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History of the A's |
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1923 - Future Prime Minister Scores Seven |
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A
late season exhibition game against a touring team from England would
provide the 1923 edition of the St. Catharines Athletics an opportunity
for a cultural exchange and a visit from a future Canadian Prime Minister.
A combined team from two of England’s most prestigious schools, Oxford
and Cambridge Universities, visited the Dominion and paid a visit to St.
Catharines for a “friendly” against the local double-blues. Many
of the student-athletes of that English team had endured the ravages of
the First World War and were now fully returned to civilian life and in
pursuit of their academic ambitions. One Canadian-born member of that
team, in addition to being a very accomplished lacrosse player, was a
future Prime Minister and recipient of the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize. Lester
B. Pearson served as Canada’s fourteenth Prime Minister from 1963 to
1968 and is closely identified with the Canada Pension Plan, bilingualism,
peace-keeping forces and Canada’s flag. His legacy of service places him
amongst the most influential Canadians in our history. But
on a late August day in 1923 the biggest concern that “Mike” had was
to get a lacrosse ball past the goaltender of the St. Catharines
Athletics. And you know what, Pearson could play this game. The rest is history. ENGLISH LACROSSE
TEAM HERE The St. Catharines
Standard Tuesday August 28,
1923 The
Oxford-Cambridge Lacrosse team, which will meet the Senior Athletics
tomorrow afternoon at Thomas street grounds, promises an afternoon of real
lacrosse for the fans who turn out to see the game. Following is the line
up of the visiting team. F.
L. L. Neylan, 2nd defence and captain, was a student at St.
Michael’s College, Toronto, before attending Oxford University. He lived
in Midland Ont. before the war. He served in the army from 1914 to 1919,
rising from private to company commander. He was wounded three times. He
was a member of the Oxford hockey team, which won the championship of
Europe in 1921 – 22. D’arcy
S. Curtis, goal keeper, was born at Leeds. He played cricket and football
at Charterhouse and at Cambridge. He played lacrosse for Yorkshire County
in ’21 and ’22, and for Cambridge in 1923. He is a law student. G.
C. E. Bennett is captain-elect for the Cambridge lacrosse team for 1924.
He hails from London and played cricket, rugby and lacrosse for St.
Dunstans and rugby for Calus College. He is a home player. H.
Heywood, age 29, was born in Manchester, educated Manchester University
and Wadham College, Oxford. He had four years war service in the infantry,
and the oldest man on the team. Played lacrosse for Manchester University
and for Cheshire County and for the South of England against the
Southwest. He is a law student. L.
B. Pearson, age 26, of Victoria College, Toronto and St. Johns College,
Oxford, played basketball and lacrosse at Toronto. He was a member of
Oxford ice hockey team. He saw army service for four years with the
infantry and Royal Flying Corps. V.
C. Wansbrough was born in London, age 22. Has played lacrosse for Oxford
since 1920. He is captain-elect of Oxford for 1924. J.
R. H. Fleming, born Prince Edward Island 25 years ago, educated St.
Dunstans College, P.E.I. and Lincoln College, Oxford. He was a Rhodes
Scholar for P. E. I. 1920. He joined R. F. C. in 1917 and was invalided same
year through accident. S.
LeRoy Switzer, was born in Ottawa, age 27. Educated at Port Arthur
Collegiate and Fitzwilliam Hall, Cambridge. He saw army service four years
in the infantry and R. F. C. Plays rugby and ice hockey, besides lacrosse,
and is a medical student. C.
H. Leach, was born in Manchester 25 years ago, and Manchester Grammer
School and Brasenose College, Oxford supplied his education. He was
president of Oxford lacrosse in 1920, captain of the shooting team, plays
cricket. J.
B. Ives, age 21, was born Leeds and educated at Stramongate School, Kendal
and St. Johns College, Cambridge. He is hon.-sec. Cambridge lacrosse for
1923 – 24. H.
L. Good, born London, Eng., age 20, was educated at Hurst Peitpont
College, Sussex and Trinity College, Cambridge. He is a member of the
Cambridge swimming team and plays rugby and cricket. OXFORD
– CAMBRIDGE
LACROSSE
PLAYERS
GUESTS
AT
THE
WELLAND
INN HEARTY
WELCOME
WAS
EXTENDED OFFICERS
OF
PRESENT
AND
PAST
ORGANIZATIONS
TAKE
PART The St. Catharines
Standard Wednesday August
29, 1923 A
true spirit of welcome prevailed the entertainment last night in The
Welland of the touring Oxford-Cambridge Lacrosse team, but the Lions Club
at which Col. McCordick, Chief of the Lions, Mayor Jacob Smith, President
W. C. Turnbull of the Rotary Club, President A. H. Trapnell of the St.
Catharines Lacrosse Association, Vice-President J. D. Wright of the
Ontario Amateur Lacrosse Association, Henry O’ Loughlin, one of the
first presidents of the old Canadian Lacrosse Association, J. S. Carlisle,
one of the first captains of the Athletic Lacrosse Club, bid welcome on
behalf of the city, to the visitors. Mayor
Smith extended a warm welcome to Capt. Neylan and his team, and trusted
they would find their visit to Canada most enjoyable, and that on their
return to England they would carry with them a very kind remembrance of
their short stay in this city. The
name of the Britisher in sport always stood for fair play, W. C. Turnbull
stated. They were lovers of clean sport and nowhere was the standing of
athletics higher than in Great Britain. It was a pleasure to welcome to
the city representatives of such a nation of sportsmen. As
it was the first time Mr. Turnbull had attended a meeting of the Lions
Club since his elevation to the presidency of the Rotary Club, Col.
McCordick expressed the Lions felicitations to him personally, and their
best wishes for the success of the sister club. A.
H. Trapnell saw in the visit of the Oxford-Cambridge team a two-fold
benefit. It seemed to him that in Ontario for some time teams had not been
“playing lacrosse,” but had been “laying across.” He urged upon
the members of the local team that, in their game today that, they should
play for the ball and try to imitate the attitude of the patrons of
British sport. There was room for much improvement in the game as it is
played at present. He could assure those present that every man on the St.
Catharines team was purely amateur. It was not every team in the Province
of Ontario that could say that. Vice-President Ald.
J. D. Wright, vice-president of the O. A. L. A., welcomed the visitors on
behalf of the governing association in the province, which could take much
pride to itself for the elimination of a lot of the roughness that
formerly marred what he considered to be the greatest sport in the world.
The O. A. L. A. came into being in 1913, growing out of the C. L. A which dated
back to 1878. Lacrosse,
like Canada’s mineral wealth, was found in Canada when the white men
came here. The Indians used to play it, but in a vastly different manner
to the way it is played today. Sometimes they would have as many as 500
men a side and the goals would be a mile apart. Ald.
Wright expressed the belief that a team representing Canada might tour
Great Britain next year as a result of the visit of the Oxford-Cambridge
team. Henry
O’ Loughlin recalled old lacrosse days in the Garden City in 1876 when
he and J. S. Carlisle entered the game and thought that if lacrosse were
taken out of his life there would not be much left in it. He was past
president of the old Canadian Lacrosse Association. J.
S. Carlisle added his word of welcome and proudly exhibited a charm
presented to him in 1886 by the ladies of St. Catharines, when he had been
captain of the Athletic team for eleven years. Capt.
Neylan, on behalf of his team, expressed their appreciation of the
reception tendered them and stated that they had a wonderful time since
landing in Canada. The English lacrosse clubs would be very pleased to
entertain a Canadian team in England next year, whether it is an all-star
team or a club team. He called upon the Oxford-Cambridge team to rise to
their feet, and drink a toast to St. Catharines. Dr.
Egener pleased the audience with splendid renditions of “The Road to
Mandalay” and “Somewhere a Voice Is Calling.” George Bowman sang
“A Wee Dooch and Doruis” and “The Weddin’ o’ Sandy McNab.” The
excellent dinner that preceded the official welcome was greatly enjoyed
by all present. This
morning the Oxford-Cambridge team were taken on a motor trip to Port
Weller, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Queenston, and Niagara Falls, having dinner
at the Clifton House, after which they motored back to St. Catharines for
the opening of their game with the Athletics this afternoon. SCORE
WAS
TIED
THREE
TIMES
IN
THE
LAST
QUARTER PEARSON
PROVIDED
THE
SENSATION INTERCEPTED
BALL
RUNNING
LENGTH
OF
FIELD,
SCORING
ONE-HANDED The St. Catharines
Standard Thursday August
30, 1923 The
Oxford-Cambridge lacrosse team went down to defeat yesterday afternoon
before the Senior Athletics of this city in a close and fast scoring game
by a score of 12 to 11. For the first three quarters the game lagged
somewhat, but the final session was all that could be asked for. The score
was tied three times and the winning goal was scored by Miller about one
minute before the game ended. The score at three quarters time was 8 –
8. The
visiting team proved to be a fine bunch of stick handlers and had speed to
burn. One of the nicest goals of the game was one made by Pearson when he
intercepted a pass near his own goal, made a pretty run the length of the
field, passing a couple of players and scoring on a one-handed shot. Curtis
in goal for the English team was “different”. He showed a great
tendency, after stopping a shot, to carry the ball as far down the field
as possible. In the third quarter he went right down the whole length of
the field and took a shot at the goal, getting back in time to look after
his net. Curtis was one of the fastest men on the field, being able to
step right away from most of the local men. Pearson
was big goal getter for the visitors, scoring seven of his team’s total
of eleven. Learning
Game The
Oxford-Cambridge team is learning the Canadian game fast, and used a
certain amount of body-checking. Their passing, especially in the opening
quarter when they did not score a goal, was poor. But they brightened up
somewhat in the closing period and played a pretty game. A
pretty piece of combination work
by Ives, Wansborough and Pearson accounted for a nice goal in the third
period, Wansborough doing the necessary. The
game was attended by a large crowd and the spectators were not
disappointed in the least at the exhibition displayed. Not a single
penalty was given during the whole game to either team. Comrie,
the junior player, was used for a couple of quarters and showed up very
well. He got two of the three goals scored by St. Kitts in the first
period. The
third quarter was the visitors big one. They got five goals holding the
Athletics to two, tieing the score. First
Quarter Nick
Purdy opened the scoring when he took a pass from Barber and put it past
Curtis. The visitors threw away a couple of chances by poor passing. Comrie
made it two for St. Kitts when he went in taking a pass from McIntosh on a
nice play. The
English team got dangerous and had a couple of shots at goal toward the
end of the period, both of which were looked after by Rymer. Comrie
also got the Athletics’ third goal batting in a pass from McIntosh.
Score 3 – 0. The
English team threw away another chance to score when a pass of Pearson’s
went wrong. The score at the end of the first period was 3 to 0 for St.
Catharines. Second
Quarter Pearson
got the visitors first goal when he went around his man and gave Rymer no
chance to save. Score 3 – 1. McIntosh
scored one from away out, getting a pass from Pennie. Score 4 – 1. Wansborough
made it two for Oxford-Cambridge on a individual piece of work. Going
through the local defense to score. Pearson
got another a couple of minutes later. Score 4 – 3. Miller
got the Athletics fifth goal from close in. Immediately after, McIntosh
made it 6 to 3 with a pretty shot from one side of the goal. Pearson
and Wansborough each took a shot at the goal but Rymer was on edge and
accounted for both of them. The
quarter ended with the score 6 – 3. Third
Quarter Pearson
made it 6 to 4 when he bounced one in from a mix-up in front of the net in
the third quarter. Captain Neylan missed a couple of shots, the ball wide. Miller
made it seven for St. Catharines when he took a pass from Pat Haffey,
easily shooting past Curtis. Score 7 – 3. Braithwaite got another a
moment later from close in. Neylan
got one for the visitors with only Rymer to beat. Score 8 – 5. Curtis
came out of his goal several times to carry the ball up the field and his
speed carried him well away from any pursuer. Wansborough
made it 8 to 6 with a hot one that fooled Rymer. Wansborough, Neylan and
Ives made a pretty combination with Wansborough on the end to score,
making it 8 to 7. Curtis,
goalie, carried the ball the entire length of the field, but his shot was
stopped. Pearson tied up the score just before the whistle blew with a
nice shot. The score at the end of the third quarter was 8 to 8. Fourth
Quarter Athletics
got one in the first minute when Pat Haffey took a pass from McIntosh.
Pearson evened it up immediately after with some nice individual work. Barber
put St. Kitts in the lead again when he put one in the top corner of the
net. Miller got another one on a pass from Barber, carrying the ball right
to the net. Pearson
intercepted a pass, made a beautiful run down the field passing Haffey,
and made a pretty one-handed shot. Score 11 – 10. Pearson
tied the score with another nice run down the field to fool Rymer. Score
11 – 11. Miller
put Athletics in front again with what proved to be the winning goal,
going through the whole defense. The game ended 12 to 11. Goal:
Curtis Point:
Switzer Cover:
Leach 1st
Defence: Fleming 2nd
Defence: Neylan Centre:
Bennett 2nd
Home: Ives 1st
Home: Wansborough Outside:
Pearson Inside:
Heywood Spare:
Good ATHLETICS Goal:
Rymer Point:
May Cover:
Purdy 1st
Defence: Herr 2nd
Defence: Haffey Centre:
Bill Pennie 2nd
Home: Barber 1st
Home: Comrie Outside:
Miller Inside:
McIntosh Spares: Horne, Braithwaite |