Centre Wellington Aces deal Georgetown Gators losing hand, redeeming past championship loss

CENTRE WELLINGTON – The Centre Wellington Aces have clinched the Nobile Cup for the first time since the Senior C lacrosse team formed in 2022.

The Aces beat out the Barrie Bearcats and Georgetown Gators in the Ontario Lacrosse Association championship, held at the Ray Twinney Recreation Complex in Newmarket from Aug. 21 to 23.

Centre Wellington closed out the weekend with a 7-3 win over Georgetown, the previous-season foes that defeated the Aces 6-2 in the 2025 final.

Trevor Wright, a part owner of the team, said the Aces had a strong resolve to see a different outcome this year.

“Friday night walking on the floor, you could just tell the guys had something; they were pretty pumped,” Wright said.

The team dominated Barrie 9-2 heading into the weekend, before beating Georgetown 6-4 on Saturday.

Georgetown came out ahead of Barrie in the semi-finals to face Centre Wellington in the Sunday final.

With fewer than 10 minutes to go in the third, Georgetown tied the final game 3-3.

“We didn’t run away with it until probably eight or nine minutes left in the third – it was a pretty tight game the first two periods,” Wright said.

Centre Wellington came out on top with four goals in the final minutes to seal the victory.

‘Everything just started clicking’

Centre Wellington entered the championship weekend in second place, with a 13-3 record in 16 games from May through July.

“It was an adjustment period in 2025 and 2026, everything just started clicking together for them,” Wright said.

Wright and fellow owners Shawn and Laura Murray, along with assistant coaches Tyler Woodman and Mike McMullen, had orchestrated a plan in early 2025 to win with the Aces.

“We added a couple pieces to the puzzle that put us over the edge,” Wright said.

The Aces picked up locals Robbie Stovel and Dan Keane and, according to Wright, had “two of the best goaltenders in the league” in Carson Hebner and Mitchell Wagner.

The team played a faster but less aggressive game too, Wright said.

“We’ve got a pretty tough team, but we also realize that if you spend too much time in the penalty box, you’re not going to do too well,” he said.

The team, formed with players in their 20s and 30s from Centre Wellington, Wallaceburg, Cambridge and Windsor, gelled especially well together this season.
“All the guys felt that we were in a different place than we were the last two years,” Wright said.

“Our goal for next year is to win again.”