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Elora Mohawks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elora Mohawks
SportBox lacrosse
LeagueOLA Junior B Lacrosse League
Based inElora, Ontario
ArenaElora Community Centre
ColoursBlack, Gold, and White

The Elora Mohawks are Junior "B" box lacrosse team from Elora, Ontario, Canada. The Mohawks play in the OLA Junior B Lacrosse League.

History

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Elora Mohawks goalie 2014.
Elora Mohawks player 2014.

Probably founded in the 1960s, the Mohawks started out as the Fergus Thistles. In 1963, the team moved to become the Guelph Mohawks. In 1967 the team moved to Elora, Ontario and won the Canadian Castrol Cup in that year. They have bounced between the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League and the OLA Junior B Lacrosse League.

Fergus Thistles 19xx – 1962
Guelph Mohawks 1963 – 1966
Elora Mohawks 1967 to Present

2004 Playoff Run

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The 2004 Season ended with the Mohawks tied for first place in the West with the Spartan Warriors with a 17–3–0 record. Prior to the season, it was announced that the Mohawks were to also host the 2004 National Championship—the Founders Cup. The Mohawks opened up the Playoffs against the 8th seed Windsor Fratmen. The upstart Fratmen had barely squeezed past the Wallaceburg Red Devils into the last playoff spot and had stolen a big 8–7 victory from the Division leading Sarnia Pacers to even make the playoffs. The series was a mismatch from the start—the Mohawks swept the Fratmen in three games. The second round put them up against the Orangeville Northmen, which also resulted in a three-game sweep. The Conference Final was against the Spartan Warriors, another easy three games. This set up a League Final between the Mohawks and the Clarington Green Gaels. In what had looked like a fourth straight possible sweep ended up going the distance. Despite crushing the Gaels in 2 of the first three games by scores of 16–4 and 12–1, the Gaels came back to win 3 of the last four games and upset the Mohawks for the league title.[citation needed]

As host of the 2004 Founders Cup, the Elora Mohawks received an automatic berth into the tourney and received a chance at redemption for the Provincial Title loss. The tourney started on August 21 with the Mohawks facing off against the Sherbrooke Jr. Extrême of Quebec. What occurred was nothing short of a massacre—30–1 Mohawks. Later that night, the Saskatoon Smash had received a similar demoralizing thrashing from the Mohawks, losing 27–5. The next night the Mohawks defeated the Delta Islanders of British Columbia 16–2. The night after, the Mohawks also beat the Calgary Mountaineers 11–4. The Mohawks appeared to back to their normal selves.[citation needed]

The Semi-final was against the Edmonton Warriors, and the Mohawks enthused the home crowd with a 16–5 win. The finals were to be played against the OLA Champion Clarington Green Gaels who were having an excellent tournament as well. The Mohawks had their chance at redemption, to avenge the team that took away their chance at their fifth OLA Jr B league title. The Finals did not go as planned for the again-favoured Mohawks. The Gaels won 11–8.[citation needed]

2005 Playoff Run

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Elora's Kurtis Woodland during 2015 season.

After the disappointing 2004 Season, the Mohawks prepared for a rebuilding year. With 13 rookies, the Mohawks finished the 2005 season with an 11–9–0 record. The sixth-place finish pitted them against the Guelph Regals in the first round. Despite the Regals seemingly having the better club, the Mohawks swept the series with three straight victories. This upset prompted an immediate match up between the Mohawks and the first seed Spartan Warriors. Despite an 18–2–0 record, the series went the distance and in game five the Mohawks pulled the ultimate upset defeating the heavily favoured Warriors 9–6. In the Conference Final, the Mohawks then fought off the second seed Orangeville Northmen in 4 games to push into the league finals. The Finals pitted the Mohawks against the 2005 Cinderella Story Oakville Buzz. The Buzz were most lacrosse enthusiast's favourite to not only win the league, but to win the National title. What no one counted on was the playoff suave that would be exhibited by the Elora Mohawks. Elora went up 2 games to none quickly—9–7, 14–5. With the threat of elimination, the Buzz came on strong in Game 3, winning 9–4. But the Buzz could not stop the Mohawks, as the Elora squeaked out a 9–8 victory in Game 4 to win the OLA title and earn a berth into the Founders Cup tournament in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

On August 24, the Mohawks played their first game of their second straight Founders Cup tourney. In the first game against the Coquitlam Adanacs of British Columbia, the Mohawks got the ball rolling with a 12–6 win. The next night, the Mohawks beat the Sherwood Park Titans of Alberta 12–3. The Playdown Round then began. On August 26, the Mohawks defeated the Winnipeg Warhawks 13–2. Later that night, they also defeated the Calgary Mountaineers 7–2. The final Playdown game was against the Iroquois Lacrosse Association All-Stars, in which they defeated the ILA 14–3.

The victory against the ILA pushed the Mohawks through to the finals against the Edmonton Warriors. The Warriors could not match the Mohawks determination as the Mohawks won their second Founders Cup Championship as the best Junior "B" Lacrosse team in Canada—one year after everyone figured it would have happened.

Season-by-season results

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Mohawks goalie Brett Farrelly during the 2015 season.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T GF GA PTS Placing Playoffs
1961 22 15 7 0 325 211 32 3rd OLA-A Lost semi-final
1962 20 3 17 0 138 302 6 6th OLA-A DNQ
1963 24 10 14 0 227 259 20 5th OLA-A Lost quarter-final
1964 24 7 17 0 236 295 14 8th OLA-A DNQ
1965 20 1 19 0 182 394 2 9th OLA-A DNQ
1966 Did not compete
1967 14 14 0 0 299 107 28 1st OLA-B Won final, won Castrol Cup
1968 18 16 1 1 0 0 33 1st OLA-B Won final, won Castrol Cup
1969 24 5 19 0 278 452 10 8th OLA-A Lost quarter-final
1970 24 13 11 0 342 321 26 3rd OLA-B West Lost division semi-final
1971 24 13 11 0 350 320 26 4th OLA-B West Lost division semi-final
1972 30 21 9 0 462 373 42 1st OLA-B West Lost semi-final
1973 30 6 22 2 280 514 14 6th OLA-B West DNQ
1974 25 7 18 0 241 344 14 5th OLA-B West DNQ
1975 24 12 12 0 331 352 24 4th OLA-B West Lost quarter-final
1976 24 20 4 0 429 294 40 2nd OLA-B West Won final, won Founders Cup
1977 22 10 12 0 271 259 20 7th OLA-A Lost semi-final
1978 24 19 4 1 347 222 39 1st OLA-A West Lost final
1979 24 12 11 1 313 298 25 2nd OLA-A West Lost semi-final
1980 20 8 12 0 224 286 16 7th OLA-A Lost quarter-final
1981 20 5 15 0 206 374 10 8th OLA-A Lost quarter-final
1982 20 3 17 0 161 322 6 9th OLA-A DNQ
1983 24 1 23 0 186 398 2 9th OLA-A DNQ
1984 24 2 22 0 221 447 4 7th OLA-A Lost quarter-final, won Tier II Title
1985 24 7 17 0 253 366 14 5th OLA-A Lost Tier II Final
1986 Did not compete
1987 24 9 15 0 294 300 18 5th OLA-B West DNQ
1988 20 13 7 0 306 230 26 2nd OLA-B West Lost semi-final
1989 20 15 5 0 229 150 30 3rd OLA-B Lost semi-final
1990 20 12 7 1 248 202 25 4th OLA-B Lost semi-final
1991 18 14 4 0 251 185 28 2nd OLA-B Lost League Final
1992 20 13 7 0 276 215 26 3rd OLA-B Lost quarter-final
1993 22 13 9 0 259 222 26 4th OLA-B Lost semi-final
1994 22 14 7 1 307 264 29 4th OLA-B Lost semi-final
1995 22 9 12 1 237 254 19 4th OLA-B West DNQ
1996 22 15 7 0 341 249 30 2nd OLA-B West Lost semi-final
1997 22 9 13 0 265 256 18 6th OLA-B West Won Tier II Title
1998 24 13 9 2 271 247 28 4th OLA-B West Lost quarter-final
1999 21 21 0 0 296 169 42 1st OLA-B West Won League, lost Founders Cup Bronze
2000 21 18 3 0 255 178 36 1st OLA-B West Lost final, won Founders Cup Bronze
2001 20 19 0 1 344 91 39 1st OLA-B West Lost Conference Final
2002 22 18 4 0 303 176 36 2nd OLA-B West Lost Conference Final
2003 20 17 3 0 225 119 34 3rd OLA-B West Lost quarter-final
2004 20 17 3 0 214 116 34 1st OLA-B West Lost final, lost Founders Cup Final
2005 20 11 9 0 179 145 22 6th OLA-B West Won League, won Founders Cup
2006 20 9 11 0 161 138 18 10th OLA-B West DNQ
2007 20 14 6 0 187 132 28 3rd OLA-B West Lost semi-final
2008 20 13 6 1 197 129 27 2nd OLA-B West Lost Conference Final
2009 20 12 5 3 170 116 27 2nd OLA-B West Lost final
2010 20 16 3 1 175 118 33 2nd OLA-B West Lost final
2011 20 16 3 1 235 178 33 2nd OLA-B West Lost Conference Final
2012 20 11 9 0 226 236 22 7th OLA-B West Lost Conference Quarter-Final
2013 20 13 7 0 193 175 26 5th OLA-B West Lost Conference Quarter-Final
2014 20 16 4 0 233 130 32 5th OLA-B West Lost Conference Quarter-Final
2015 20 12 7 1 198 177 25 5th OLA-B West
2016 20 11 9 0 200 178 22 T-2nd of 4 Mid West
T-5th of 13 Western
T-9th of 25 OJBLL
Lost Conf. QF, 1–3 (Clippers)
2017 20 14 6 0 193 109 28 2nd of 4 Mid West
3rd of 13 Western
T-5th of 25 OJBLL
Lost Conf. QF, 2–3 (Bengals)
2018 20 17 3 0 218 98 34 1st of 4 Mid West
2nd of 13 Western
T-3rd of 25 OJBLL
Won Conf. QF, 3–0 (Thunderhawks)
Won Conf. SF, 3–1 (Red Devils)
Won Conf. Final, 3–2 (Rebels)
Won final, 3–1 (Green Gaels)
Won Founders Cup (5–0)

Founders Cup

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CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Year Round Robin Record
W-L-T
Standing Playdowns Semifinal Gold Medal Game
2004
HOST
W, Sherbrooke Xtreme 30–1
W, Saskatoon Smash 27–5
W, Delta Islanders 16–2
W, Calgary Mountaineers 11–4
4–0–0 1st of 5
Black Division
N/A W, Edmonton Warriors 16–5 L, Clarington Green Gaels 8–11
2005
Saskatoon, SK
W, Coquitlam Adanacs 12–6
W, Sherwood Park Titans 12–3
2–0–0 1st of 4
A Division
W, Winnipeg Warhawks 13–2
W, Calgary Mountaineers 7–2
W, Iroquois Nationals 14–3 W, Edmonton Warriors 11–2
CHAMPIONS
2018
Akwesasne
W, Mohawk Medicine Men 16–8
W, Manitoba Blizzard 17–8
W, Saskatchewan SWAT 9–5
3–0–0 1st of 4
Group A
N/A W, Coquitlam Adanacs 15–5 W, Seneca WarChiefs 9–5
CHAMPIONS
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