Peterborough Lakers Bolster Roster In MSL Entry Draft

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers welcome Austin Hasen, Caleb Creasor and Cole Hanrahan to the team from the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) draft held at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre on Sunday.

The Peterborough Lakers are three-time defending Mann Cup Champions. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Century 21 Lakers.

Hasen was drafted 11th overall in the second as the Lakers had no first-round selection (obtaining Mike Poulin from the Brooklin Lacrosse Club for their pick). Creasor was taken 23rd and Cole Hanrahan was picked 29th.

Hasen, the son of head coach Mike Hasen, is a right-handed forward and graduate of the Brampton junior lacrosse system.

“We were surprised he was still available,” said Paul Day, Lakers’ general manager. “Most players like to play with the ball and he is tough and plays inside without the ball.” 

Hasen is in his junior year at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina where he has scored 13 goals in seven games. As a junior Excelsior, he amassed 105 goals and 102 assists over 69 games prior to the pandemic. 

Creasor, a left-handed defenseman, made stops with his hometown Huntsville Hawks and the Barrie Lakeshores before playing the 2021 OJLL tournament with the Brampton Excelsiors where he suited up with Hasen and Lakers 2021 draft pick John Vezina. 

“He is a young defender with a great future,” described Day. “He has a great lacrosse IQ. He’s a goaltender in the NCAA; he’s a very versatile player.”  

Creasor, a junior, is a goaltender at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, P.A.

Hanrahan is already familiar with the Peterborough area as a member of the Trent Excalibur. He also currently leads the Arena Lacrosse League in power play goals as a member of the Whitby Steelhawks. Day said that Hanrahan adds depth to the Lakers’ right side.  

The Lakers also made a trade Owen Sound; acquiring righty defenseman Alex Pace. They gave up four picks which included returning Owen Sound’s 2022 third rounder and 2023 second rounder — which they held from a previous trade — plus the Lakers own 2022 third rounder and 2023 second rounder. Pace plays for Day in Philadelphia. 

“He was their first-round pick in 2020; with him we add a very strong defenseman who has chemistry with some Peterborough guys from his play with the Wings, plus Thomas Whitty who he played with in junior with St. Catharines,” said Day. “Going into the draft we wanted to add a ready D-man into our lineup and the trade for Pace accomplished that.”

Full draft results:

Round 1

1. Owen Sound - Thomas McConvey

2. Brooklin  - Peyton Cormier

3. Oakville - Josh Dawick

4. Oakville - Dylan Watson

5. Oakville - Sam English

6. Oakville - Jason Knox

Round 2

7. Owen Sound - Tanner Buck

8. Brooklin - Luke Pilcher

9. Brooklin - Carter McKenzie

10. Cobourg - Ethan Riggs

11. Peterborough - Austin Hasen

12. Cobourg - Jake Rosa

Round 3 

13. Owen Sound - Noah Lebar

14. Brooklin - Curtis Hall

15. Brooklin - Zac Sunderland

16. Oakville - Joey Szabo

17. Owen Sound - Jordan Aekie

18. Oakville - Luke Robinson

Round 4

19. Owen Sound - Will Cecile

20. Six Nations pass

21. Brooklin - Trevor Barrett

22. Cobourg - Gareth Haigh 

23. Peterborough - Caleb Creasor

24. Oakville - Brett Handsor

ROUND 5 

25. Owen Sound - Conner Watson

26. Six Nations - Riley Miller

27. Brooklin - Zac Belter

28. Cobourg - Owen Boyle

29. Peterborough - Cole Hanrahan

30. Oakville - Devin Dunkerley

Landon Kells, Mike Robinson and Zach Young were the juniors protected ahead of the MSL draft.

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Electric City Football Club Releases Inaugural Season Schedule

The Electric City Football Club released their Inaugural season schedule on Friday.

The first men's game will be April 21 at Guelph.

The first women's game will be April 23 at Alliance (North Toronto).

The first men's home game will be May 7 vs Windsor.

The first women's home game May 14 vs Blue Devils FC (Oakville).

Visit electriccityfc.com for tickets.

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Peterborough Lakers Protect Three Players for Sunday's MSL Draft

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers have protected graduated juniors Landon Kells, Mike Robinson and Zach Young ahead of Sunday’s Major Series Lacross (MSL) Draft.

The Peterborough Lakers are three-time defending Mann Cup champions winning from 2017-19 however the last two Major Series Lacrosse seasons have been cancelled from the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers

Kells was the Lakers’ third goaltender and backed up Mike Poulin at the 2019 Mann Cup. The 21-year-old from Fergus is the backup for Calgary Roughnecks’ backup behind Christian Del Bianco.

“Kells is one of our goalies of the future,” said Paul Day, Lakers general manager.

Robinson, a defender from Peterborough, spent three seasons with the Jr. Lakers, scoring 17 goals and 7 assists in his final year in 2019. He is also an attackman at the University of Delaware and named the Colonial Athletic Association’s 2021 Rookie of the Year.

“Robinson is having great success at Delaware and obviously had a very good Jr. A career. We look forward to his continued development,” said Day.

Young, a defenseman from Oshawa, spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with Peterborough before being traded to Mimico. He netted 12 points over 33 games with the Jr. Lakers. Young plays for the University of North Carolina, the same university that Lakers’ defenseman Chad Tutton attended.

“Young is a great athlete with two or three years left of NCAA eligibility. He’s a big defender with a bright future,” said Day.

The MSL draft consists of five rounds as Peterborough has no first-round pick. They received Mike Poulin from the Brooklin Lacrosse Club in exchange for their first-round pick.

The Lakers have the fifth pick in the second to the fifth round for this year’s draft.

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Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association Is Seeking Umpires For The 2022 Season

The Kawartha Baseball Umpires Association (KBUA) is offering to cover clinic costs for all new umpires and provide a local field clinic in hopes to keep up umpire recruitment.

Stock Photo

“Essentially we just cannot keep up umpire recruitment and there is now a risk of less or no house league baseball because a lack of umpires,” said Nolan Frazer, KBUA.

According to Frazer, pay rates for umpiring have gone up significantly over the last few years to try and entice more members.

“It makes for an awesome summer job for teens and students or a little cash on the side,” he said.

Umpires with KBUA chose what days and hours they would like to work. Age groups vary from youth to men’s league.

The KBUA covers all baseball games in the area, with most requiring two umpires and some up to three. They also cover games for Peterborough high schools, Trent University and Fleming College.

Umpires with the KBUA can cover house league, select and rep divisions.

“Peterborough has a great history of baseball and some really good competition and talent at all ages,” said Jamie Graham, KBUA.

To participate in the clinic, learn the sport and become a certified umpire contact Jamie Graham at 705-760-4153 or graham.jamie15@gmail.com.

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Electric City Football Club Sign Award-Winning Midfielder and a Rookie Standout

Electric City Football Club (ECFC) has signed League1 Ontario’s All-Time Best Midfielder Award winner Mohammad Reza Nafar and CCAA Rookie Standout Aysia King on Wednesday.

Aysia King (pictured) signs her contract with the new League1 Ontario side. Photo courtesy of Electric City Football Club.

Nafar, 25 years old, is a midfielder who is originally from Tehran, Iran and moved to London with his family when he was a child.

He has played in League1 Ontario for FC London before jumping to FC Laval in the Premiere Ligue de soccer du Quebec (PLSQ) and Concordia University.

“Reza was a player we immediately wanted to connect with and share what we were doing here at ECFC,” said Rob Jenkins, ECFC president. “Reza aspires to be a professional and we believe he has all of the qualities to do so.”

Last season with the Concordia Stingers, Nafar was named a Second-Team All-Canadian. He was the leading scorer in the RSEQ conference with seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 12 games. He earned four Player of the Game honours this season.

“The ambition that ECFC has for the future and all the effort that’s been done to make me feel comfortable is what attracted me to play for the club,” said Nafar. “It means a lot that a club of this calibre was interested in me and to be a part of the first group of players to represent the club is something special.”

The women’s team signed attacker Aysia King, a 19-year-old from London who most recently played for Fanshawe Falcons.

Last season as a rookie, King led the Falcons to bronze at the CCAA National Championships, where she scored an assist en route to the third-place finish. She scored four goals and had one assist in the OCAA Regular Season.

“Aysia will be one of the bright young talents in our Women's team this season. We feel she has the ability to be one of the top young players in L1O this upcoming season,” said Randy Ribeiro, ECFC women’s head coach “Her technical ability and confidence to take on defenders makes her very exciting to watch.”

An OCAA and CCAA Championship Tournament All-Star in 2021, King was also named a CCAA Athlete of the Week.

“The community and culture in Peterborough is a huge reason I wanted to be a part of Electric City FC in their first season,” King said. “The amount of support and the fanbase is already amazing. ECFC has a huge future ahead of it and I am super excited to be part of it.”

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Peterborough Petes Reveal Pink In the Rink Jerseys For Cancer Fundraising Campaign

The Peterborough Petes are adding some rosy colour to their maroon and white, unveiling their Pink in the Rink jersey ahead of their fundraising game announced Tuesday.

Meghan Roy (left) and Doug Gibson (right) are the first to wear the 2022 Pink in the Rink jerseys. Roy became the first female sports anchor at CHEX in 2014. Gibson played three seasons with the Petes from 1971-73. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The 13th edition of Pink in the Rink hockey game on April 9 raises money for the Canadian Cancer Society with a focus on cancer commonly found primarily in women.

The goal is to raise $50,000.

The Pets have raised a total of $812,099 for the Canadian Cancer Society through the Pink in the Rink campaign. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The new jersey is pink and maroon and has the breast cancer ribbon across both sides of the jersey. The Canadian Cancer Society patch is on the left shoulder and a patch honouring Petes Alumnus and Peterborough media figure Gary “Diller” Dalliday on the right shoulder.

Family and friends’ names who battled cancer are throughout the jersey. The names were purchased by Peterborough community members and all proceeds are donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. 

“The Pink in the Rink is so much more than a fundraiser,” said Alison Payne, Canadian Cancer Society special events manager. “It celebrates the people in our community that we have lost, who are in the midst of their cancer journey and who have survived.”

Several Pink in the Rink jerseys in the past going as far back as 2012. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

A live auction is run after the game where fans can bid on game-worn jerseys but tickets must be purchased in order to participate.

A t-shirt and ticket Pink in the Rink bundle is available at the Petes store. Fans can purchase t-shirts at a fraction of the bundle price if they already bought a ticket.

The arena will use a bucket pass to accept cash donations throughout the game from fans to aid in the fundraising process.

The Petes host their Pink in the Rink night on April 9 against the Niagara IceDogs with no capacity restrictions. The game was postponed from Feb. 5 which would have had the game with a half-capacity crowd due to government restrictions.

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2022 Ontario 55+ Summer Games Is Looking For Volunteers

A call for volunteers is open for individuals who would like to support the 2022 Ontario 55+ Summer Games that is being held in the Peterborough area this summer.

File photo.

Positions are open in areas like security, medical, registration and food services to name a few.

The Ontario 55+ Summer Games which will be held throughout the Peterborough area from August 9-11.

The event is expected to draw up to 1,400 participants from across the province. The Games include 19 diverse events ranging from bid euchre, contract bridge and cribbage, to cycling, lawn bowling, golf, pickleball, slo-pitch, swimming, and tennis. The venues for the events will be located throughout the City and County.

Historically, the Ontario 55+ Summer Games generate about $2 million in positive economic impact for the host community. The Province of Ontario is also supporting the Games with a $235,000 investment. While the Games are held during the busy summer tourism season, events take place mid-week encouraging participants to come early and stay later, generating additional revenue for local business, attractions, and accommodation providers.

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Douro Community Centre In The Running For Kraft Hockeyville Arena Renovation

The Douro Community Centre has thrown it’s hat in the ring for the Kraft Hockeyville competition in hopes to win a $250,000 arena upgrade and an NHL game hosted in the community.

Three Douro teams won the OMHA Finals in 2016. Photo courtesy of Kerri Riel.

“Knowing the limited resources that we may have because of COVID, we’re hoping to add to our operational budget and we’ll be able to see some renos,” said Kerri Riel, Douro Minor Hockey Association (DMHA) Secretary.

The cooling plant at the community centre located in Warsaw failed, which means the entire Douro Dukes Hockey Association, 19 teams, is operating out of one arena and four dressing rooms.

She notes that the alternative dressing rooms that are often used for girls playing on mostly boys teams, are in closets.

“It’s not adequate. Right now we’re just not able to provide equitable and inclusive spaces for everyone, and we need to for all Douro Dukes.”

“We have very competitive teams,” she said. “For the last five years we have sent teams to the All Ontario Finals. You look back to 2016 - three of our teams won the OMHA Finals. That was a big deal, almost unprecedented in Ontario.”

Riel says the DMHA hopes that players will want to play in Douro, rather than go play in communities that have more modern arenas.

“We’re the Dukes and we’re proud to be. It was a big deal to be a Duke. Everybody around us has had these updates to their arenas and we just haven’t been able to manage that yet.”

The Kraft Hockeyville competition begins with the ‘Nominate and Rally’ phase, where community members take actions like sharing on social media and submitting photos’ on the Hockeyville site to earn points.

The winning community centre will receive $250,000 in renovations and the opportunity to host a pre-season NHL game in their community.

“We have a long, deep history and a love for hockey,” said Riel. “The opportunity to offer to the whole community a Pre-Season NHL game? That would be the icing on the cake. We could offer thanks for the dedication and support from our volunteers and community.”

The Nominate and Rally phase will end on April 3, after which arena’s will be judged by a panel. The top four will be announced on April 23 and voting will open. One winner will be announced on May 7.

Riel invites anyone with a memory from The Douro Community Centre to add a story, photo or video to the Hockeyville nomination page. Likes and shares on social media will also help the community centre to proceed to the next round.

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Mason McTavish Returns To Peterborough After Trade To Take On the Petes

Former Petes forward Mason McTavish is returning to Peterborough but in a different uniform as the Hamilton Bulldogs come to the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Tuesday night.

Defenseman Owen Power and Matty Berniers were taken first and second by the Buffalo Sabers and Seattle Kraken respectively before McTavish (right) was drafted third overall. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes trades traded McTavish to the Bulldogs on Jan. 9 ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for Alex Pharand, Jonathan Melee and six draft picks.

McTavish was drafted third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot, becoming the youngest player to score in franchise history at 18 years and 256 days of age.

The Carp, Ont. native signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Ducks on Aug. 13.

McTavish became the first Pete to be selected third overall in the NHL Entry Draft since Zach Bogosian (2006-08) in 2008.

The top-ranked Bulldogs in the East Division are looking to continue their 11-game winning streak with a win against the Petes who are 6-2-2 in their last ten games. The Bulldogs have won the last three of four meetings against the Petes this season.

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Electric City Football Club Signs First Goalkeepers To Franchise History

Electric City Football Club (ECFC) has finally found players to guard the net. The club signed goalkeepers Mykaela Volpe and Quillan Roberts. to their women’s and men’s club respectively on Friday.

Mykaela Volpe (left) and Quillan Roberts (right) become the first ever goalkeepers in ECFC history. Photo courtesy of ECFC.

Volpe, 23, from Whitby, Ontario finished her fifth season at Nipissing University.

“We are thrilled to have Mykaela sign with us here at ECFC. She was one of the first players on our initial player list that we were wanting to acquire. She proved herself as the top goalkeeper across U Sports earning 1st team All-Canadian Honours,” said Randy Ribeiro, ECFC Women’s Coach. “Going an entire regular season without conceding a single goal is just unbelievable. She is a very talented goalkeeper that brings leadership and experience into our team.”

In 2021, Volpeand 8-0-1 record with nine shutouts. This streak continued until the Nipissing University’s Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoff defeat to Western University where she allowed a goal in penalty kicks.

“I think it’s really special to be part of the beginning of something and have the opportunity to build something great. When Coach Ribeiro first reached out to me regarding the opportunity, I was very excited about the environment, the ambitions for the group and it was an experience I immediately wanted to be a part of,” said Volpe. “I also think it’s a great opportunity to grow the game in Peterborough and show local kids the pathways they can pursue with soccer in Canada; especially for the younger girls who would be watching and looking up to us.”

Roberts, 27, is from Brampton, Ontario and has been a member of comedian Will Ferrell’s star-studded MLS team, LAFC, to being the first goalkeeper in history to score a goal in a FIFA finals tournament.

“The foundation of most successful football teams starts at the back with a talented and experienced keeper in net,” said Rob Jenkins, ECFC President. “We feel that Quillan brings the type of leadership and skills to our club that will help us reach our goals and have a positive impact in the community.”

Roberts was one of the first signings in Forge FC’s (Hamilton, ON) history. The goalkeeper has eight Canadian Premier League starts under his belt, with nine Goals Against and four Clean Sheets (second in the CPL that year). During his time at Forge FC, Roberts also started a Canadian Championship game and recorded a shutout in that match.

During his Toronto FC tenure, Roberts signed with TFC in 2012. The MLS club loaned Roberts out to the second-division United Soccer League (USL), where he played 43 games, recorded 12 Clean Sheets and had 64 Goals Against.

In 2018, Roberts signed with LAFC to be their backup goalie and was a part of the expansion team that made the MLS Cup Playoffs in their inaugural season.

“This is a chance for me to continue playing the game I love, at a club is doing things like top CPL sides from the beginning,” said Roberts. “I love the fact that ECFC is open about their plans to join the CPL in the future.”

In 2011, he was named to the Team Canada U17 squad at the 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Mexico. Roberts started the second game of the tournament, against England.

In the 87th minute, with Canada losing 2–1, Roberts hoofed the ball into England’s net from inside his own half. That goal was the first scored by a goalkeeper in any FIFA finals tournament. Roberts started two other games at the Under-17 World Cup.

Roberts got his first cap for the Team Canada Men’s National Team in 2015, and was named to Canada’s CONCACAF Gold Cup squad in 2015 as well.

Since he only represented Canada in an exhibition game, Roberts was also eligible to represent the Guyana and Jamaica National Teams, his parents’ birth countries.

In May 2019, he was named to Guyana's final roster for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Roberts started in net for Guyana in the final Gold Cup group stage match against Trinidad and Tobago in a 1–1 draw.

Roberts has also played two seasons in League1 Ontario (1812 FC in 2021 and Woodbridge in 2017) and won the League1 Ontario Goalie of the Year both seasons, including an amazing 0.79 Goals Against Average in 2017.

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