preview for the Ontario Jr A league.
#1 Six Nations Arrows vs #8 KW Braves
Expect lots of goals with Dhane Smith (KW) and Johnny Powless (Six Nations) in this series. They finished 1-2 in scoring this season with Smith also leading the league in goals with 61.
For KW:
Can KW get any scoring beyond their big 3 players? Can Kyle Jackson rebound from a sub-par year to be the dynamic goal scorer he was in 2012? These two questions will go a long way to answering whether the Braves can sneak a victory out of this series.
For Six Nations:
How long will Randy Staats be out of the lineup? Are Josh Johnson and and Brendan Bomberry truly ready to assume more of the scoring load for the Arrows? Against the Braves we will just start finding out about the boys in Orange but we think a positive answer to the second question will be more important for Six Nations' Minto travel plans during the playoffs. (not to discount the impact that a healthy Randy Staats can have to the Arrows)
Best guess result: Arrows in 3 games but all relatively close because of KW's Big 3.
#2 Whitby Warriors vs #7 Barrie Lakeshores
These two teams gave you the opposite sides of the story "A Tale of Two Seasons". Barrie started fast and ultimately settled down into 7th spot by the end of the season. Whitby started slow and then kept winning and winning their way to second place.
For Barrie
Will Whitlow, Craig and Murphy find any room against the suffocating Warriors defense? How will the Lakeshores handle their first playoff action in a few years? Barrie is young and hungry but this may have been the worst possible matchup for them in the ultra-experienced Warriors.
For Whitby
After winning their final 8 games, will Whitby underestimate the gritty Lakeshores? Is O'Connor to Lintner the best high-low pairing in Jr A Lacrosse? The depth and speed game of Whitby gives plenty of teams trouble and look for it to also bother Barrie.
Best Guess result: A testy series but we will take the tested Warriors in a sweep over the kiddie corps in Barrie.
#3 Burlington Chiefs vs #6 Peterborough Lakers
Hands up those of you that thought at the start of the season this could be a playoff matchup AND Peterborough would be the 6 seed? As expected, not many hands up. However it is what we got and what a series to look forward to and our pick as most compelling first round series.
For Peterborough
Do they have the horses beyond Turner Evans to score enough goals on the road? Will the playoffs be the beginning of a run or the merciful end to an indifferent season? The Lakers need to control the tempo and slow down the speedy Chiefs in order to have a chance. If they can do it and muck up the game a bit then this becomes a real chess match and it helps to have one of the top 5 players in the league (Evans) on your side.
For Burlington
How long will Bryan Cole be out? Can the Chiefs dictate tempo on the road like they do at home? Cole is a key transition player for Burlington and in their final game of the season he was ejected with a Match Penalty. The longer he is out the more difficult it will be for the Chiefs to push the pace. Burlington finished 8-2 at home this season and scored at will vs the slow it down Lakers in two regular season games.
Best guess result: Peterborough slows down the Chiefs at times but cannot do it full time and Burlington runs to a 4 game victory.
#4 Brampton Excelsiors vs #5 Orangeville Northmen
This is the series that both teams wanted and they got it. This has all the hallmarks of the roughest and nastiest series with plenty of animosity built up over the past 4 years.
For Orangeville
Who will provide scoring beyond Rob Hellyer? Is Mike Fournier ready to assume the title as "Northmen Starting Goalie"? Beyond Rob Hellyer, the Northmen have a bevy of solid players but no one that can take over a game when it matters most. They will need inspired performances from the secondary players to have a chance. Fournier will also need to make key saves against the high powered Excelsiors... Orangeville has had a run of really strong goaltending but does it end in 2013?
For Brampton
How healthy is Shane MacDonald? Can anyone survive after playing in the two hottest arenas in Lacrosse? The health of MacDonald will be a real key for the Excelsiors. He played the final 4 games but had minimal impact on the score sheet. Brampton needs him to be near 100% to become truly dangerous on offense. Also if you a fan of either team, bring a fan to the games. You will thank us later.
Best guess result: The Bunny Barn ghosts scare up a Northmen victory in Game 2 but Brampton's offense proves too much and lead them to a 4 game series win.
#1 Six Nations Arrows vs #8 KW Braves
Expect lots of goals with Dhane Smith (KW) and Johnny Powless (Six Nations) in this series. They finished 1-2 in scoring this season with Smith also leading the league in goals with 61.
For KW:
Can KW get any scoring beyond their big 3 players? Can Kyle Jackson rebound from a sub-par year to be the dynamic goal scorer he was in 2012? These two questions will go a long way to answering whether the Braves can sneak a victory out of this series.
For Six Nations:
How long will Randy Staats be out of the lineup? Are Josh Johnson and and Brendan Bomberry truly ready to assume more of the scoring load for the Arrows? Against the Braves we will just start finding out about the boys in Orange but we think a positive answer to the second question will be more important for Six Nations' Minto travel plans during the playoffs. (not to discount the impact that a healthy Randy Staats can have to the Arrows)
Best guess result: Arrows in 3 games but all relatively close because of KW's Big 3.
#2 Whitby Warriors vs #7 Barrie Lakeshores
These two teams gave you the opposite sides of the story "A Tale of Two Seasons". Barrie started fast and ultimately settled down into 7th spot by the end of the season. Whitby started slow and then kept winning and winning their way to second place.
For Barrie
Will Whitlow, Craig and Murphy find any room against the suffocating Warriors defense? How will the Lakeshores handle their first playoff action in a few years? Barrie is young and hungry but this may have been the worst possible matchup for them in the ultra-experienced Warriors.
For Whitby
After winning their final 8 games, will Whitby underestimate the gritty Lakeshores? Is O'Connor to Lintner the best high-low pairing in Jr A Lacrosse? The depth and speed game of Whitby gives plenty of teams trouble and look for it to also bother Barrie.
Best Guess result: A testy series but we will take the tested Warriors in a sweep over the kiddie corps in Barrie.
#3 Burlington Chiefs vs #6 Peterborough Lakers
Hands up those of you that thought at the start of the season this could be a playoff matchup AND Peterborough would be the 6 seed? As expected, not many hands up. However it is what we got and what a series to look forward to and our pick as most compelling first round series.
For Peterborough
Do they have the horses beyond Turner Evans to score enough goals on the road? Will the playoffs be the beginning of a run or the merciful end to an indifferent season? The Lakers need to control the tempo and slow down the speedy Chiefs in order to have a chance. If they can do it and muck up the game a bit then this becomes a real chess match and it helps to have one of the top 5 players in the league (Evans) on your side.
For Burlington
How long will Bryan Cole be out? Can the Chiefs dictate tempo on the road like they do at home? Cole is a key transition player for Burlington and in their final game of the season he was ejected with a Match Penalty. The longer he is out the more difficult it will be for the Chiefs to push the pace. Burlington finished 8-2 at home this season and scored at will vs the slow it down Lakers in two regular season games.
Best guess result: Peterborough slows down the Chiefs at times but cannot do it full time and Burlington runs to a 4 game victory.
#4 Brampton Excelsiors vs #5 Orangeville Northmen
This is the series that both teams wanted and they got it. This has all the hallmarks of the roughest and nastiest series with plenty of animosity built up over the past 4 years.
For Orangeville
Who will provide scoring beyond Rob Hellyer? Is Mike Fournier ready to assume the title as "Northmen Starting Goalie"? Beyond Rob Hellyer, the Northmen have a bevy of solid players but no one that can take over a game when it matters most. They will need inspired performances from the secondary players to have a chance. Fournier will also need to make key saves against the high powered Excelsiors... Orangeville has had a run of really strong goaltending but does it end in 2013?
For Brampton
How healthy is Shane MacDonald? Can anyone survive after playing in the two hottest arenas in Lacrosse? The health of MacDonald will be a real key for the Excelsiors. He played the final 4 games but had minimal impact on the score sheet. Brampton needs him to be near 100% to become truly dangerous on offense. Also if you a fan of either team, bring a fan to the games. You will thank us later.
Best guess result: The Bunny Barn ghosts scare up a Northmen victory in Game 2 but Brampton's offense proves too much and lead them to a 4 game series win.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Jr A End of Season Primer
The OLA Jr A season is coming down to the final day with two huge games that could impact nearly all the playoff seedings. Lets take a look at the possibilities starting with the the really easy game.
Burlington at Whitby- Friday at 8pm.
Chiefs hold a 1 point lead over the Warriors so a Chiefs Win or Tie clinches them second spot and a matchup with Barrie in the first round. A Whitby Win vaults them over Burlington into second place and Barrie for playoffs.
Peterborough at Brampton- Friday at 8pm
Here is where things get fun. A Brampton Win gives them 4th spot, Orangeville 5th and the Lakers will be 6th.
A Lakers win leaves Brampton, Orangeville and Peterborough tied with 24 points and brings in the 3-Team Tiebreaker. Thankfully this tiebreaker does not need to go beyond the head to head to head records. A Peterborough win gives them a 3-1 record vs Brampton and Orangeville and 4th place. Brampton would be 5th place with their 2-2 record (having split season series vs both opponents). The sinking Northmen would fall to 6th spot and a matchup with the loser of the Burlington/Whitby game.
(Update: Some confusion now on whether the Jr A league uses the head to head to head record or goes straight to the Goal Formula in OLA Constitution. Regardless of the tie breaker method, if Peterborough wins in Brampton on Friday they will be 4th, Brampton 5th and Orangeville 6th. The current GF% for each is 0.607 for Lakers, 0.508 for Excelsiors and 0.419 for Northmen and a Peterborough win can only improve their number and subtract for Brampton's number....though it would take a monumental blowout by around 15 goals to drop them to 6th.)
Plenty to watch on Friday night in the GTA with a wild Jr A season coming down to the wire. We'll be watching to see how it falls out and look for our quick playoff preview on Saturday!
Burlington at Whitby- Friday at 8pm.
Chiefs hold a 1 point lead over the Warriors so a Chiefs Win or Tie clinches them second spot and a matchup with Barrie in the first round. A Whitby Win vaults them over Burlington into second place and Barrie for playoffs.
Peterborough at Brampton- Friday at 8pm
Here is where things get fun. A Brampton Win gives them 4th spot, Orangeville 5th and the Lakers will be 6th.
A Lakers win leaves Brampton, Orangeville and Peterborough tied with 24 points and brings in the 3-Team Tiebreaker. Thankfully this tiebreaker does not need to go beyond the head to head to head records. A Peterborough win gives them a 3-1 record vs Brampton and Orangeville and 4th place. Brampton would be 5th place with their 2-2 record (having split season series vs both opponents). The sinking Northmen would fall to 6th spot and a matchup with the loser of the Burlington/Whitby game.
(Update: Some confusion now on whether the Jr A league uses the head to head to head record or goes straight to the Goal Formula in OLA Constitution. Regardless of the tie breaker method, if Peterborough wins in Brampton on Friday they will be 4th, Brampton 5th and Orangeville 6th. The current GF% for each is 0.607 for Lakers, 0.508 for Excelsiors and 0.419 for Northmen and a Peterborough win can only improve their number and subtract for Brampton's number....though it would take a monumental blowout by around 15 goals to drop them to 6th.)
Plenty to watch on Friday night in the GTA with a wild Jr A season coming down to the wire. We'll be watching to see how it falls out and look for our quick playoff preview on Saturday!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
BC Jr A Expanded Standings- Season End
The BC Jr A season is over and everyone is looking forward to playoffs, well maybe everyone except Port Coquitlam and Delta who have both thrown up the flag of surrender early and look like roadkill in first round matchups vs Victoria and Langley.
Here are some interesting stats for the 2013 season:
The Victoria Shamrocks and Nanaimo Timbermen were the only teams to both score and give up 200 or more goals.
Victoria led the league with 308 goals scored. They were also the only BCJALL team to go undefeated when holding their opponent under 10 goals scored (they were 9-0).
New Westminster and Coquitlam were a combined 31-0 when leading after two periods. Incredible.
Not one team came back from 3 or more goals in the final 5 minutes to win a game during the 2013 season. So much for Lacrosse being a game that is never over until it's over.
The Salmonbellies forfeited victory over Nanaimo ultimately cost them first place. That is painful.
There were nearly as many goals scored in the third period (568) as in the first period (573) in 2013. Overall the league averaged 21.73 goals per game in 2013 though that rose in the final week with some huge blowouts.
Coquitlam and Nanaimo are the only teams to not record a win when trailing after first or second period. hard to believe we are talking about the first place and seventh place team together.
Now bring on the playoffs!
Here are some interesting stats for the 2013 season:
The Victoria Shamrocks and Nanaimo Timbermen were the only teams to both score and give up 200 or more goals.
Victoria led the league with 308 goals scored. They were also the only BCJALL team to go undefeated when holding their opponent under 10 goals scored (they were 9-0).
New Westminster and Coquitlam were a combined 31-0 when leading after two periods. Incredible.
Not one team came back from 3 or more goals in the final 5 minutes to win a game during the 2013 season. So much for Lacrosse being a game that is never over until it's over.
The Salmonbellies forfeited victory over Nanaimo ultimately cost them first place. That is painful.
There were nearly as many goals scored in the third period (568) as in the first period (573) in 2013. Overall the league averaged 21.73 goals per game in 2013 though that rose in the final week with some huge blowouts.
Coquitlam and Nanaimo are the only teams to not record a win when trailing after first or second period. hard to believe we are talking about the first place and seventh place team together.
Now bring on the playoffs!
| Team | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Home | H GF | H GA | Away | A GF | A GA | OT |
| Coquitlam Adanacs | 17 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 242 | 151 | 8-3 | 127 | 82 | 9-1 | 115 | 69 | 0 |
| New Westminster Salmonbellies * | 16 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 285 | 164 | 9-2 | 159 | 79 | 8-2 | 126 | 85 | 1-1 |
| Langley Thunder | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 228 | 188 | 7-3 | 113 | 81 | 7-4 | 115 | 107 | 2-1 |
| Victoria Shamrocks | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 308 | 220 | 7-4 | 162 | 116 | 7-3 | 146 | 104 | 1-1 |
| Delta Islanders | 11 | 10 | 0 | 22 | 222 | 192 | 5-5 | 117 | 96 | 6-5 | 105 | 96 | 1-1 |
| Port Coquitlam Saints | 7 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 188 | 251 | 3-7-1 | 95 | 125 | 4-6 | 93 | 126 | 1-0-1 |
| Nanaimo Timbermen * | 3 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 200 | 274 | 1-9 | 98 | 106 | 1-9-1 | 102 | 168 | 0-1-1 |
| Burnaby Lakers | 1 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 131 | 364 | 0-10 | 66 | 182 | 1-10 | 65 | 182 | 0 |
| Team | 2 G less | 3G + | v.500+= | v.500- | GF 1st | GA 1st | GF 2nd | GA 2nd | GF 3rd | GA 3rd | GF OT | GA OT |
| Coquitlam Adanacs | 3-2 | 15-1 | 10-3 | 6-1 | 96 | 42 | 74 | 61 | 72 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| New Westminster Salmonbellies | 4-2 | 13-2 | 9-3 | 8-0 | 91 | 50 | 96 | 59 | 96 | 51 | 2 | 4 |
| Langley Thunder | 3-4 | 11-3 | 6-7 | 7-0 | 64 | 59 | 88 | 61 | 69 | 64 | 7 | 4 |
| Victoria Shamrocks | 4-1 | 10-6 | 5-7 | 8-0 | 95 | 73 | 114 | 70 | 97 | 73 | 2 | 4 |
| Delta Islanders | 3-4 | 8-6 | 4-9 | 6-1 | 66 | 60 | 80 | 63 | 74 | 67 | 2 | 2 |
| Port Coquitlam Saints | 3-1-1 | 4-12 | 2-11 | 5-1-1 | 58 | 83 | 69 | 89 | 57 | 81 | 2 | 0 |
| Nanaimo Timbermen | 0-5-1 | 2-13 | 0-14 | 2-3-1 | 62 | 89 | 73 | 100 | 65 | 84 | 0 | 1 |
| Burnaby Lakers | 1-0 | 0-20 | 0-13 | 1-6 | 41 | 117 | 54 | 145 | 38 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | Ld 2L-L5 | Ld 3+- L5 | Tr 2L-L5 | Tr 3+ -L5 | T-L5 | Ld 1st | Ld 2nd | Tr 1st | Tr 2nd | Opp >=10 | Opp <10 td=""> |
| Coquitlam Adanacs | 2-0 | 13-0 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 17-1 | 17-0 | 0-2 | 0-3 | 1-3 | 16-1 |
| New Westminster Salmonbellies | 3-0 | 14-0 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 3-2 | 13-1 | 14-0 | 3-2 | 1-4 | 3-3 | 14-1 |
| Langley Thunder | 3-1 | 9-0 | 1-2 | 0-5 | 3-2 | 9-1 | 12-1 | 3-5 | 1-6 | 2-5 | 12-2 |
| Victoria Shamrocks | 4-1 | 10-0 | 0-1 | 0-5 | 3-1 | 9-1 | 14-1 | 2-6 | 0-5 | 5-7 | 9-0 |
| Delta Islanders | 2-1 | 9-0 | 0-4 | 0-6 | 2-3 | 7-2 | 9-1 | 3-6 | 0-9 | 1-7 | 10-3 |
| Port Coquitlam Saints | 4-0-1 | 3-0 | 1-1 | 0-11 | 2-1-1 | 4-3 | 5-0-1 | 2-10-1 | 2-11 | 2-11-1 | 5-2 |
| Nanaimo Timbermen | 0-0 | 2-0 | 0-6-1 | 0-12 | 0-3-1 | 2-3-1 | 2-1 | 0-13 | 0-15-1 | 1-17-1 | 1-1 |
| Burnaby Lakers | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-20 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-17 | 0-20 | 1-20 | 0-0 |
ON Jr A Expanded Standings Week 8
We are in the stretch drive in Ontario as the regular season ends this Friday. Here are some important things to note.
Burlington and Whitby engaged in some great scheduling as their game on the final day of the season looks like it will decide second place. We'll give the slightest of edges right now to Whitby as they host this game and are particularly stingy in IPA but this one will be a dandy for the fans at the OLA Qualifiers to see. Of course should Whitby drop their Tuesday game vs Peterborough then it all but seals their fate as third place finishers.
Brampton, Orangeville and Peterborough are locked in a pitched battle for 4th, 5th and 6th spot over the final week and the Excelsiors control their destiny. The Excelsiors host both teams this week and can lock up fourth place with two big wins. The return of Shane MacDonald certainly bolsters Brampton's lineup so let's give them the inside lane to that fourth spot.
Lastly, the first place Arrows and 8th place Braves engaged in an old fashioned score-fest over the weekend with Johnny Powless putting up 8 points to narrow the gap on Dhane Smith for scoring leader. Six Nations plays the Beach and Missy while KW gets a granding Barrie Lakeshores squad in their final match. Can Powless make up the 4 point gap to steal the league scoring title from Smith? Lots of fun to watch over these last 4 days.
Burlington and Whitby engaged in some great scheduling as their game on the final day of the season looks like it will decide second place. We'll give the slightest of edges right now to Whitby as they host this game and are particularly stingy in IPA but this one will be a dandy for the fans at the OLA Qualifiers to see. Of course should Whitby drop their Tuesday game vs Peterborough then it all but seals their fate as third place finishers.
Brampton, Orangeville and Peterborough are locked in a pitched battle for 4th, 5th and 6th spot over the final week and the Excelsiors control their destiny. The Excelsiors host both teams this week and can lock up fourth place with two big wins. The return of Shane MacDonald certainly bolsters Brampton's lineup so let's give them the inside lane to that fourth spot.
Lastly, the first place Arrows and 8th place Braves engaged in an old fashioned score-fest over the weekend with Johnny Powless putting up 8 points to narrow the gap on Dhane Smith for scoring leader. Six Nations plays the Beach and Missy while KW gets a granding Barrie Lakeshores squad in their final match. Can Powless make up the 4 point gap to steal the league scoring title from Smith? Lots of fun to watch over these last 4 days.
| Team | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Home | H GF | H GA | Away | A GF | A GA | OT |
| Six Nations Arrows | 15 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 222 | 131 | 8-1 | 113 | 56 | 7-2 | 109 | 75 | 1-0 |
| Burlington Chiefs | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 200 | 157 | 7-2 | 117 | 81 | 6-2-1 | 83 | 76 | 1-0-1 |
| Whitby Warriors | 13 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 197 | 134 | 7-1 | 95 | 54 | 6-4 | 102 | 80 | |
| Orangeville Northmen | 12 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 194 | 163 | 6-4 | 102 | 88 | 6-2 | 92 | 75 | 1-1 |
| Peterborough Lakers | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 205 | 162 | 5-4 | 108 | 84 | 5-3 | 97 | 78 | |
| Brampton Excelsiors | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 177 | 167 | 5-3 | 91 | 79 | 5-4 | 86 | 88 | |
| Barrie Lakeshores | 9 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 176 | 182 | 5-5 | 97 | 93 | 4-5 | 79 | 89 | 2-0 |
| KW Braves | 7 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 175 | 180 | 2-6-1 | 75 | 79 | 5-5 | 100 | 101 | 0-4-1 |
| Toronto Beaches | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 150 | 190 | 2-6 | 76 | 93 | 4-5 | 74 | 97 | |
| St. Catharines Athletics | 2 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 94 | 204 | 0-9 | 42 | 100 | 2-8 | 52 | 104 | |
| Mississauga Tomahawks | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 220 | 0-9 | 57 | 110 | 1-7 | 43 | 110 |
| Team | 2 G or less | 3G or more | v.500+= | v.500- | GF 1 | GA 1 | GF 2 | GA 2 | GF 3 | GA 3 | GF OT | GA OT |
| Six Nations Arrows | 1-2 | 14-1 | 9-3 | 5-0 | 67 | 39 | 93 | 47 | 59 | 43 | 3 | 2 |
| Burlington Chiefs | 3-1-1 | 10-3 | 7-4-1 | 5-0 | 64 | 49 | 67 | 57 | 66 | 50 | 3 | 1 |
| Whitby Warriors | 2-3 | 11-2 | 6-3 | 7-1 | 66 | 40 | 70 | 53 | 61 | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| Orangeville Northmen | 4-1 | 8-5 | 5-6 | 6-0 | 75 | 59 | 59 | 54 | 56 | 47 | 4 | 3 |
| Peterborough Lakers | 2-3 | 8-4 | 3-4 | 6-3 | 70 | 53 | 76 | 54 | 59 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Brampton Excelsiors | 4-3 | 6-4 | 5-5 | 5-2 | 58 | 51 | 68 | 63 | 51 | 53 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrie Lakeshores | 4-3 | 5-7 | 3-9 | 5-1 | 51 | 69 | 73 | 56 | 47 | 55 | 5 | 2 |
| KW Braves | 2-4-1 | 5-7 | 2-7-1 | 5-2 | 58 | 69 | 69 | 60 | 44 | 40 | 4 | 11 |
| Toronto Beaches | 3-2 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 4-2 | 57 | 64 | 53 | 71 | 40 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Catharines Athletics | 0-2 | 2-15 | 1-12 | 1-4 | 28 | 72 | 33 | 82 | 33 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississauga Tomahawks | 1-2 | 0-14 | 0-13 | 1-3 | 34 | 63 | 30 | 94 | 36 | 63 | 0 | 0 |
| Team | Ld 2L-L5 | Ld 3+- L5 | Tr 2L-L5 | Tr 3+ -L5 | T-L5 | Ld 1st | Ld 2nd | Tr 1st | Tr 2nd | Opp >=10 | Opp <10 td=""> |
| Six Nations Arrows | 1-1 | 13-0 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 10-1 | 15-0 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 13-1 |
| Burlington Chiefs | 5-0 | 10-0 | 1-1-1 | 0-3 | 2-1 | 11-0 | 13-0 | 0-3-1 | 0-4-1 | 2-4 | 11-0-1 |
| Whitby Warriors | 2-0 | 10-0 | 1-3 | 0-2 | 1-0 | 10-0 | 12-0 | 2-2 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 13-3 |
| Orangeville Northmen | 7-1 | 5-0 | 0-0 | 0-5 | 2-1 | 9-1 | 9-1 | 2-4 | 1-5 | 2-6 | 10-0 |
| Peterborough Lakers | 2-1 | 9-0 | 0-4 | 0-5 | 0-1 | 7-1 | 9-2 | 0-4 | 0-5 | 2-6 | 8-1 |
| Brampton Excelsiors | 4-1 | 8-0 | 0-2 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 8-1 | 9-0 | 0-4 | 1-6 | 2-7 | 8-0 |
| Barrie Lakeshores | 2-0 | 5-0 | 2-6 | 0-8 | 3-0 | 5-0 | 6-0 | 3-8 | 1-9 | 3-9 | 6-1 |
| KW Braves | 2-1-1 | 5-0 | 0-4 | 0-6 | 0-4 | 4-1-1 | 7-0-1 | 1-8 | 0-8 | 1-8 | 6-3-1 |
| Toronto Beaches | 3-0 | 4-0 | 1-3 | 0-9 | 1-1 | 3-3 | 5-1 | 2-7 | 1-11 | 0-9 | 6-3 |
| St. Catharines Athletics | 1-0 | 2-0 | 0-3 | 0-15 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2-1 | 1-14 | 0-16 | 0-12 | 2-5 |
| Mississauga Tomahawks | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-13 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-12 | 1-16 | 0-14 | 1-2 |
Monday, July 8, 2013
2013 Jr B League Awards
The OLA Jr B League announced their award winners for both Eastern and Western Conference on the weekend. Congratulations to all the winners for their fantastic seasons.
Rookie of the Year
East- Connor Ham- Newmarket Saints
West- Sam Postma- Brampton Excelsiors
Most Sportsmanlike Player
East- Zach Hopps- Akwesasne Indians
West- Mike Rybka- London Blue Devils
Most Valuable Defensive Player
East- Oakley Thomas- Akwesasne Indians
West- Joel Shepley- Wallaceburg Red Devils
Most Valuable Player
East- Connor Buchanan- Nepean Knights
West- Jordan Durston- Wallaceburg Red Devils
Coaching Staff of the Year
East- Nepean Knights
West- Niagara Thunderhawks
Rookie of the Year
East- Connor Ham- Newmarket Saints
West- Sam Postma- Brampton Excelsiors
Most Sportsmanlike Player
East- Zach Hopps- Akwesasne Indians
West- Mike Rybka- London Blue Devils
Most Valuable Defensive Player
East- Oakley Thomas- Akwesasne Indians
West- Joel Shepley- Wallaceburg Red Devils
Most Valuable Player
East- Connor Buchanan- Nepean Knights
West- Jordan Durston- Wallaceburg Red Devils
Coaching Staff of the Year
East- Nepean Knights
West- Niagara Thunderhawks
Friday, July 5, 2013
Expected Wins vs Actual Wins
When we started our Expanded Standings
project in May, we knew that it would take us beyond just the simple statistics
of Wins and Losses into all kinds of different areas. One of the more
interesting items we have been quietly tracking is called the Pythagoreon
Expectations or Expected Wins for each team.
Pythagoreon
Expectations was developed by Bill James who is a renowned statistics expert in
that other summer sport, Baseball. What does Baseball have to with Lacrosse?
Well not much but Mr. James did find that you could fairly accurately determine
a team’s season end win total if you calculated their run differential
throughout the season. In short, the good teams nearly always scored more runs
than they gave upand the best teams did it by a wide margin. Pretty simple and
easily translated to other sports since the same corollary of “better teams
score more than they give up” is true in Hockey, Football and Lacrosse.
For Lacrosse, we
often decide ties in tournaments and leagues by using the Goal Formula. For a
refresh:
Goal Formula = Goals
For/ (Goals For + Goals Against)
The Pythagoreon
Expectation (PE) formula gives you an idea of how many games a team “should win”
based on their scores throughout the season. The PE is an adjustment to the
above Goal Formula:
PE %= (Goals For
^2.37)/((Goals For ^2.37)+(Goals Against ^2.37))
Taking
a simple formula and using the exponent of 2.37 gives us a rough idea of the
expected winning percentage for a given team based on their Goals For and Goals
Against. It does not adjust for certain items like injuries or trades (heck
every team has to deal with them and at some point you just are what you are as
a team regardless) but it also shows that some times a team’s record is less
than it should be because of factors they cannot control like timing of
injuries and luck.
Now
lets take a peek at both the Ontario
and BC Expected Wins as of July 4:
Ontario PE% ExW
|
Six
Nations Arrows
|
0.793
|
15.86
|
|
Burlington Chiefs
|
0.635
|
12.70
|
|
Whitby Warriors
|
0.676
|
13.52
|
|
Orangeville
Northmen
|
0.596
|
11.92
|
|
Peterborough Lakers
|
0.622
|
12.44
|
|
Barrie Lakeshores
|
0.496
|
9.93
|
|
Brampton Excelsiors
|
0.529
|
10.58
|
|
KW
Braves
|
0.486
|
9.71
|
|
Toronto
Beaches
|
0.368
|
7.35
|
|
St. Catharines Athletics
|
0.137
|
2.75
|
|
Mississauga Tomahawks
|
0.145
|
2.90
|
BC PE% ExW
|
Coquitlam
Adanacs
|
0.772
|
16.22
|
|
New Westminster Salmonbellies *
|
0.759
|
15.94
|
|
Langley
Thunder
|
0.592
|
12.43
|
|
Victoria Shamrocks
|
0.627
|
13.17
|
|
Delta
Islanders
|
0.606
|
12.72
|
|
Port Coquitlam Saints
|
0.418
|
8.78
|
|
Nanaimo Timbermen *
|
0.288
|
6.04
|
|
Burnaby Lakers
|
0.099
|
2.08
|
Ontario Notes:
Burlington (12.7) and Peterborough (12.4) both show at around 12.5
Expected Wins based on the PE formula but the Chiefs have exceeded that
expectation while the Lakers are lagging. Orangeville looked to be well ahead
of pace before their recent 3 game losing streak brought them back to reality.
The
one Ontario
team that has seen some recent volatility in this measure are the Brampton
Excelsiors. Ten days ago the maroon and gold were even with Peterborough
and Burlington
for roughly 12 wins. Then they have a bad week and drop down to an expected 10.5
wins. We are willing to give the Excelsiors the benefit of the doubt for an off
week but they are worth monitoring further.
The
Arrows have clearly pushed ahead and now look like the team everyone expected
in May. The Beaches have managed to turn around a horrible start but they will
run out of games in their efforts to catch KW. Barrie’s
great start will earn them a playoff berth and a date with either Whitby or Six Nations in
the first round.
BC Notes:
Not
unexpectedly, the Adanacs and Salmonbellies are the class of the west. Even
with a forfeited game the Bellies look good for their expected win total.
Delta’s
deadline trade of the league’s top two scorers in Cody Nass and Eli McLaughlin
netted a huge haul of prospects and draft picks. It also leaves one wondering why?
They stand fairly even with Victoria and Langley in PE% which means they should
have an even chance against either opponent in a first round playoff series.
Though with Coquitlam and New West the dominant forces, perhaps cutting bait
and building for 2014 was the best course of action.
Pity
poor Nanaimo. With
one win on the season they have underperformed their Expected Wins quite
severely. They will be the ultimate test going into 2014. Are they as bad as
their record or does the PE% number foreshadowing better times ahead for the
Timbermen?
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