NLL Insider

Raising funds in Owen Sound

Believe it or not, the holidays are just around the corner so you know that that means. Cold and snow and yeah, ice skating. Except up in Owen Sound, Ontario, the Junior B Pro Team North Stars are using some fine skaters to get their fund raising efforts on the move. Yeah, it’s an ice-skating ballet and for the fellas who aren’t exactly down with the ballet, think of it this way: You can score some points with the little lady by taking her to an ice ballet while knowing that the coin you put down for tickets is helping out a lacrosse team. Trust us, it’s a win-win situation. Turn the page for details. READ MORE »

Junior B loop to make move to larger goals, with other news, notes and links

Pretty slow these days on the junior lacrosse circuits and that’s to be expected since we’re out of season, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing worth talking about. Offseason activity always includes talk of shifting teams and rules changes and it’s no different today as we learn that the Junior B loop is looking to play with larger cages next summer, moving from the traditional 4×4 nets to the same sized nets used by Major Series Lacrosse. Many an NLL goalie will tell you that their first week of pro training camp is a tough adjustment to the bigger nets, so we’ll see how the Junior B offense is affected in 2010. READ MORE »

It’s Northmen Way in Orangeville

Anyone driving down Fead Street in Orangeville recently may have noticed something new near the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Complex. It’s Northmen Way, a section of the street renamed by the Orangeville Council last month to honor the recent back-to-back Minto Cups won by the Junior A Northmen. Of course, Orangeville has won a total of 5 Cups since it jumped to the junior ranks in 1991, so the club certainly is doing something right when it comes to lacrosse. The rally against Brampton en route to this year’s Minto Cup might be the most memorable of the five they’ve won. READ MORE »

OLA Hall of Fame honors host of Juniors

The Class of 2009 for the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame has long since been announced, but with the induction date approaching this Saturday, it’d be cool to give some proper props to those being honored. And make no mistake, there are some Junior lacrosse heavyweights earning some well-deserved accolades. From Gilbert Bomberry to Derek Keenan and Zenon Lipinski to Bob Luey, they are part of a group of 10 who will be honored this Saturday in St. Catharines, Ontario. All the information you need for times and tickets and location can be found right here. READ MORE »

Rock mines Quarrie for defensive help

It’s been a good year for John Quarrie (pictured) and better yet, he’ll get the chance to remind a hockey teammate just how good it’s been. Ya see, Quarrie just won a Minto Cup with the Orangeville Northmen and followed that by being drafted by the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League. But before any of that, Quarrie’s got some hockey to play with the Nipissing University Lakers and who is a teammate there? Why, it’s Andrew Marcoux, who just happened to be a part of the Brampton Excelsiors team that Quarrie and the Northmen beat en route to their second straight Minto Cup. READ MORE »

John Tavares, Steve Toll to help coach Akwesasne Jr. A Indians Lacrosse Club

Big news confirmed by the Akwesasne Indians on Friday. NLL and Team Canada stars John Tavares and Steve Toll will help coach the Junior A club this season, joining head coach Greg Philips and assistant Kevin Smart.

JT and Toll are two of the NLL’s greatest players; Tavares holds the league’s career goals (671), assists (749) and points (1420) records, while Toll, the 2007 NLL Transition Player of the Year, comes off his eighth 100+ looseball season and sits third all-time with 1,318 LBs. The Indians feature Inside Lacrosse Magazine’s Top Young Gun Rising Junior Lyle Thompson and No. 5 Young Gun Rising Senior Myles Thompson. The press release follows: READ MORE »

John Tavares and Steve Toll to join Akwesasne Indians coaching staff

NLL Insider has learned that current NLLers and St. Regis Indians players, John Tavares and Steve Toll, are set to join the Akwesasne Indians (OLA Jr. A) coaching staff heading into the 2010 Jr. A season.

The Indians, who after trading high profile final-season juniors Pete Jacobs and Jerome Thompson at this past summer’s trade deadline, strung together an impressive late season run, landing the seventh seed in the OLA playoffs, but dropping the unexpected first round series against the Minto Cup runners-up, Brampton Excelsiors. READ MORE »

Games of the Week: Minto Cup action heats up

The playoffs keep rollin’ on and players keep grindin’ it out. As the summer winds down, players begin to feel the wear and tear that a full season of box takes on the body. But players keep pushing through it in their efforts to make it to the Minto Cup tournament. With two teams in Ontario having punched their tickets already, B.C. and Alberta contenders stand locked at 1-1 in both their series as they battle to see who will represent their respective province. These same match-ups continue on into this week’s ‘Games to Watch’ as they certainly are games to watch. Man I love the playoffs. Check these out: READ MORE »

Junior A Lacrosse Games of the Week: Six Teams Remain in Hunt for Minto Cup

With the lacrosse season now over for some teams, there will be guys getting ready to go back to school in the States and begin focusing on NCAA field lacrosse. But for six teams in Canada, there is only one thing on each player’s mind: the Minto Cup. The National Championship of Jr. A lacrosse is one of the most prized trophies in the box lacrosse world.

READ MORE »

Junior A Lacrosse Games of the Week: Road to the Minto Cup

The Junior A playoffs are heating up across Canada. Here’s a look at the three big series in each region.

READ MORE »