History of the A's

An Old Rival Returns

BRAMPTON IS HERE SATURDAY

EDDIE POWERS LEADS FAMOUS TEAM INTO ATHLETIC STRONGHOLD

The St. Catharines Standard

Friday June 7, 1935

Eddie Powers, manager of the Boston Cubs in the Canadian-American hockey league, and coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Canadian Pro lacrosse league a few years back, will bring his Brampton Excelsiors to the city sports park tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon to meet the Brown-Cahill home-brew Athletics. Ten years have passed since a major Brampton squad played here and the game which should attract the largest crowd in the history of box lacrosse locally will get underway at 3:15.

The memory of the late Frankie Williams, one of the original wearers of the double blue crested with the familiar “A”, will be honored tomorrow when fans and players alike observe one minute’s silence before the game starts.

Brampton, without a victory to their credit, will have a win as a definite objective, while the blue-shirts, who have won two games and lost one, intend to get back into the win column after the pace-setting Burlington Beavers.

The rearguard forces of the Athletics may be strengthened for the all-important game as it has been rumored that Jack Blair, rugged and hard checking defenseman may return to the Athletics camp after a three-game absence. While the defense of Barnard, Hope, MacCartney and Lines have been working well during the past, every available checker and blocker will be needed to stop the powerful Excelsiors. There is little possibility of a change in the home players with Fitzgerald, Morton, Teather, and Pinder on one string and Madsen, McMahon, Arbuthnot, and Lounsbury on the other line.

Former Professionals

Veteran St. Catharines fans will see several familiar faces among the Bramptonites. Pete Ella, Mooney Gibson, and Norm Zimmer, re-instated Toronto Leaf pros, which played here in 1925, form the backbone of the Excelsiors along with Bill Anthony, also a former professional and Bill Mullis, with Orillia Terriers last season. Savage, a former intermediate will be in goal, while Jim Cleverly and Moe Thompson, who played with Brampton juniors here last year, are on the second line. 

ATHLETICS CLINCH SECOND PLACE BY WIN OVER BRAMPTON

HAND POWER’S EXCELSIORS UPSET IN FIRST CLASH BY 9 – 5 COUNT

VISITORS TACTICS MADE GAME SLOW

76 MINUTES IN PENALTIES SERVED – KEPT SQUADS SHORTHANDED

The St. Catharines Standard

Monday June 10, 1935

With a total of 76 minutes imposed in penalties, a factor which did not improve the brand of lacrosse played, the “home brew” Athletics took their third victory to tighten their second place position in senior O. A. L. A. group two by defeating Eddie Power’s Brampton Excelsiors 9 to 5, Saturday afternoon at the city sports park. More than 400 fans, the biggest home crowd of the current season, watched the game which had as its main bright spot the win for the Brown-Cahill forces. Play was far from open and the penalties, 45 minutes being served by the visitors, kept both teams on the defensive and generally the game was listless. The tactics used by several of the Brampton players confirmed the belief of many district patrons that the reports circulated concerning the Excelsior’s roughness, following the wild melee against Orillia, were not over-exaggerated.

Morton Absent

The absence of Roy “Pung” Morton from the front line weakened the A’s scoring power, but the rearguard was strengthened through the return of Jack Blair and the defence of Blair, Roy Barnard, George Hope and “Mac” MacCartney did a good job of holding the visitors to single goals in the first three quarters and a pair of tallies in the last session when they made their strongest showing.

The work of Goalies “Lick” McGregor and Savage, who starred for their respective lacrosse teams was sensational, both stopping 24 shots, all of the hardest variety. McGregor, when the A’s were shorthanded, also aided in starting several plays with long passes.

Lounsbury Cut

Thompson received a 10 minute penalty for cutting Irv Lounsbury across the forehead, while Fitzgerald and W. Mullis were penalized 10 minutes each for fighting. A five minute rest was given to Harris for cutting McMahon across the nose. Fitzgerald and Pinder also received slight cuts and other members of the Athletics were hammered heavily by the Bramptonites. Bill Anthony, brother of Pete Anthony, and last year with Orillia was the only Excelsior to be gashed.

The blue-shirts’ passing and shooting was not nearly as effective as in the first three games, several excellent scoring chances being missed.

With Pete Ella confined to the sidelines with a cracked rib and with Mooney Gibson and Norm Zimmer failing to measure up to the form which qualified them for professional company, the Excelsiors played an unusual style of lacrosse. Not once during the 60 minutes did they hurry the play and only when in close to the Athletic net did they make any great effort to score. Four of their five markers resulted for lone-handed plays with the scorer besting his check close in.

Lounsbury worked himself into exhaustion, setting the offensive pace with two goals and an assist. He took a heavy riding from the Excelsiors, as did Bill Fitzgerald, who scored one goal and supplied passes for two. Bob Pinder, besides back-checking well, tallied two counters. Arbuthnot, scored two goals, one of them unassisted and missed several other good chances. Madsen and McMahon each scored one goal, while Teather contributed a pair of passes for markers.

Arthurs, Thompson, Anthony, W. Mullis and Gowland scored for the E’s, with Mullis also getting an assist.

Three of the Saints goals were scored while the visitors were shorthanded. The second period when they collected five goals decided the issue for the homesters.

The teams:

Brampton – Goal, Savage; defence, Harris, Thompson; rover, Gibson; centre, J. Mullis; wings, Zimmer, Anthony; subs, Imber, Stapleton, Arthurs, W. Mullis, Gowland, Cleverly.

Athletics – Goal, McGregor; defence, Blair, Barnard; rover, Madsen; centre, McMahon; wings, Pinder, Lounsbury; subs, Hope, MacCartney, Fitzgerald, Teather, Arbuthnot, Maclean.

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