History of the A's

Juniors Enter Box Lacrosse Tournament

Few Ontario lacrosse fans had heard of "box" lacrosse before 1931. But soon they would be reading in their sports pages that a new lacrosse with seven players per side and played in a more confined area would provide spectators with plenty of non-stop action and excitement. Many writers of the day would claim that this variation of the old game was taking off in Australia and since our once popular field game was conceded to be in decline, then maybe we should give it a try too.

Well try it we did, and in a big way. First a professional box circuit was set up, the International Professional Lacrosse League, with franchises awarded to the Montreal Maroons, the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs and to Cornwall (after New York withdrew). The league played its first game in late June of 1931 and generated enough of a following to label its initial season a success.

And there was also a palpable interest among some of the traditional Ontario Senior field lacrosse clubs. When a lacrosse box was put up at Toronto's Sunnyside Softball Stadium, an exhibition match between St. Simons and the Native Sons was enthusiastically played on July 7th, 1931. Almost immediately this led to the formation of the Sunnyside Box Lacrosse League, with Hamilton, Brampton, Mimico, Native Sons and St. Simons "fielding" teams. Even field legend Charlie Querrie would jump on the bandwagon and donate the "Querrie Trophy, emblematic of the amateur seven-man lacrosse championship of Canada" to the eventual champions of the Sunnyside league. The Brampton Excelsiors would return from British Columbia with the last field Mann Cup in tow, and then defeat the Mimico team in a best-of-three Sunnyside League final to claim the box title. Between field and box, and between the Mann Cup and Querrie Trophy play-downs, the Excelsiors would play a then record 40 games in that summer of 1931.

So sudden and so overwhelming was the switch from field lacrosse to box, that the Canadian Amateur Lacrosse Association then announced in September that it would officially adopt seven-man lacrosse and virtually abandon the sport generally regarded as our national pastime for over 60 years. The Toronto Globe would exclaim that this "will come as a distinct surprise to the majority of those interested in Canada's national game."

Meanwhile in St. Catharines, the Tecumsehs would defeat the Athletics on August 18th before 2,500 fans to win the city junior field lacrosse league title and a Standard reporter would write, "that was lacrosse as it should be and ask any one of the fans if it did not suit them right down to the ground."

But "lacrosse as it should be" would soon be something very different than what was witnessed by an appreciative crowd at the City Sports Park on that summer day, and the very same "Tecs" would be the first locals to get a taste of it.

Junior boxla at Sunnyside, are you up to it boys?

And the rest is history...

JUNIOR BOX LACROSSE STARTS NEXT TUESDAY

EIGHT TEAMS TO COMPETE IN SERIES AT SUNNYSIDE PARK

The Toronto Globe

Saturday August 29, 1931

Eight teams have sent in their entries for the junior box lacrosse tournament that will open at Sunnyside next week. No more will be accepted. The teams are St. Helen’s, St. Simon’s, Mimico, Beaches, Mount Dennis, Weston, Oshawa and St. Catharines.

The tournament will be conducted along the same line as the senior league, where only home sticks are allowed and seven men a side, but will differ insofar as having a second chance is concerned, for once a team loses a game it means elimination. This makes every game a final and will keep the players going at top speed.

These youngsters play real lacrosse. The fast Mimico team in the senior league is comprised mostly of juniors. The other clubs have just as fast men. St. Catharines, it is claimed, have a wonderful team and their style of quick, snappy passing is of the sensational kind.

The tournament will open on either Tuesday or Wednesday with a doubleheader, starting at 7:30 p.m.

SPORT DONE BROWNE

by CLAYTON BROWNE

The St. Catharines Standard

Thursday September 3, 1931

Today saw Coach Max Peart embark for Toronto with his junior St. Kitts squad. Tonight at Sunnyside they play the second game of the double-header, hooking up with Toronto St. Simon’s at 8:30.

The first game is between St. Helen’s and Oshawa and should the Garden City juniors survive the round, they will meet the winners of the Mimico–Mount Dennis–Weston–Beaches quartet next Tuesday night in the finals. The Peart entry is conceded to have an even chance to get somewhere in the abbreviated pastime, provided they stick to their knitting and play the lacrosse they are capable of.

Coach Peart is taking a baker’s dozen over, from whom he will select the team when they are ready to take the floor. For goal, he has Gilchrist and McGregor, the latter the best of the outside teams if he will only learn to stay in his nets. There is no 100-yard stretch behind the nets in the kangaroo game, so he may decide to stay put. Gilchrist was the sensation of the box lacrossers down at the Falls and is away the best of the net minders at the indoor sport. The rest of the team will be Downey, Barnard, VanAlstyne and Sunderland on defence with Wilson, McCollum, Baker, Rowden, Millar, Doucette and Barrett for the home field and scoring punch. St. Kitts is pulling for the juniors to come through, as the majority of them have had two or three games at Niagara Falls under their belts for experience.

CITY JUNIORS GO INTO FINALS

BOX LACROSSISTS TAKE OSHAWA BY 4 – 1 AND MEET MIMICO TONIGHT FOR TITLE

The St. Catharines Standard

Tuesday September 8, 1931

St. Kitts junior lacrossists managed by Art Brown and coached by Max Peart, rang up their second successive victory in the box tournament at Sunnyside on Saturday night when they took the Oshawa juniors into camp by 4 to 1.

In the tangle with the motor city stickers, however, they had a tougher assignment than they did in the opening one with St. Simon’s and were forced to battle hard for each score. Again, the principal asset of the Garden City juniors was in their ability to produce speed and mix it up with combination and certified teamwork, which was about all the difference between the two squads.

The game was fast and hard checking. The majority of the rooters being from this city, whose presence helped the Saints to a very great degree and it is hoped they will take in the trip tonight when the finals are contested that bring Mimico into the set-to against the Garden City kangaroo pastimers.

In Saturday’s game, the score was 1 – 1 at the first quarter, Downey getting the opening counter on an assist from Barnard. “Buster” Rowden took down the lion’s share of the attacking when he gathered in two loose balls and changed the half time tally from 1 – 1 to 3 – 1 for the Garden City. In making his solo plays, he ran from end to end of the enclosure and beat the Oshawa goalie cleanly. The score remained at 3 – 1 for the three-quarter period and in the last quarter, Wilson notched the final to bring it up to 4 – 1. “Red” Millar, who badly sprained his ankle in the first game, was forced to sit on the side lines and in the second half. Downey took McCollum’s place as rover, where he did a good job and his body checks and intercepts had the Oshawans bothered considerably. Gilchrist in goal for the Saints was the defensive star, his generalship and handling of buzzing shots being sensational.

The St. Kitts team lined up as follows:

Goal, Gilchrist; defence, Downey, Barnard; centre, Wilson; rover, McCollum; home, Rowden, Fitzgerald; subs., Sunderland, Martin, VanAlstyne, Baker, Houston, McGregor.

SPORT DONE BROWNE

– THE FINAL TONIGHT –

by CLAYTON BROWNE

The St. Catharines Standard

Tuesday September 8, 1931

Lacrosse hopes will be carried to Toronto by the junior squad tonight when they tackle their strongest task, that of leveling the colours of Mimico in the finals for the junior O. A. L. A. tournament, which has been in progress during the past week and concluding this evening.

The boys under Messrs. Brown and Peart from the Garden City have played excellent games of the Canada’s national pastime and defeated in succession, St. Simon’s and Oshawa. If they can maintain their strength and strategy tonight against the winners of the second group, the title of junior champions of Ontario’s amateur box loop will come to the city of the nativity.

Every boy on the squad is a proud product of St. Kitts and with the reputation of the Garden City to maintain, they may be depended upon to uphold tradition as being worthy representatives of the city where speed, stick-handling, combination and team play are by-words. It is expected that the city will be well represented at Sunnyside stadium when the opening whistle shrills at 8:15 p.m. The team will travel by bus, leaving J. D. McLean’s, York and Merritt Streets at 5:15 and Tim & Macs at 5:30.

ST. KITTS LOST JUNIOR FINAL

MIMICO TAKES BOX LACROSSE AWARD FROM TECUMSEHS BY 10 TO 3

The St. Catharines Standard

Wednesday September 9, 1931

Too much running and not enough passing spelled doom for the Tecumsehs, St. Catharines entry in the junior O. A. L. A. box lacrosse league at Sunnyside last night and the result was a defeat in their final game to Mimico by a score of 10 to 3.

There was barely any distinguishable difference in the two teams as far as individual merits go, but Mimico showed their superiority at the miniature game by flashing a smart, passing style that carried them in on the goal continually in a threatening position to score. On the other hand, the St. Kitts home took the ball at the defence and ran the length of the field, giving the opposing defence plenty of time to get set and break up the rush.

The only time the handful of St. Kitts supporters got a real good opportunity to yell was when Billie Fitzgerald went through on the best rush of the entire game to tie the game up at one all after Mimico had opened the scoring in the first half-minute of play. The rush started at the defence and Fitzgerald ran around one man and pivoted away from two other defence men to get in on top of English in the opposing goal.

Gair was the outstanding player on the field, the flashy rover for Mimico getting five goals and an assist on another. Murphy and Granger on the defence for Mimico were strong at the position and broke up many rushes. Gair opened the scoring after only half a minute and made the score 2 – 1 from a scramble in front of the net after seven minutes, while Downey gave Murphy a hard ride coming in, the latter went around and scored the third for the winners.

The second and third periods were even, but Mimico outscored the Tecumsehs by 4 – 1, Rowden getting the only counter for St. Kitts on a smart pass midway through the third from Millar, who was showing his wares to good advantage in the abbreviated playing space. Davidson, Murphy, Gair and Murphy again were the goal getters for Mimico that frame.

The final period saw both teams settle down to a close checking game and Downey and Murphy were chased for mixing things up a little too hard. Gair and Granger counted to make the score 9 – 2 and at the ten minute mark Wilson scored the final goal for the Tecumsehs on a good shot from in front of the net. With a half minute to go, Gair shucked in his final for Mimico to end the game 10 – 3.

The line-ups:

Tecumsehs (St. Catharines) – Goal, Gilchrist; defence, Downey, Barnard; rover, Fitzgerald; home, Rowden, Wilson; subs., Doucette, Millar, McCollum, Baker, Sunderland, VanAlstyne, McGregor.

Mimico – Goal, English; defence, Murphy, Fullerton; rover, Davidson; home, Granger, Goode; subs., Harrison, Gair, Harwood, Atkinson, Armstrong, Carruthers, Towerly.

Referee – Len Smith, Toronto.

Timer – Gene Dopp, Toronto.

The Summary

SPORT DONE BROWNE

by CLAYTON BROWNE

The St. Catharines Standard

Wednesday September 9, 1931

St. Kitts juniors lacked one asset last night in the junior box lacrosse final of the O. A. L. A. play-offs at Sunnyside stadium and that was the ability to capitalize on the fact that the ball is speedier than the feet.

On the night's play they had every bit as much of possession as the ultimate winners, but it was the difference between permitting the enemy defence to close in and block the net before an attacking runner instead of flicking the rubber to an assisting home man. That made the vital advantage.

Sooner than take a chance on their combination going astray, the red-shirts preferred to carry the ball from end-to-end that gave the opposing defence just enough time to settle down and repel the incoming home snipers. Even on an abbreviated enclosure of 100 by 200 feet, the ball is quicker than the foot and much valuable time was lost on individual sorties or concerted rushes that might have been eliminated if the snappier passing had been in vogue.

However, the loss to the Tecumsehs, as carrying the burden of the Garden City in their first tourney, may be attributed to nothing more than inexperience and the excellent showing on the part of the Saints in disposing of St. Simons and Oshawa proves that they are richly profiting by experience and must not be expected to win every contest simply because they are from the home of the popular game.

AthleticsLacrosse.Com footnote: nearly a month after this junior box lacrosse tournament final, Mimico and St. Catharines would meet in the 1931 Junior O. A. L. A. field lacrosse finals. Mimico would again persevere, this time with a 10 - 4 win in Mimico and a 4 - 4 tie back in St. Catharines to take the series by 14 goals to 8. The Standard would write, " Joe Murphy may not be very big, but the Mimicoans can thank him for saving the day for them, as he gave one of the headiest displays of intercepting and ball carrying that a visiting junior has trotted out at the city sport park this season. He out-thought the St. Kitts home almost uncannily and his long stick was seen in the majority of saves that threatened the suburbanites' twine."

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