Undefeated Weekend Capped Off With Provincial Gold for U17 Lakers at Ontario Lacrosse Festival

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Lakers are U17 B provincial champions after completing a perfect 6-0 run at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby.

The Peterborough Lakers celebrate their U17 B Provincial Championship after completing a perfect 6-0 run at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby, capped by a 6-3 win over the Clarington Gaels in the gold medal game. (Photo via Instagram @ontariolacrosse)

The Lakers opened the tournament with a 9-2 win over the Kitchener Kodiaks, then edged the Pickering Ironheads 7-6 to make it two straight.

Peterborough kept rolling with a 7-5 win over the London Blue Devils and a 9-3 victory over the Brampton Excelsiors before finishing the tournament with a pair of wins on Sunday, beating Six Nations 6-5 and the Clarington Gaels 6-3.

The 6-3 victory over Clarington came in the gold medal game, sending the Lakers home as U17 B Provincial Champions and completing their perfect 6-0 run.

The championship roster included Tyson Kitchen, Oliver Pacey, Tristin Howard, Emmett Colby, Lucas McIntyre, Colton Adams, James Dueck, Matthew Hope, Teegan Delaney, Brock Holland, Nash Belfry, Colton Giles, Tayden Stringer, Lawson Whetung and Cole Tucker, as well as Jake Clearly, Brayden Kendall and Nathan McIntyre, who were called up to play in the gold medal game as affiliate players.

The goaltenders were Eddie Post and Reese Crowe.

The coaching staff included head coach Jordan Stouros, assistant coaches Mat Giles, Thomas Hoggarth and Mitch Ogilvie, trainer Tim Holland and team manager Jess Belfry.

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Jr. C Lakers Even Meredith Cup Final With Game 2 Win at Home

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers have evened the OJCLL Meredith Cup Final at one game apiece after beating the Six Nations Stealth 9-6 at Healthy Planet Arena on Sunday.

Braxtin Howard celebrates a Lakers during Game 2 of the Meredith Cup Final against the stealth on Sunday. The Lakers won 9-6 to even the series at 1-1 with Game 3 set for wednesday in six nations. (Photo via Instagram @ptbojrclakers)

The two teams traded goals throughout the opening period. Jared Martinell put Peterborough on the board first just 1:28 into the game, but Six Nations answered 22 seconds later when Ryerson Montour tied it at 1-1. Kyson Campbell restored the Lakers' lead at 16:43, with Charlie Evans and Ryder Evans assisting, before Six Nations' Jake Skye tied the game again at 2-2 just 24 seconds later, with Ryker Powless and Will Rowe picking up the helpers.

Rhys Doolittle then gave Six Nations its first lead of the game with 3:48 remaining in the period, before Braxtin Howard tied the game at 3-3 with 2:14 left. Ricky Bevan assisted on Howard's goal.

Six Nations regained the lead early in the second when Noah McQueen scored at 16:50, assisted by Brian Laforme and Skye, but the Lakers answered with four straight goals to take control.

Ryder Perry tied the game at 4-4 at 10:47, with Howard assisting. Quinn Jacobs then put Peterborough back in front with a power-play goal at 9:07, assisted by Perry and Ryder Evans.

Perry scored his second of the game on another power play at 7:11, with Charlie Evans and Jacobs picking up the assists. Six Nations cut the deficit to one when Brian Laforme scored at 4:14, assisted by Powless, but Brodie Roberts restored Peterborough's two-goal lead with one minute remaining in the period.

The Lakers added two more goals in the third period to extend their lead to 9-5. Jacobs scored both, with Perry assisting on each goal. Logan Giroux and Charlie Evans also picked up assists.

Six Nations added one more goal when Noah McQueen scored with 10:01 remaining, with Laforme assisting, but Peterborough held on for the 9-6 victory.

Perry led the Lakers with five points on two goals and three assists, while Jacobs finished with three goals and an assist. Howard had a goal and an assist, and Charlie Evans recorded three assists.

Ryder Evans added two assists, while Campbell, Martinell and Roberts each scored once. Bevan and Giroux each recorded one assist.

Chase Brown made 23 saves for the win as Peterborough outshot Six Nations 37-29.

The best-of-five series is now tied 1-1, with Game 3 set for Wednesday at 8pm in Six Nations.

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Lakers Take 2-1 Series Lead in MSL Semifinal With Win in Oakville Saturday Night

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are one win away from the MSL final after beating the Oakville Rock 7-3 Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five semifinal series.

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers have taken a 2-1 series lead in their best-of-five msl semifinal after winning game 3 in oakville on saturday night. The series returns to peterborough for Game 4 on Tuesday at 8pm at the 8pmc (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via ryan mccullough)

After the teams traded goals in a 1-1 opening period, the Lakers took control late in the second. Ryan Lanchbury scored twice in just over a minute, followed by Colton Armitage's second goal of the night, giving Peterborough a 4-1 lead heading into the third.

Oakville cut into the lead early in the final period, but the Lakers' defence and goaltender Drew Hutchison kept the Rock from getting any closer. Hutchison turned aside 51 shots to earn the win and first-star honours.

Thomas Hoggarth restored Peterborough's three-goal lead in the third before Matt Gilray added a pair of empty-net goals to finish off the victory.

Armitage finished with two goals, giving him two goals in each of the first and third games of the series. Lanchbury also scored twice, while Hoggarth and Gilray had one each. Rob Hellyer led the Lakers with four assists, while Dylan Hutchison added two helpers. Jake Withers, Robert Hope and Colton Armstrong each had one assist.

The Lakers also held Oakville off the scoresheet on all six of their power-play opportunities.

Peterborough has a chance to finish the series at home with Game 4 set for Tuesday at 8pm at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

In the other semifinal, the Six Nations Chiefs completed a sweep of the Cobourg Kodiaks with an 8-5 win Saturday night, becoming the first team to advance to the league final.

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Stealth Take Early Lead as Jr. C Lakers Fall in Meredith Cup Final Opener

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers will look to even the Meredith Cup Final on home floor after falling 7-3 to the Six Nations Stealth in Game 1 Thursday night.

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers opened the Meredith Cup Final against the Six Nations Stealth on Thursday night, with the two teams battling in Game 1 of the best-of-five championship series. (photo via instagram @ptbojrclakers)

Six Nations jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the opening period and added two more goals in the second to take a 5-2 advantage into the final frame. The Lakers battled back in the third period, but the Stealth scored twice late to secure the win and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five championship series.

Ryder Evans opened the scoring for Peterborough in the first period, while Kennen Withers added a power-play goal in the second. Braxtin Howard scored midway through the third period to bring the Lakers within two, but Six Nations answered with two late goals to close out the victory.

Evans also recorded an assist, while Ryder Perry and Quinn Jacobs each picked up one helper.

The Lakers were outshot 31-30 in the game, with Chase Brown making 30 saves in the loss. Six Nations goaltender Kayden Hearn stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.

Game 2 of the Meredith Cup Final is set for Sunday at 4pm at Healthy Planet Arena, where Peterborough will look to even the series before it returns to Six Nations for Game 3 on Wednesday.

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Lakers Fall to Rock as MSL Semifinal Series Now Tied at a Game Apiece

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers saw their five-game winning streak come to an end Thursday night, falling 11-5 to the Oakville Rock in Game 2 of their Major Series Lacrosse semifinal series at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers and Oakville Rock are tied at a game apiece after Oakville earned an 11-5 victory in Game 2 of their best-of-five Major Series Lacrosse semifinal series Thursday night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. The series shifts back to Oakville for Game 3 on Saturday (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

Oakville goaltender and former Laker Landon Kells was the difference-maker, shutting out Peterborough in both the first and third periods while helping the Rock even the best-of-five series at one game apiece.

The Rock jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the opening period, with Justin Tavares, Josh Dawick and Sam LeClair all finding the net. Peterborough responded with a strong second period, scoring five times to erase the deficit and take a 5-4 lead.

Thomas Hoggarth opened the Lakers' scoring late in the second period, followed by goals from Ryan Lanchbury, Holden Cattoni, and two more from Hoggarth. Oakville, however, answered with two goals of its own before the period ended to take a 6-5 lead into the final frame.

The Rock pulled away in the third period, scoring five unanswered goals to secure the win. Alex Simmons finished with four goals, including a penalty shot marker late in the game, while Justin Tavares completed the night with a hat trick after the league corrected the third-period scoring.

Thomas Hoggarth recorded a hat trick to lead the Lakers, while Ryan Lanchbury and Holden Cattoni each had a goal and two assists. Rob Hellyer, Colton Armitage, Jake Withers, Mike Robinson, Daniel Clark and Justin Sykes each chipped in with an assist.

Drew Hutchison made 43 saves in the loss, while Kells stopped 44 shots to earn the victory.

The series now shifts back to Oakville for Game 3 on Saturday at 7pm at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre, before returning to the Peterborough Memorial Centre for Game 4 on Tuesday.

In the other MSL semifinal, the Six Nations Chiefs took a 2-0 series lead over the Cobourg Kodiaks with an 11-9 win Thursday night. Game 3 goes Saturday in Six Nations

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Peterborough Girls U15 Lakers Win Provincial Championship at Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Girls U15 Lakers are provincial champions after defeating the Burlington Blaze in the U15 C final on Thursday at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby.

The Peterborough Girls U15 Lakers are bringing home provincial gold after an impressive run at the ontario lacrosse festival in whitby (photo via instagram @ontariolacrosse)

After opening the tournament with an 8-1 win over the Akwesasne Storm, Peterborough dropped an 8-4 decision to the Midland Titans before responding with five straight victories.

Peterborough's run to the final included a 5-0 win over the Guelph Regals, a 7-4 victory over the Lincoln Redcoats and a 7-4 win over the St. Catharines Athletics. The Lakers then earned some redemption against Midland, defeating the Titans 7-3.

In the final game, the Lakers earned their gold medals with a 9-3 win over the Burlington Blaze to capture the U15 C Provincial Championship.

The championship roster included Chelsea Mose, Morgan Ayotte, Hayley Fair, Eliza Vivian, Charlee Young, Lilah Brooks, Madeline Gifford, Ellie Brown, Mikaela Ferren, Emersyn (Emme) O'Grady, Isla Bell, Monroe McKinley, Aliyah Garbutt, Jillian Tucker, Mia Clark, Aliyah Francis-O'Brien, Delila Maynard and Taylor Evans.

The team was coached by head coach Geoff McKinley, assistant coaches Niall Maynard and Chris Vivian, and trainer Tori Sage.

Congratulations to the players, coaches, families and supporters on an outstanding week that ended with a provincial championship for Peterborough.

The Peterborough Girls U15 Lakers celebrate after beating Burlington to capture the provincial championship at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby on Thursday (video via YouTube @ontariolax)

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Four Exceptional Student-Athletes Graduates Receive 2026 Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame Bursary

Four graduating and exceptional student-athletes were recipients of the annual Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame Bursary Award for 2026 at a presentation ceremony at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Wednesday evening.

(Left to right) Tim Barrie, PDSHOF board Chair; Allie Arnott; Charles Dobbin; Natalie Keys; Noah Mooney; and Linda de Jeu, PDSHOF Second Vice Chair. The award has been given annually to four recipients since 1996 (with 2020 having six) Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Allie Arnott, Charles Dobbin, Natalie Keys and Noah Mooney were this year’s winners, taking home $2,000 apiece from the bursary. Each recipient was a graduating high school student attending University in the fall.

This year’s winners will have their headshots commemorated in the Hall of Fame and their names etched into the history of the awards’ beneficiaries.

Allie Arnott. Photo by David Tuan BUi.

Arnott is an honours student and is a graduate of Crestwood Secondary School.

She will attend Brock University in the Business Management Program in the fall and will play for the Badgers Women’s Lacrosse team.

Arnott is a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, ran cross country and track and field and competed in alpine skiing and badminton. She was awarded the Dysart athlete award – Crestwood’s highest athletic honour. Arnott also earned the principal's award for student leadership in grade 9 and the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board Community Contribution award last year.

She was selected to attend the ‘Her Mark’ conference which is a conference where other female sports leaders empower female athletes.

In the community, Arnott has been a member of the Peterborough Power Basketball program, the Thunder Volleyball program and the Kawartha field lacrosse program, not only as a player but also as captain for several of the teams.

Arnott’s high school teacher-coach, Ms. Tracy McKellar, describes her as an enthusiastic, energetic and highly motivated student-athlete.

On top of all the high school and community sport participation, Arnott still found time to volunteer with Relay for Life, Special Olympics, Jump Ball program coaching students with exceptionalities and as a Peterborough youth basketball clinic coach. This year she has also received the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award.

Charles Dobbins, 18. Photo by David Tuan BUi.

Dobbins is an honours student and is a graduate of Crestwood Secondary School.

He will attend the University of Guelph in September.

Dobbins is a multi-sport athlete who played soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, rugby, ultimate frisbee and competed in Alpine Ski racing. He was awarded the Dysart Award – Crestwood’s highest athletic honour 3 times.

He won an OFSAA gold medal in Alpine ski racing this past year. 

In the community, Dobbins has been an active member of the Peterborough City Soccer and the Power Basketball program for many years. On many of these teams, he was not only a player but also chosen captain.

Dobbins’s high school teacher and coach, Ms. Tracy McKeller, describes him as one of the most accomplished and well-rounded student-athletes to walk the halls of Crestwood.

In addition to his school and community sport participation, he has been a coach and official with Cavan FC and has helped with skill development in the U6-U14 program. Dobbins has worked with the Petes U10 hockey team and the Tigers U10 baseball team, aiding with off-season training.

Natalie Keys. Photo by David Tuan BUi.

Keys is an honours student and is a graduate of Adam Scott Collegiate.

She will be attending McMaster University in Hamilton, studying Kinesiology and playing for the Marauders Women’s basketball team.

Keys is a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, volleyball, Ultimate frisbee, badminton, ran track and field and competed in Alpine Ski racing. Over the course of four years at Adam Scott, Keys and her teammates earned 22 COSSA gold medals and three silvers. She has attended 12 OFSAA championships in four years – with five of those being in her final year of high school. She has one OFSAA Gold and one bronze medal.

This year at the Athletic awards ceremony, she received the Marilyn Tudhope OFSAA award of excellence – which recognizes a female athlete's dedication and success over her entire high school career at OFSAA championships. At the Peterborough Civic Awards ceremony, Natalie received the Mayor’s Youth Award.

In the community, Keys has been a member of the Peterborough city soccer program, the Peterborough Power basketball program, as well as the North York and Scarborough basketball elite programs. She has been a member of the Peterborough Thunder Volleyball program and the Peterborough Pacers Track and Field program.

Keys’s high school teacher-coach, Mrs. Kim McBride, describes her as an outstanding student-athlete who is disciplined, motivated and exceptionally organized - consistently balancing the demands of rigorous academics and high-level athletic commitments.

On top of all the high school and community sport participation, Keys still found time to volunteer with the ROAR volleyball camp, Special Olympics and the Jump Ball program, which offers students with exceptionalities the opportunity to play basketball. In addition to her sport–related volunteer work, she has supported the holiday program organized by the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Foundation and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

Noah Mooney. Photo by David Tuan BUi.

Mooney is an honours student and is a graduate of Adam Scott Collegiate.

He will attend Trent University in the fall and join the Excalibur Men’s Rugby team.

Mooney is a multi-sport athlete who played basketball, volleyball, soccer, rugby, football, tennis, badminton, ultimate frisbee and competed in wrestling and Alpine Ski racing.

He was named Senior male athlete of the year this past spring and has earned multiple athletic awards throughout his high school career. During his four years at Adam Scott, he won six OFSAA medals – three gold, two silver and one bronze. As part of the Lions teams, he won 12 COSSA gold medals and four silver medals.

In the community, Mooney has been a member of the Peterborough City Soccer Association and the Power and Time to Hoop Basketball programs. Mooney can be found on the beach with the Soul Beach volleyball program and you can also see him at Nichols Oval, as he is part of the highly successful Pagans Rugby program.

Mooney’s high school teacher and coach, Mr. Darrell Wright, describes him as a special athlete. He has a mix of natural ability, effort and persistence that sets him apart from his peers.

On top of all the high school and community sport participation, Mooney had time to volunteer with the Lakefield Bridgenorth community clean-up program, with Special Olympics basketball and soccer programs and as a Lakefield community support labourer.

@ptbo_canada Four graduating and exceptional student-athletes were recipients of the annual Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame Bursary Award for 2026 at a presentation ceremony. #fyp #news #ptbocanada #journalism #sports ♬ Hockey Theme Song II - The Muster Point Project

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for newsletter here.

MSL Semifinal Series Shifts to Peterborough Tonight for Game 2 Between Lakers and Rock

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are back on home floor tonight with a chance to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Major Series Lacrosse semifinal series against the Oakville Rock.

the lakers will host the rock tonight for game two of their semifinal series, marking their first postseason meeting at the pmc since the msl finals in 2018 (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers, via david pickering)

Peterborough opened the series with a 10-7 road win on Tuesday night, extending its winning streak to five games after closing out the regular season with four straight victories.

The Lakers got balanced scoring in Game 1, led by Thomas Hoggarth's five-point performance, while goaltender Drew Hutchison turned aside 47 shots to backstop the victory.

This semifinal series is the first time these teams have matched up in the postseason in eight years, with tonight marking the first playoff game between the Lakers and Rock in Peterborough since 2018, when the clubs met in the MSL Final. Peterborough won that series in six games before going on to capture the Mann Cup over Maple Ridge.

There are some interesting connections between the two teams as well. Oakville goaltender Nick Rose was the Rock's starter during that 2018 final before later joining the Lakers, while the Rock's roster now includes Tye Steenhuis and Justin Tavares. Their fathers, Mark Steenhuis and John Tavares, were teammates on Peterborough's Mann Cup championship teams in 2010 and 2012.

With the series now shifting to the Peterborough Memorial Centre, the Lakers will look to protect home floor before the series heads back to Oakville for Game 3 on Saturday. Game time tonight is 8pm with tickets available online and at the PMC Box Office.

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Three Peterborough Special Olympics Swimmers to Represent Peterborough At Nationals In Alberta

Local swimmers Tessa Scates, Breanne Mackenzie and Steve Caban are ready to make a splash, representing Peterborough and Team Ontario at the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat, Alb.

Tessa Scates (left), Breanne Mackenzie (middle) and Steve Caban (right) commemorated with medals of swimming 1700+, 500 and 550 lengths respectively as Special Olympic Swiimmers. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The athletes travel this Sunday, with the games running from Aug.11 to 15. The last time Special Olympics Canada held National Games was in 2018 in Antigonish, N. S.

Each swimmer has trained at the Trent University pool since November. Each athlete was given a medal to commemorate the number of lengths they swam, training for the event.

“They love swimming; that is their passion,” said Debbie Quinlan, head coach. “They love not only swimming but the camaraderie so they’ve been training hard.”

“It’s really been remarkable to see their growth, not only in their strength and their bodies changing and their muscles growing and all of that but also the excitement building as we are getting closer to the games,” explained Jenn Scates, team manager.

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Each athlete has qualified to compete in four different events including the 50 metre freestyle/back, 100 metre freestyle/back/breast/I.M. and 200 metre freestyle.

Caban is no stranger to high-profile competition. He represented Canada at the 1999 World Special Olympics Summer Games in North Carolina. He competed at the 2005 World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, winning gold in the 5K cross-country, fourth in the 1K and fifth in the 4x 1K relay. He has also medaled in the 2009 Winter Games in Boise, Id. and won bronze in cross-country skiing at the 2013 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Caban was inducted into the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame as a Special Olympian in 2024.

He says he uses his experience to mentor his teammates and enjoys having them on the team.

“(I like) helping other athletes out making new friends,” explained Caban.

For Scates and Mackenzie, it is their first national competition. Both of them want to achieve new personal best records when they travel to Alberta.

“(I want to) Try to beat all my times,” explained Scates.

“My goal is to do my absolute best and beat some of my times but I’m just looking forward to having the best time ever,” said Mackenzie.

All three athletes have one common goal: to have fun and make new friends.

“They boost each other up, they pump each other up and they show that after practice, Jenn has each one of them tell each other about what they’ve done great that day at the practice. It’s more than just about swimming; they are inspiring each other. That’s what’s so exciting. You could have somebody come in last place, and the whole pool deck is cheering them on. That’s what’s so exciting about Special Olympics: everyone is a champion.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Jr. C Lakers Return to Meredith Cup Final With History in Sight

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers are heading back to the Meredith Cup Final for the third straight season, but this year’s championship chase has a different challenge: a chance to make history.

The Lakers begin their quest for a third consecutive Meredith Cup championship when they face the Six Nations Stealth in the league final. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Jr. C Lakers, via Christine Liu)

The Lakers will meet the Six Nations Stealth in the best-of-five league final, beginning Thursday night in Six Nations, as Peterborough looks to capture its third consecutive Meredith Cup championship.

Only two teams in Ontario Junior C Lacrosse history have ever won three straight championships. Owen Sound accomplished the feat during the first era of Ontario-sanctioned Junior C lacrosse from 1977 to 1979, while Clarington became the only team to do it during the Meredith Cup era with three straight titles from 2010 to 2012.

A win this year would also give Peterborough its fifth Meredith Cup championship, moving the Lakers past Clarington for the most titles in league history.

But before the Lakers can think about history, they have to get through a Six Nations team that finished the regular season with the league’s best record at 14-2.

“It’s a big one,” said Lakers head coach Ryley Martinell. “You don’t want to hang your hat on that, but it’s definitely something you think about when you’re sitting at home on the couch.”

Peterborough returns to the Meredith Cup Final after another strong playoff run that included series wins over Huntsville, Whitby and Cornwall. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Jr. C Lakers, via Christine Liu)

A Different Path Back to the Final

The Lakers entered the season knowing they had lost several key pieces from their previous championship teams, but the expectations remained the same.

“When we show up to camp with the coaching staff we have and kind of the culture in the team we’ve grown, our expectations are always to chase a Meredith Cup,” Martinell said.

Peterborough finished first in the Central Division before opening the playoffs with a three-game sweep of the Huntsville Hawks. The Lakers then defeated the Whitby Warriors in four games in the division final before sweeping the Cornwall Celtics in the Meredith Cup semifinal.

While the results may look dominant on paper, Martinell said the road to the final was anything but easy.

“We’re just as skilled, we’re just younger, which closed the gap a little bit,” he said. “The theme of the year is just find a way. We’re a young team. We know we’re going to go through struggles. We know we’re going to get down. Just find a way, dig deep, find a way to win.”

That mentality has carried the Lakers through close games throughout the postseason, including a one-goal win over Whitby in the division final and a comeback victory against Cornwall after falling behind in Game 3 of the semifinal.

Braxtin Howard was named Central Division Rookie of the Year after leading the Lakers with 54 points during the regular season and continues to be a key contributor during Peterborough’s playoff run. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Jr. C Lakers, via Christine Liu)

Howard Leads Young Lakers Core

One of the players helping lead that young group is Braxtin Howard, who was recently named Central Division Rookie of the Year and finished as the division’s MVP runner-up.

Howard led the Lakers with 54 points during the regular season, recording 29 goals and 25 assists in 14 games.

“He’s kind of a different animal,” Martinell said. “He’s an old school lacrosse player as a first year junior player.”

“He’ll score, he’ll fight, he’ll hit a guy. He gives us 100% every time he shows up on the floor, and Rookie of the Year was a no-brainer.”

Howard has continued that production in the playoffs, entering the Meredith Cup Final ranked seventh in league playoff scoring with 38 points in 10 games.

Head coach Ryley Martinell watches the action from the bench as the Jr. C Lakers continue their pursuit of a third straight Meredith Cup championship. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Jr. C Lakers, via Christine Liu)

A Final Against One of the League’s Best

The Six Nations Stealth enter the series after sweeping the West Grey Rampage and Burlington Warriors before defeating the Whitby Warriors in a five-game semifinal series.

The two teams met once during the regular season, with Six Nations earning a 13-12 overtime win on May 3.

Martinell said that game was a long time ago and that the Lakers roster has changed since then.

“We had a lot of guys away at school and kind of filled some pieces,” he said. “I’m a lot happier with our roster going into this series than it was in game three or four of the year there.”

The final will feature some of the top offensive players in the league. Six Nations’ Brian Laforme leads all playoff scorers with 47 points, while teammate Ryker Powless also has 47 points. Peterborough’s Ryder Perry ranks fourth with 41 points, while Howard sits seventh with 38 points.

Laforme, Perry and Howard are also among the league’s top playoff goal scorers, ranking second, third and fourth respectively.

“They’re fast, they’re athletic, they’re super skilled,” Martinell said of Six Nations. “They’re going to be the strongest team we’ve played all year other than the one time we’ve seen them.”

The Jr. C Lakers and Six Nations Stealth meet in the Meredith Cup Final, with the championship series beginning Thursday night in Six Nations. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Jr. C Lakers, via Christine Liu)

A Series Worth Watching

The Meredith Cup Final begins Thursday, August 6th at 8pm in Six Nations before returning to Peterborough for Game 2 on Sunday, August 9th at 4pm at Healthy Planet Arena.

Game 3 is Wednesday, August 12th at 8pm in Six Nations, with Game 4 scheduled for Friday, August 14th at 8pm in Peterborough. If necessary, Game 5 will be played Sunday, August 16th at 6pm in Six Nations.

Martinell expects a fast-paced series between two teams looking to prove themselves.

“Junior C in general, it’s fast, skilled, the kids are athletic, they work hard,” he said. “Everybody’s skilled. Everybody’s good enough to play at a higher level.”

For a Lakers team chasing a third straight championship, the message remains the same.

“Find a way,” Martinell said. “Whatever it takes.”

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

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.