The Arthur Novice lacrosse team travelled to Whitby to compete in the Provincial Championships on Aug. 7 to 9.
With nine runners and one goalie, the Novices dug deep to capture the Division F Provincial Championship.
The opening game of the tournament featured Arthur versus New Tecumseth. Arthur started slow, but stuck with the game plan and prevailed 7-3 in a very spirited game.
Later that same day, the Aces took to the floor against Lincoln 2 for their second round robin game. Similar to their first game, the contest was tight for the first period, until scorers for Arthur found their groove and put away Lincoln by a score of 8-2. With two wins and no losses, this guaranteed Arthur a spot in the elimination round on championship Sunday at Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby.
On Sunday morning Arthur drew Toronto Beaches 2 in the semi-final game. With a short bench and a great deal of determination, the Novices got the job done against the Beaches and sent them home with a 6-2 victory to punch Arthur’s ticket to the gold medal game.
The opponent for the gold medal game was the New Tecumseth team that Arthur beat in the opening game of the tournament. The boys took to the floor at 2:30pm with the goal of bringing home the championship banner for Arthur. New Tecumseth came out strong, with good goaltending and the luxury of a much longer bench than Arthur to build a 4-1 lead after two periods of play. It appeared Arthur’s short bench was finally catching up with the boys.
Prior to the start of the third and final period the coaching staff reminded the players of their goal in this game and asked them for everything that they had left in the tank to make it happen.
The coaching staff and the fans of Arthur watched with a great deal of pride, officials say, as Arthur outscored New Tecumseth 6-1 in the final period to capture the gold medal and fulfill their goal.
The Novice team would like to congratulate all Arthur Aces teams on good showings at the provincials this year. In addition to this, they would like to congratulate the Centre Wellington 1 Novice team on winning the silver medal in the Division A championship.
Arthur Minor Lacrosse provides the opportunity for boys and girls to play competitive box lacrosse. Parents from Arthur, Drayton, Mount Forest and Grand Valley and surrounding areas can sign their kids up for the 2016 season and help bring home more championships.
Registration is held in February and March prior to the start of the season.
