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The top two teams in both Ontario and BC went head-to-head this weekend, and although all four remain within that upper echelon inside the National Junior A Ranking, everyone ended up in a different chair when the tunes cut.

In fact, for the third straight week, only one team was axed from the top ten. This week it was the Peterborough Lakers, who after getting names like Brock Sorenson and Josh Gillam back full-time over the last couple weeks, went 1-2 since last Monday. The Lakers dropped games to Brampton (8-7) and KW (6-1!!!), while barely inching out the Whitby Warriors in OT (7-5).

Anyways, onto this week’s top clubs, with a new number one for the first time since the rankings dropped…

(1) Orangeville Northmen (OLA)   9-0-0
Last Week: 2
Past Week: 8-5 win over St. Catharines, 8-4 win over Six Nations, 8-3 win over Whitby

They out hustled, out worked and straight up out played the previously #1 ranked Six Nations Arrows, in maybe the toughest house to get a point in, the ILA. They minimized Six Nations’ chances and definitely capitalized on their own. It was one of the more dominating wins over Six Nations in a number of years, and that’s still without Adam Jones (injury) and Jay Card (trade request). Plus earlier in the week Orangeville knocked off a very solid St. Catharines team and then last night held the Cockerton bros and Mark Matthews to just a single goal combined in an 8-3 beatdown. Best team in the country? Right now, it’s not even close.

(2) Coquitlam Adanacs (BCJALL)   10-2-0
Last Week: 4
Past Week: 12-8 win over South Fraser, 7-6 win over Victoria

In their most high profile win of the year, the Coquitlam Adanacs road-out Jarrett Davis‘ second period marker to drop the Victoria Shamrocks and not only push themselves ahead of the green-and-white in the BCJALL standings, but also in the national ranking too. Joel Weber was off the chain in goal. Matt Wilson was a horse at the circle and a beast in his own end. Jordan Weir was sooo clutch. It was probably the Adanacs biggest win of the year and definitely their most consistent showing. Now they’re starting to live up to that hype and if they bring their A game, few in any province are gonna be able to hang with these guys.

(3) Six Nations Arrows (OLA)   9-1-0
Last Week: 1
Past Week: 11-10 win over Whitby, 8-4 loss to Orangeville

Bottom-line, they got toasted against Orangeville. The only stat Six Nations led in in that 8-4 loss was goals against (and not in the good way). They got outplayed, not much else to say. Cody Jamieson’s performance earlier in the week to take Whitby to OT, where he also helped gut them in the extra frame, was maybe the single most impressive showing by anyone, at any level of ball, this summer. With Jamieson’s goals amounting for 30% of the Arrows’ offense, are they relying on him for too much? Like we kinda saw this past week, what happens when Jamieson is held virtually scoreless?

Checkout what each of Ontario’s top scorers mean to their team in relation to Jamieson in the table just below. First column shows what percentage of team scoring comes off that individual’s stick, while the second one is their team’s record when they score one goal or none. Is Jamieson too relied on? Does it matter when you see what the rest of the province does? Is it a coincidence that Orangeville is the only team with a winning record in the table below? You tell us.

(4) Victoria Shamrocks (BCJALL)   10-3-0
Last Week: 3
Past Week: 7-6 loss to Coquitlam, 9-1 win over Burnaby

Outisde of slipping in a mid-week game against New West, last week couldn’t have been much tougher for the Shamrocks. Although their one goal loss to Coquitlam may imply otherwise, the Adanacs dominated most aspects of that huge inter-provincial clash and were very much deserving of the win. The only thing that kept things semi-competitive were the outstanding showings by both Mike Pires and Cayle Ratcliff on O. It was Pires’ first game back in Canada since returning from his freshman year at Ohio State, posting six goals and six assists in the ‘Rock’s 1-1 week. Their dominating 9-1 thrashing against Burnaby a night after their loss to Coquitlam definitely kept them within the top four this week. Can they catch Coquitlam?

(5) New Westminster Salmonbellies (BCJALL)   10-4-0
Last Week: 6
Past Week: 10-6 win over PoCo, 9-4 win over Delta, 7-4 win over Nanaimo

The week really couldn’t have gone any better for the team many feel could topple the likes of Victoria and Coquitlam now that all their boys are in town and clicking. Three games, three sh** kickings over the past week. Their sweetest win had to be their 7-4 game against Nanaimo, who had dropped the Bellies just a week previous in pretty badass fashion. Either way, New West has more then bounced back since that game and look super amped for a serious run at BC and the Minto. They’ve got a huge showdown, sandwiched between two South Fraser games, against Victoria this week. Then they run into the final two weeks of the regular season, by far the toughest close-out to any season for any team this year. Their last four games? Two against Coquitlam and singles against Victoria and Burnaby.

(6) St. Catharines Athletics (OLA)   6-4-1
Last Week: 10
Past Week: 17-4 win over Toronto, 8-5 loss to Orangeville, 8-7 win over Brampton, 10-9 win over Burlington

Ontario’s new dark horse? The St. Catharines Athletics. Actually, calling them a dark horse might be a bit of a low blow, cuz the A’s have been playing some solid ball as of late, and it’s no fluke either. Their O, which was the one real question mark surrounding this team heading into the summer, is more of an exclamation mark now. With a loaded slate of games this past week, the A’s went a very impressive 3-1, their lone loss against the Orangeville Northmen, who aren’t handing out many W’s to teams this year anyways. They’re one of only three teams in Ontario to have four guys in double digit scoring, which should actually be six for St. Kitts when they play Brampton in a couple days. Although it sounds like everyone on Mo’s bench has done a great job so far, gotta give Mike Lines an extra pat on the back for the work he’s done with the offense. With a reworked O that has been producing this year, do the A’s have a chance against either Orangeville or Six Nations in the post-season?

(7) Burnaby Lakers (BCJALL)   8-5-0
Last Week: 5
Past Week: 10-8 win over PoCo, 9-1 loss to Victoria

When was the last time Burnaby got “it” handed to ‘em like Vic did to them last night? Not to take anything way from the Shamrocks, but that was not a good showing by Burnaby in the least. They just couldn’t muster up anything almost anywhere on the court. A game like that early in the year is one thing, but to get gutted like the Lakers did in the thick of the regular season, not really the greatest confidence builder. And although Alex Gajic and Riley Loewen looked killer in the Saints game, they Lakers, as a team, almost let that one slip through their fingers too. This weekend is gut check time for Burnaby (Poco again and then Coquitlam) and they’ll need a big two showings if they wanna get back into that BC race again.

(8) Akwesasne Indians (OLA)   7-2-1
Last Week: 8
Past Week: 14-4 win over Orillia, 9-2 win over Mississauga

Good week for the Indians, but obviously with no high profile matchups it was gonna be tough to make much of a jump in this week’s rankings. But with Burlington and Six Nation on the docket for this coming weekend, high pro doesn’t even begin to describe it. The weekend will actually dictate whether Akwesasne can keep semi-pace with the Arrows and Northmen, or fall back behind with the rest of the mid-table pack in the OLA. And although Kyle Buchanan and the Thompson brothers posted their usual slick point totals, what a week for hard nosed worker Mark Kirby. For those that don’t know Kirby, the kid is about 5′6″ but goes balls out 24/7, makin’ him look the inverse of his real stature. You’ll never get less than 100% from the guy. So it was nice to see Mark grab four goals and four assists in the Indians’ double win this past week. The team as a whole will need that gutsy style of play from across the board if they wanna go 2-0 in this pivotal week of ball.

(9) Edmonton Eclipse (RMLL)   5-0-0
Last Week: 9
Past Week: 5-4 win over Calgary Raiders Jr A

Another win for the Eclipse, and again off the back of tender Kyle Kowalchuk, who’s pulled out some crazy clutch goaltending over the last two W’s. The Eclipse’s biggest test might come this weekend though, when they head over to Servus Place for an all important rematch against the Edmonton Miners. The Eclipse kicked off their season with a 7-6 win over the Miners, who at one point in that game had a pretty commanding 5-2 lead and the W all but in the bag. With the Miners coming from behind in last year’s provincial final, down 3-1 in the series only to take it in seven, the Edmonton junior war might be the best rivalry the RMLL has today. You’re not gonna wanna miss this weekend’s clash.

(10) Burlington Chiefs (OLA)   5-3-0
Last Week: Unranked
Past Week: 10-6 win over Whitby, 12-5 win over KW, 10-9 loss to St. Catharines

Burlington’s another team that a number of people thought could do some pretty serious damage this year, and now that their schedule is starting to catchup to the rest of the OLA, we’re finally getting a good look at just how good the Chiefs are this year. After just an 11 goal season in 07, Kevin Brownell is lookin’ as slick as he was two years ago and with 18 goals already this summer, he should bury the 24 he posted in 06. And even though they’re getting some good O production of late, it’s been the work in their own end that has really allowed them to start turnin’ heads every night out. Although he likely will never get the ink he deserves, Dan MacRae is easily a top five defender in Ontario. He gets handed the toughest assignments almost everynight and just grinds out gutsy showing after gutsy showing, and again it’s been evident this year, if you’ve spent the time to watch these guys. With Akwesasne and Orangeville this weekend, we should get a better idea of just how legit these guys are. Real heart breakin’ loss the other night after Brownell tied it up against the A’s. In years past, the Chiefs would never even of had the legs to have been around in the third like the other night. The turnaround in Burlington over the past couple years is what rebuilding in this sport is all about.

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