Athletics ready for Blaze
The St. Catharines WMKL Athletics head into the playoffs in a good spot after winning three of their final four regular season games to finish at 10-10.
The A’s wrapped up the regular season with an 11-9 win at Burlington Monday after a 9-5 loss at Whitby Saturday following a huge 11-8 win at home last week over the first-place Orangeville Northmen.
“It was one of the most fun bus rides home Monday. A lot of relief, a lot of pleasure,” A’s general manager Jeff Chcoski said. “We needed to win one and we won two of three.
“The guys are coming together at the right time. We’ve gone through some adversity.”
The A’s practised Wednesday and will again tonight in preparation for their best-of-five Ontario Junior Lacrosse League quarter-final playoff series versus the defending Minto Cup champion Burlington Blaze. The Blaze also finished with a 10-10 record.
Game 1 is Friday at Canada Games Park at 8 p.m. followed by Game 2 Sunday in Burlington at 7 p.m. and Game 3 in Burlington Monday at 8 p.m.
The A’s and Blaze split their two regular season meetings. Burlington won 7-6 June 26 in St. Catharines before Monday’s matchup.
The Athletics began the season with just one win in their first 10 games before two big events turned things around.
Following a 9-8 loss to Whitby June 12, Chcoski and head coach Steve Toll called out their team publicly in a blunt and very accurate assessment of the first 10 games.
The A’s responded immediately, winning four of their next five games to get back on track.
“Obviously, it was a very stressful start,” Chcoski said. “The schedule was a bad start for us. We had some tough teams right off the start and it didn’t set us up very well but I knew the second half we had an easier schedule.”
The team also got a boost when they were awarded two wins in games they had lost to Toronto Beaches when it was ruled Toronto had used ineligible players. The ruling was finalized Wednesday after weeks of legal haggling.
According to a press release posted by the OJLL, Beaches appealed the ruling and the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League Wednesday finalized the player eligibility review for the Toronto Beaches. The decision followed a series of appeals that emphasized procedural adherence and fairness in handling player registrations.
“It was ruled Beaches exceeded the maximum number of direct releases permitted. Additionally, the club permitted the involvement of a player who was not registered or properly rostered to an OLA team prior to participation. The use of these players not only violates the OLA Regulations on the maximum limit of direct releases permitted between divisions of play but also provided the Toronto Beaches an unfair competitive advantage in assembling their roster, which undermines the fairness and integrity of the league. Consequently, the score of the first eight Toronto Beaches games of the 2024 season, which were played with ineligible players, was ruled to be zero for the Toronto Beaches, and the score of the other team shall be as attained during the game.”
Chcoski was relieved the matter was finally resolved.
“I understand the dynamics of everything that happened. It definitely wasn’t easy because going into yesterday we didn’t know if we were going to be fourth or fifth or out of the playoffs,” Chcoski said. “Until you heard it, you still weren’t sure.”
The As head into the playoffs fully healthy for one of the few times this season.
“We are at full strength,” Chcoski said.
The A’s will also be able to add players from the Athletics Junior B squad if needed. The B’s will be available since they don’t begin their Western Conference final versus Elora until Saturday, July 20.
St. Catharines vs. Burlington
Game 1: Friday, July 12 at St. Catharines, 8 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, July 14 at Burlington, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Monday, July 15 at Burlington, 8 p.m.
*Game 4: Wednesday, July 17 at St. Catharines, 8 p.m.
*Game 5: Friday, July 19 at Burlington, 8 p.m.
*if necessary
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