The Nepean Knights Jr. B Lacrosse team is headed to the Ontario Championship Series following a 12-1 win over the Akwesasne Indians on Wednesday night. Over 700 fans packed the Howard Darwin Centennial Arena to watch the Knights improve to 9-0 in the playoffs and win their first Conference Championship in franchise history.
Liam Aston had two goals just over two minutes into the game. The Knights rallied for four more goals before the 14-minute mark and held a 7-0 lead at the 1st intermission.
“We talked about getting a quick start,” said Head Coach Matt Firth. “We knew it was going to be tough for them coming into our building down 2-0 in the series facing a full house. To get on them early like we did and be up 7-0 after the 1st period was incredible, that is a huge lead and tough for any team to overcome.”
Firth continued, “Our offense was a driving force in Game 2, but tonight was all defense. Our offense was opportunistic and got the job done, our transition scoring was good, and our goaltending was exceptional. There is no such thing as a perfect game, but we played extremely well.”
The Knights entered the playoffs as the top seed following an 18-2 regular season. Prior to playing Akwesasne, they defeated the Orillia Kings and Halton Hills Bulldogs. Every series has been a 3-game sweep, with the margin of victory increasing as each series has progressed.
“I am very impressed. You expect the playoffs to be tougher. We did have some tough games with Game 1 of the second and third round both going to overtime, but we saw our guys get better as each series went on which is just a testament to the work that they have put in. They are resilient, tough, and up for the challenge. They are playing extremely well, no doubt about it,” said Firth.
Jared Downey (North Gower) was the leading scorer for the Knights in the regular season and finished 4th in the league with 26 goals and 70 assists. Downey is the Knights captain and has 14 goals and 21 assists in the playoffs, which is second on the team to Nick Pelletier (16 goals, 21 assists).
“It has been a blast to be the captain of this team and I am so proud. Everybody works their tail off and it is just an absolute joy to be with these guys. They have all bought in and you can tell that out on the floor we are all one big family,” said Downey.
“The first two years of Jr. we lost to Akwesasne in the playoffs, so it was great to beat them this season. We are super amped up, all the boys are fired up to be headed to the finals,” said Downey.
“I said it in the room, heading to the Ontario final is unchartered territory for this organization, we have never been there before, so we have to celebrate that accomplishment. Our sights are set on winning the National Championship but our message all along has been that you must play it game by game, step by step, you can’t start looking too far down the road,” Firth added.
Nepean will play either the Elora Mohawks or Windsor Clippers in the Championship Series. The Western Conference Finals series will conclude over the weekend with the teams currently tied 1-1.
“We are not taking anything for granted because the Western conference might as well be a completely different league, we do not cross-over and play them during the regular season. We have no idea what we are going to play, we have game film that we can break down to get a sense of what we are up against. Whether it is Windsor or Elora, we are playing the champions of the West so they are going to be good,” said Firth.
He continued, “It is going to be two really good teams battling in the final who have not seen each other. The level of lacrosse has been really high, the fans are loving it, it is great for the kids and for Nepean minor lacrosse. I am really excited about facing a new team and being in the final, and just playing some more really good lacrosse.”
With the top seed, the Knights have the option to play the first two games at home or go on the road to open the series and return home for games 3, 4 and 5. Although unofficial, it is likely the Knights will go on the road to open the series with games 1 and 2 being played the weekend of August 6 and 7. Games 3, 4 and 5 would then be played in Nepean, with potential dates of August 10, 11 and 12. The schedule will be determined following the conclusion of the Western Conference Finals.
When asked about the support the Knights have received Firth responded, “The crowds have been building with the success, fans love success. Word has been spreading about us potentially doing something special here. I have never stood on the bench and seen all the stands full and people standing 3 deep at the back and lined up all around the glass. To deliver the win for that crowd was amazing and I made sure that our guys appreciated that.”
Firth’s final remark of the night on Wednesday, “We are not throwing our helmets and gloves up into the air like we have won a championship yet, we are after something bigger.”
The Provincial Champion will advance to the Founders Cup National Championship tournament which will be played in Brampton from August 15-21.
