Lakers Draw First Blood Against Oakville in MSL Semifinal Series

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are one win closer to the Major Series Lacrosse final after opening their best-of-five semifinal series with a 10-7 road victory over the Oakville Rock on Tuesday night.

goalie dylan hutchison made 47 saves as the lakers take game 1 in oakville 10-7. game 2 is set for thursday at the pmc (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

Peterborough heads home with a 1-0 series lead after withstanding several Oakville comeback attempts before pulling away late. Game 2 is set for Thursday night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The Lakers never let the Rock build any momentum for long. Every time Oakville battled back, Peterborough had an answer, including three straight goals late in the second period to regain control before putting the game away in the third.

Thomas Hoggarth paced the Lakers' offence with a five-point night, scoring twice and adding three assists. Rob Hellyer finished with a goal and three assists, while Justin Sykes had two goals and an assist. Mike Robinson and Matt Gilray each scored a pair of goals, with Brad McCulley rounding out the scoring with a goal and two assists.

Ryan Lanchbury contributed three assists, while Colton Armstrong, Jake Withers and Dylan Hutchison each picked up one helper.

Goaltender Drew Hutchison was once again a difference-maker, stopping 47 shots to backstop Peterborough to the Game 1 victory.

The win extends the Lakers' winning streak to five games after closing out the regular season on a four-game winning streak.

The series now shifts to Peterborough for Game 2 on Thursday for an 8pm start at the PMC.

In the opening game of the other MSL semifinal, the Six Nations Chiefs defeated the Cobourg Kodiaks 15-7. Game 2 of their series also goes Thursday at 8pm, from the Jack Burger in Port Hope.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Silver Medals for Four Peterborough Natives at 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Tokyo

By Scott Arnold

Four Peterborough natives are returning to Canadian soil with silver medals after helping Team Canada reach the podium at the 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

peterborough was well represented on canada’s silver medal winning team at the world lacrosse women’s championship in japan, with lexi jenkins, jocelyne lemay, allison daley and erica evans (photo via facebook @kawarthalacrosse )

Canada earned the silver medal after falling 16-4 to the United States in Sunday's gold medal game, marking another strong showing for the national program on the world stage. It was Canada’s fourth silver medal in a row and their sixth medal in 12 appearances since the tournament began in 1982, with the event taking place every four years.

Peterborough native Erica Evans capped off an outstanding tournament with a goal and an assist in the championship game. She finished with 10 goals and seven assists in six games and was named to the World Team, an honour recognizing the tournament’s top ten players from across the planet.

peterborough native erica evans was a fan favourite at the world lacrosse women’s championship in tokyo japan, notching 17 points in six games for canada (photo via instagram @lacrossecanada)

Lexi Jenkins was part of Canada's defensive unit throughout the tournament, showing consistent stellar play throughout the entire tournament, while fellow Peterborough natives Allison Daley and Jocelyne Lemay played key roles behind the bench as co-head coach and team manager, respectively.

team manager jocelyne lemay, defender lexi jenkins, midfielder erica evans and co-coach allison daley at the 2026 world lacrosse women’s championship. the four peterborough natives helped canada to a silver a medal (photo via instagram @kawarthalacrosse)

Canada entered the tournament ranked second in the world, proving itself as one of the top programs in the sport, with local talent continuing to play a huge role in the success.

For Peterborough, the tournament was another reminder of the city's rich lacrosse tradition, with four hometown representatives helping Canada compete for a world championship.

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Peterborough Natives Pick Up Points as Canada Advances to World Lacrosse Gold Medal Game Against USA

By Scott Arnold

Two Peterborough natives made a big impact on the field Friday as Team Canada advanced to the gold medal game at the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo.

peterborough native erica evans had five points in canada’s semifinal win over the haudenosaunee on friday, including two goals and three assists, giving her 15 points in five games (photo via instagram @worldlacrosse)

Canada booked its spot in the championship game with an 18-5 semifinal victory over the Haudenosaunee earlier today.

Peterborough native Erica Evans continued her strong tournament performance, recording two goals and three assists in the win. Evans now has 15 points through five games at the tournament as Canada prepares for a rematch with the United States.

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Lexi Jenkins, known for her defensive play, also contributed offensively with an assist in the semifinal victory.

Peterborough’s Allison Daley and Jocelyne Lemay remain key members of Canada’s national team staff, serving as co-head coach and team manager, respectively.

Standing in Canada’s way of a historic gold medal is the United States, which has won the last four World Lacrosse Women’s Championships and captured nine gold medals in the tournament’s 11 editions.

Canada and the U.S. have met in the gold medal game at each of the last three championships, with the Americans earning the victory each time. Canada has never won gold at the event, while the U.S. will look to continue its dominance on the international stage.

The gold medal game is set for Sunday, August 2nd at 7pm local time in Tokyo, which is 6am Eastern Time.

For the four Peterborough representatives involved, it will be an opportunity to help Canada capture its first-ever Women’s World Lacrosse Championship gold medal.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Lakers Close Regular Season With Dominant Win Over North Stars

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers head into the Major Series Lacrosse playoffs riding plenty of momentum after cruising to a 14-2 victory over the Owen Sound North Stars in Thursday night's regular season finale at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

peterborough lakers ryan lanchbury had a big game in the team’s regular season finale, picking up four goals and three assists in a 14-2 win at the memorial centre (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The win caps off the regular season with four straight victories, as the Lakers finish 11-7 and will face the second-place Oakville Rock in the opening round of the playoffs.

Peterborough wasted little time taking control, erupting for seven goals in the opening 10 minutes before pulling away for its most lopsided win of the season.

The North Stars' first goal came from a familiar face. Peterborough native and former Peterborough Jr. C Laker Adam Churchill, a two-time Meredith Cup champion with the club in 2015 and 2018, scored against his hometown team after getting the call around 5:30 p.m. that he would suit up for the game just a few hours later.

Ryan Lanchbury led the Lakers' offence with four goals and three assists, while Brad McCulley recorded a hat trick and three assists. Mike Robinson added a pair of goals, while Frank Coyle, Matt Gilray, Nate Sage, DJ Clark and Thomas Hoggarth also found the back of the net.

Hoggarth finished with a team-high five assists, while Sage collected four points with a goal and three helpers. Clark added three points, Gilray had two, and Justin Sykes and goaltender Deacan Knott each recorded two assists.

Knott, playing his first game back after serving a four-game suspension for his July 9th fight with Owen Sound goaltender Andrew Kidd, stopped 38 shots to earn the win and was named the game's third star.

The Lakers now turn their attention to the playoffs, opening their best-of-five first-round series against Oakville on Tuesday before hosting Game 2 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday.

The Major Series Lacrosse regular season wraps up Saturday when the Owen Sound North Stars host the Cobourg Kodiaks. If Cobourg wins, the Kodiaks will finish fourth and face the first-place Six Nations Chiefs in the semifinals. If Owen Sound pulls off the upset, the Brooklin Lacrosse Club will claim fourth place and earn the semifinal matchup with the Chiefs.

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Inaugural International Indoor Junior Lacrosse North America Cup Has Been Cancelled

The International Indoor Junior Lacrosse (IIJL) North America Cup Series taking place from Aug. 7 to 9 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre has been cancelled.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

The IIJL released the following statement:

“The IIJL has made the difficult decision to cancel the North America Cup Series. While we were looking forward to bringing teams together for this event, unforeseen circumstances have impacted participation levels.

We are optimistic about identifying an opportunity to pursue this event in Peterborough in the future and thank the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Memorial Centre and Peterborough Tourism for their support as a key collaborator and strong supporter of lacrosse events.”

Three games were to be played between Canada, the United States and the Haudenosaunee.

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Local Pro Wrestler Sean Morley, Better Known as Val Venis, Returns to the Ring at Age 55

By Scott Arnold

A familiar WWE character returned to the spotlight last week as Peterborough-connected wrestler Sean Morley brought back Val Venis for a viral in-ring comeback.

former wwe superstar sean moley, who has ties to peterborough and ennismore, came out of retirement at age 55 last week, reprising his val venis character, for a match in new jersey (photo via x @wrestlingnewsco

The 55-year-old former WWE star stepped back inside the ring for Independent Stars of Pro Wrestling’s Legends of Wrestling Night in Wildwood, New Jersey, reprising the character that made him famous.

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Complete with the trademark white towel around his waist and the familiar Val Venis entrance, Morley’s return quickly gained attention online, with photos and videos spreading among wrestling fans who had not seen the character in years.

Morley faced Rico Gold in his return match, which ended in a loss, but the result was secondary to the nostalgia surrounding the return of one of WWE’s recognizable personalities from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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While Morley now lives in Mesa, Arizona, he has strong ties to the Peterborough area. Born in Oakville, Ontario, he spent years living in Ennismore and is considered by many as a local wrestling product.

After his WWE career came to an end, Morley returned to Peterborough for several years, where he ran a wrestling camp focused on training aspiring professional wrestlers.

His influence on the wrestling world also includes helping a young Peterborough athlete named Bobby Roode get started in the business. Before becoming a multi-time world champion and a prominent WWE producer, Roode credited Morley with teaching him some of the fundamentals of professional wrestling early in his career.

Morley joined WWE in 1998 and became known around the world as Val Venis. During his time with the company, he won the Intercontinental Championship, European Championship and World Tag Team Championship before departing WWE in 2009.

Although he stepped away from full-time wrestling, Morley continued making occasional independent appearances over the years, with his most recent appearance before last week coming in 2023.

For wrestling fans, seeing Val Venis return was a nostalgic reminder of one of WWE’s most recognizable characters. For people in Peterborough, it was another chance to see a local connection return to the spotlight on the world of professional wrestling.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Canada Moves on to Semifinals at World Lacrosse Championship in Japan With Help From Four Peterborough Women

By Scott Arnold

Four Peterborough representatives remain in the hunt for gold as Team Canada has advanced to the semifinals at the 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Tokyo.

four peterborough natives are current;y in japan representing canada at the world lacrosse championships, including (left to right) Team manager jocelyne lemay, players lexi jenkins & erica evans, and co-coach allison daley (photo courtesy of kawartha lacrosse)

Canada will face the Haudenosaunee tomorrow after posting a 4-0 record to reach the final four. The other semifinal will see the United States take on Israel. Friday’s game is set to take place at 3am Eastern Time, which is 4pm in Tokyo.

Peterborough native Erica Evans has continued to make an impact offensively, recording ten points through Canada's first four games. She opened the tournament with four goals and an assist in a 23-0 victory over Germany before adding two goals and an assist in a 13-11 win over Australia. Evans also picked up an assist in a 21-1 win over Wales and scored the team’s third goal as Canada edged host Japan 5-4 in a thrilling quarterfinal that needed overtime to settle.

Peterborough's Lexi Jenkins has been part of Canada's defensive unit throughout the tournament, while fellow Peterborough native Allison Daley is serving as the team's co-head coach. Jocelyne Lemay is also representing the city as Canada's team manager.

Canada is looking to capture its first-ever gold medal at the Women's World Lacrosse Championship, with just two wins separating the team from history.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Schedule Set for First Round Playoff Series Between Peterborough Lakers and Oakville Rock

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are playoff bound, with dates now set for their best-of-five first-round Major Series Lacrosse series against the Oakville Rock.

the peterborough lakers will face the oakville rock in the opening round of the MSL playoffs, with game 1 set tuesday, august 4th, in oakville and game 2 at the peterborough memorial centre on august 6th (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

Peterborough secured third place in the regular season with a 10-7 record and will open the postseason against the second-place Rock, with Game 1 taking place in Oakville.

The Lakers' first home playoff game is scheduled for Thursday, August 6th at 8pm at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Oakville swept the three-game regular season series, including a 13-12 victory over the Lakers at the PMC on July 16. Peterborough, however, heads into the playoffs on a three-game winning streak after closing out the regular season by securing third place.

Fans looking to attend every home playoff game can take advantage of the Lakers' new Pay As You Play ticket option. The program allows fans to reserve the same seats throughout the playoffs, with their credit card charged only after each home game is officially confirmed. If a home game is not played, there is no charge.

The deadline to register for the Pay As You Play program is Monday, August 4th at 9am

Single-game tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 5th at 10am through the Peterborough Memorial Centre box office and Ticketmaster.

First-Round Schedule

• Game 1 – Tuesday, August 4th at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, 8pm

• Game 2 – Thursday, August 6th at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, 8pm

• Game 3 – Saturday, August 8th at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, 7pm

• Game 4 (if necessary) – Sunday, August 9th at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, 7pm

• Game 5 (if necessary) – Tuesday, August 11th at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, 8pm

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Peterborough's Sarah Porter Scores Three Touchdowns in Team Ontario’s Gold Medal Win at National Championship in Saskatchewan

By Scott Arnold

Peterborough’s Sarah Porter helped Team Ontario capture gold at the 2026 U18 Women’s Tackle National Championship, scoring three touchdowns in the championship game to help secure the title.

peterborough’s sarah porter scored three touchdowns for team ontario in their gold medal win at the u18 women’s tackle national championship in Saskatchewan (photo via facebook @peterboroughwolverines))

The former Peterborough Wolverine and current Peterborough Pagans Rugby U18 Girls player represented Ontario at the national tournament, held July 20-28 in Regina, Saskatchewan.

peterborough athlete sarah porter played a key role in team ontario’s championship win at the u18 women’s tackle national championship that took place in regina last week (photo via instagram @footballcanada_official)

Porter, who plays running back, was one of 25 athletes selected to the 2026 Team Ontario U18 Women’s Tackle Program following a competitive selection process that saw more than 90 players from across the province attend the team’s high-performance development camp.

Team Ontario opened the tournament with wins over Quebec and Saskatchewan before continuing its strong run through the championship rounds. Porter scored two touchdowns in Ontario’s 64-0 win over Manitoba before helping lead the team to a gold medal with a 68-8 victory over Quebec in the final, where she scored three touchdowns.

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Porter’s recent football accomplishments also include being named the Senior Most Valuable Defensive Player for the Peterborough Kinsmen Minor Football League’s Roughriders in 2022.

The gold medal adds another achievement to a growing list of accomplishments for Porter, who continues to represent Peterborough on the provincial and national football stage.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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Lakers Clinch Third Place with Overtime Win Against First Place Six Nations Chiefs

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are heading into the Major Series Lacrosse playoffs on a high note after knocking off the Six Nations Chiefs 7-6 in overtime Tuesday night to secure third place in the Major Series Lacrosse standings.

the peterborough lakers secured third place in the msl standing with a 7-6 overtime road win against six nations tuesday night and will face second place oakville in the opening round of playoffs (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

The victory improved Peterborough to 10-7 on the season, secured third place in the Major Series Lacrosse standings and extended the Lakers' winning streak to three games. The win also locked up a first-round playoff matchup against the second-place Oakville Rock.

Ryan Lanchbury played the hero, scoring the overtime winner 3:17 into overtime. The Lakers led for nearly the entire game, building an early 2-0 advantage and never allowing the Chiefs to take the lead.

The win was especially significant as Peterborough became the only team to beat Six Nations on the floor during the regular season. While the Chiefs officially finished with two losses, their other defeat came by league forfeiture after an ineligible player dressed for a game against Oakville.

Justin Sykes scored twice for the Lakers, while Lanchbury finished with two goals, including the winner. Colton Armstrong and Mike Robinson also found the back of the net. Thomas Hoggarth picked up two assists, while Holden Cattoni and Braedon Saris added one each.

Goaltender Drew Hutchison turned in another strong performance, helping the Lakers hold off one of the league's highest-scoring offences.

Peterborough closes out the regular season Thursday night when the Owen Sound North Stars visit the Peterborough Memorial Centre for Fan Appreciation Night before the playoffs begin.

The playoff schedule and ticket information for the Lakers first round semifinal series against Oakville have not yet been released. The other series will feature Six Nations versus either the Brooklin Lacrosse Club or the Cobourg Kodiaks.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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