History of the A's

The Last Game At The "Old Corner Lot"

ST. KITTS DEFEATED BEACHES DECISIVELY ON THE HOLIDAY IN A DECIDEDLY FAST GAME 

VISITORS SCORED FIRST, THEN ATHLETICS ROLLED IN FOUR 

BEACHES TOOK NEXT FOUR STRAIGHT 

FINAL MATCH ON THE OLD GROUNDS WAS ONE OF THE BEST 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Monday July 3, 1922 

The Athletics turned back the Beaches in great style on Saturday when they defeated them by a score of 9 to 5, in one of the best and fastest games to be played on the old Lacrosse grounds. It was quite in order that the Athletics should pull out a win. The game was very close up to half time although St. Catharines did take a three goal lead in the second period which was overcome and tied by the Beaches before the end of the quarter. The score at quarter time was 1 – 1; at half time 4 – 4. 

In the third St. Kitts got going, after the Beaches had taken the lead by one goal, and O’Brien scored three and Gayder one by means of pretty combination on the part of the St. Kitts home and the occasional odd man. The score at the end of the third quarter was 8 to 5. The final session was ushered in by a downpour of rain which made good playing a impossibility. St. Catharines, however, added one more to their total when Gayder attempted to pass to Switzer who was in front of the nets. Switzer missed the pass which was low, and so did Coutie and the ball rolled right into the net, for the last goal of the game making the final score 9 to 5. 

A very large crowd attended the last game on the famous old lacrosse grounds and were well repaid by the lacrosse that was handed out to them. 

Sky Clear at Start 

The sky was clear at the beginning of the game and a hot sun shone down on the field during the first half. It looked at first as though condition would count entirely. But a cloud obscured the sun in the third period and soon after the last quarter started the field was turned into a sea of water and mud by the heavy downpour of rain. 

The fluke goal which St. Kitts scored in the last quarter was one of the little comedies of the game. 

The elusive Pim was not so elusive on Saturday, when May stopped several of his rushes at the goal. But nevertheless he put up a star game and was the best for the Beaches. 

Defence Tighter 

The strengthened defence of the Athletics with the acquisition of May and Purdy held the opposing home nicely, and they seldom got away. Rhodes in goal put up one of the nicest games which he has turned in for a long time, and that is saying a lot. He made many stops which seemed impossible to get. He got away after the ball in quick order after a shot and cleared nicely every time. In fact he was every bit as good on Saturday as the famous Coutie, goalie for the Beaches. 

The presence of May and Purdy made a big difference on the Athletics’ defence. With these two men and Haffey, Crowe and Lee, the Athletics should be ready to administer defeat to all comers. Heretofore, this season, the home has been the strongest part of the St. Kitts team, but on Saturday the defence was every bit as effective as the home guard. Harry Lee played a great game. He has the right idea of checking up and he got his man nearly every time. Haffey and Crowe, the old war horses played the game of their lives and as usual were right on the job all the time. May was put on Braden, the Beach home man, and he checked him to a standstill. 

Through Luck

Art Gayder had hard luck in several of his rushes especially in the first quarter. Twice he passed the whole of the Beaches’ defence and shot at the goal, but Coutie got in front of both of them and made wonderful stops. Art was however very effective both on the defensive and offensive. Johnny Phipps played a nice game. For his weight he has a wonderful burst of speed and could outrun most of the players on the opposing team. 

The St. Catharines home was wonderful. They played their short snappy pass game, which in the third quarter enabled O’Brien to make three goals in succession, he being on the end of the combination. All during the game this combination was effective and their rushes usually ended in a shot at goal and kept Coutie busy most of the time. 

Red Miller on Deck 

Red Miller (sp) made his first appearance on the field this season in Saturday’s game and played the first quarter. He relinquished his position in the second period to a fresher man. Red however played a nice game while he was out. 

Switzer was one of the best on the home. His passing was good at all times and he fed O’Brien several times enabling him to go in for a goal. Speaking of O’Brien, he played one of the best games of his career. He bored in three times in the third period for as many goals and his playing was superb at all times. Oille was another stalwart of the home, also Bill Pennie. Both of these players played wonderful lacrosse, although Pennie was more closely watched by the visitors defence. Goudie was real good at inside home. He opened the scoring for St. Catharines in the first period when he shot a hot one past Coutie. Harrington made his first appearance on the field this year and while he was out he put up a good game. 

Visitors Scored First 

At times during the game St. Kitts would take a streak and would pull off bad passes, one or two of which were disastrous, but on the whole their passing was very good. The game opened with the Athletics attacking the Beaches’ net but nothing more than shot which Coutie stopped resulted. It took the Beaches about five minutes to open the scoring when Braden put in the first. Shortly afterwards, May got the fence for ten minutes for hitting Braden. Just as May was coming back on the field, he received a pass and gave the ball to Goudie who was inside the defence enabling the latter to even the score with a hot one. There was no further scoring in this period. 

St. Catharines started the scoring in the second when the ball rolled in the net out of a scramble. An argument ensued when it was found that the Beaches were playing eleven men while the Athletics had twelve on the field. A rule was finally found that forced the Beaches to put another man on the field and the goal counted. O’Brien scored shortly after this from away out making the score 3 -1. Gayder took a long shot which Coutie looked after. Oille also bounced one over the net. Rhodes pulled off some great stops in this quarter. Oille took a pass from Gayder and with a sweeping shot completely fooled Coutie for St. Catharines’ fourth. The Beaches came back strong and bombarded the Athletics’ net. Rhodes held them out for a while, but Pim finally found the net making it 4 – 2. Pim also got the next one while the Beaches’ fourth count came from a rebound off Rhodes’ pads which McClure batted in. The period ended 4 – 4. 

Third Quarter 

Pim started the scoring in the third quarter for the Beaches when he passed Haffey and got Toronto’s fifth. A pretty combination with O’Brien on the end evened the score. Gayder followed up a shot, receiving the rebound and registering St. Catharines sixth. The Athletics were never headed after this and had things mostly their own way. O’Brien again fooled Coutie when he took an undershot at goal putting St. Kitts two goals up. Vince also made it eight for the locals when he got a pass from Switzer and scored with another undershot. The three quarters score was 8 to 5 for the Athletics. 

Rain Falls 

Soon after the first half started, a downpour of rain also commenced slowing up what had hitherto been a whirlwind of a game. There was only one goal scored in this quarter, Gayder passing the ball to Switzer who missed the pass, the ball rolling past Coutie. 

The team that the Athletics fielded on Saturday was one of the best that has represented this city for some time and they should go far. Beaches defeat on Saturday will eliminate them from the senior O. A. L. A. race this summer having lost three games. St. Kitts have won two and have played all the teams in the group. They have yet to play the Riverdales and the Shamrocks in this city and the Beaches and St. Simons in Toronto. By winning all of them, St. Kitts can at least tie for first place. The Athletics have a team that will take a lot of beating by any club in the league. They are out to show the St. Simons that they can play better than they did when the latter visited this city before and the St. Kitts outfit is confident of winning over the Saints on their own home lot. 

The teams lined up as follows on Saturday: 

Referee – Len Smith.

Judge of Play – Pete Barnett. 

MEMORY OF THE LACROSSE GROUNDS 

Voices are hushed, the pulse is stilled.

That once with joyous shouts were thrilled.

And brought sweet sunshine to our lives.

But now the far famed field has flown.

Its pleasures all have lost their tone.

The sporting heart no longer strives.

A gloom upon our lives is cast.

Spring’s sunshine turned to winter’s blast.

We’ll miss her loving fond caress.

 But out of sport’s rich treasury.

And all that’s sweet in memory.

Our overwhelming grief express.

Lacrosse, Rugby, Football, sporting friends.

The hearts there in your anguish rends.

Will be lonely without your song.

Yet in your far famed field so short

We know that nought will hide.

You served us well, good-bye dear “Sport.” 

(St. Catharines Standard. July 3, 1922)   

OPENING OF OLD GROUNDS IS RECALLED 

ATHLETICS WON FIRST MATCH PLAYED MAY 24, 1883 

The St. Catharines Standard 

Wednesday July 5, 1922 

The old Lacrosse grounds were opening, according to a clipping received by the Standard; in 1883 when the Mechanics met the Athletics on the latter’s “new Athletic Lacrosse grounds” on the 24^th of May. In looking over the line-up, many familiar names are in evidence.

On the Athletics’ line up there are: W. R. James, J. Adie, H. M. Rogers, A. W. Marquis, D. C. Hetherington, Jno. Cairns, H. D. Beattie, H. O’Loughlin, Jno. S. Carlisle, J. D. Chaplin, A. Collins and J. Downey.

For the Mechanics: C. Leitch, J. Boles, J. McLaren, J. Williams, F. Williams, W. Wiley, J. Taylor, T. Bennett, Joseph Hodgins, C. Henshaw, G. Kalls and A. Linten.

Ald J. B. McIntyre filled the position of referee while M. J. Cairns and J. C. Fraser acted as umpires. 

In those days, each goal was called a game. J. S. Carlisle won the first game for the Athletics by scoring one, Downey won the second and Carlisle again scored winning the third, giving the Athletics the match in three straight “games.” 

Minor Footnote: This 1922 story on the opening of the "Old Corner Lot" may have got the date and the score incorrect.  The Toronto Globe in 1883 put the first game as June 8th, 1883: "This match should have been played on the Queen's Birthday, but the grounds were unsuitable until to-day." Also the Globe put the score 3 to 1 for the Athletics.

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