“Lacrosse is a fast, physical sport – and there’s no getting around that.”
Still, Sudbury U15 Rockhounds head coach B.J. Adair knew full well that an 8-5 victory over the Brantford Warriors in his team’s opening game of the Nickel City Shootout on Friday did not play at all to the strength of this very talented crew.
A penalty filled affair that saw players from both teams suspended might fit the bill for some box lacrosse teams in the province – but it does nothing for a Sudbury squad that would finish the weekend with a 5-0 record, culminating that run with a 9-2 win over Brantford in the divisional gold medal rematch.
“For us, it comes down to fast ball movement and consistent, dedicated offense,” stated coach Adair. “If we’re not moving our feet, if we’re a little bit hesitant to cut through in those rougher games, you can tell our game is different.”
“But when we’re on and we’re moving our feet, there’s not a whole lot that we can’t do – and we proved that again today.”
Jonah Ashcroft, Oliver Brunetti and Clark Montgomery scored two goals apiece for Sudbury, with Kaesen Adair, Carter Kuczma and Fisher Lemieux rounding out the scoring in a contest that featured only seven minor penalties, in total. And for as much as the Rockhounds controlled play for stretches on end, new starting netminder Arlo Owl-McGregor was super steady in racking up his fifth consecutive win between the pipes.
“He has progressed immensely and is doing incredibly well,” said Adair of his young ball-stopper who makes the trek in from just this side of Little Current and is a hockey netminder during the winters.
Of course, the 90 minute trip from Manitoulin Island to Sudbury is just a hop, skip and jump compared to the journey that teammate Jonah Ashcroft experiences every summer as he reconnects with a grouping that he have now welcomed with back, with open arms, for some four or five years.
A soon-to-be 14 year-old grade 8 student at St Mark’s Episcopal School, Ashcroft jumps back into the fold in northern Ontario once his school year is done in Houston, Texas. Blessed with parents who both enjoy family roots in Sudbury, the well-spoken teenager is thankful both for the chance to play some box lacrosse, come the beginning of June – as well as the opportunity to avoid the stifling mid-summer heat back in the Lone Star State.
“We have a summer home right next to my gramma (on Long Lake),” said Ashcroft. “I started coming here when I was seven and started playing with these guys when I was eight or nine.”
South of the border, field lacrosse is far more prevalent than box lacrosse, with Ashcroft seemingly a quick study as he helps to provide an offensive punch with the U15 Rockhounds. “I had to get back into it,” he said. “Field lacrosse and box lacrosse are really different.”
“The physicality – there’s not a lot of cross-checks in field lacrosse. And by far the biggest thing is how small the net is (in box). In field lacrosse, you have so much more room to score. Even if you miss by a little bit, it’s going in.”
As for the much better performance in game two versus the Warriors, Ashcroft suggested that this encounter was far more representative of what his team is capable of doing when they are on their game.
“I think we did a great job of not playing down to their level,” he said. “Moving without the ball, being fast, making sure to sub properly, getting all of the guys on the floor, getting the ball to everybody – that’s how we play lacrosse.”
In between the sweep over Brantford, the Sudbury U15 boys emerged triumphant in matchups with the Orillia Kings (6-2), Nepean Knights (8-7) and Barrie Bombers (5-2). The balance of the Rockhounds roster features Bennett Bouchard, Merrick Charbonneau, Matthew Christakos, Karson Ferguson, Jarrett Marshall, Logan Peltier, Cedric Poulin, Parker Roy, Rohan Saidi-Smith, Noah Stott and Noah Therrien.
The Mimico U11 Mountaineers also wrapped up a flawless 5-0 weekend on Sunday afternoon at the Carmichael Arena, doubling the Kawartha Lakes Fury 4-2 in the championship affair that immediately preceded the Sudbury – Brantford U15 battle.
Jacob Stumpo, Landon de Oliveira, Matthew Karpinsky and Wesley Raymond took care of the scoring for the Mountaineers, a team of largely minors that continues to trend in the right direction. “The boys got better throughout the tournament,” suggested head coach Adam Rivers.
“The games got tougher and tougher and the team rose to the occasion each time. At this age group, you’re really trying to work on a little more structure and seeing them put that into place, the structure into practice has been awesome.”
Mimico also sent a U11 entry to the 2025 Nickel City Shootout and the positive reviews received back home prompted the lads from the south-west corner of Toronto that borders on Lake Ontario to follow in their footsteps.
“We wanted to do an away tournament, get the team together in a team building opportunity,” said Rivers. “It’s been a great week; we had a lot of fun.”
Like all OLA (Ontario Lacrosse Association) teams, the U11 Mountaineers will start ramping up the details of their game with provincial championships slated to take place from July 31st through to August 9th.
“A big thing moving forward will be transitioning the ball with the 10-second clock (introduced at this age group for the first time this summer),” said Rivers. “Being able to move the ball up the floor under pressure is key.”
Brydon Shaw, Charlie Levi, Ellis Walker, Everett Stewart, Ezra Fong, Griffin Campbell, Hank Moad, Jack Byrne, Logan McLaren, Nathan Pimentel, Nathan Toguri and William Rivers comprise the remainder of the Mimico lineup.
In other action involving Sudbury teams, the U11 Rockhounds captured the consolation crown, outscoring the Sault Ste Marie Spartans 8-4. Troy Michelutti potted a quartet of markers to show the way, with Jack Eamer, Pierce Rainville and Declan Abitong adding solo efforts.
The U22 Rockhounds fell 8-4 to the Orillia Kings in their semi-final outing while the U9 Rockhounds lost to the Cambridge Highlanders, also on Sunday morning, one step shy of the finals.
