Blaze eliminate Athletics
The 2023 season came to an end for the St. Catharines WMKL Athletics with a 14-9 loss to the Burlington Blaze Sunday afternoon in Burlington.
The Blaze swept the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League best-of-three series 3-0. Burlington won the opener 16-4 before taking Game 2 12-7 at St. Catharines Friday night.
A’s coach Steve Toll knew his charges were underdogs going up against a talented Burlington squad that finished in second place during the regular season with a 16-6 mark.
The A’s placed seventh with an 8-14 record.
“Like I said from Day 1, I knew we were in tough but I’m OK sometimes if you lose to a good team — which these guys are — but it’s how you lose,” Toll said. “To me, 16-4 isn’t a win. Lose 10-8, 11-9, 10-6, I’m OK with that as long as their work ethic is there. If our work ethic isn’t there and we’re not playing tough ball and we’re playing scared and just let them bully us around, then I’m not happy.
“If we play the way we can play and play lacrosse the right way, then I’m OK if we lose. It’s how you show up and you have to play with a little bit of heart.”
Toll said it was important his young charges get some playoff experience.
“It is a different ball game,” he said. “The refs let everything go, just like the NHL. All of a sudden we’re getting guys injured. Guys are getting hit from behind into the bench in the change box area should be an automatic suspension and there’s no suspension.
“It’s a different ball game from the reffing on out and the intensity picks up and there’s more at stake.”
Looking ahead, the A’s are graduating only one player — defender Carter Geoffroy — from this season’s roster.
“It doesn’t happen a lot and with the junior B team doing so well too, obviously only losing one guy, it’s real good looking for the next couple of years,” Toll said.
Geoffroy, a 21-year-old St. Catharines native, also saw his junior B hockey career come to an end earlier this season when the St. Catharines Falcons were eliminated.
“It’s tough,” the Sir Winston Churchill gradate said. “They’re both happening back to back.
“I’m having a lot of fun this year so it’s a good last year.”
Geoffroy appreciated being a part of two of the top junior programs in the province.
“It’s awesome. They treat you really well. They push you to your absolute best and set you up for success,” he said of his time with the A’s.
He also loved being a Falcon.
“It’s unbelievable. There are so many fans that love to come and watch you play. It’s really fun to go out and play.”
In both sports, Geoffroy has always been a tough, stay-at-home defender.
“As long as the team puts the ball in the net and comes out on top, that’s all that matters to me,” he said.
Geoffroy also took face-offs for the A’s this season.
“I used to take face-offs in high school field so I kind of brought that over to box in junior B and then they asked me to take some draws here,” he said.
Geoffroy, who is seeking a carpentry apprenticeship, would love to somehow remain in sports.
“I’m going to see what kind of hockey and lacrosse I can get into after,” he said. I’d love to stay involved. I don’t ever want to not be involved in sports but work is a big priority right now.”
Keaton Zavitz and Noah Snyder had three goals each for St. Catharines Sunday while Carson Robins added two and Zackary Toll one.
Friday, Snyder scored twice for the A’s while Robins, Issac Prantera, Zavitz, Toll and Christian LeFeuvre added singles.
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