Elora Mohawks

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Elora Mohawks
City Elora, Ontario
League OLA Junior B Lacrosse League
Founded
Home Arena
Colours Black, Yellow, and White
Coach
GM

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

Fergus Thistles 19xx - 1962
Guelph Mohawks 1963 - 196x
Elora Mohawks 196x to Present

Contents

[edit] History

Probably founded in the 1960s, the Mohawks started out as the Fergus Thistles. In 1963, the team moved to become the Guelph Mohawks. Later that decade they moved to Elora, Ontario. They have bounced between the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League and the OLA Junior B Lacrosse League.

[edit] 2004 Playoff Run

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 forth 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.

As host of the 2004 Founders Cup, the Elora Mohawks received an automatic birth 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.

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 first ever league title. The Finals did not go as planned for the again-favoured Mohawks. The Gaels won 11-8.

[edit] 2005 Playoff Run

After the disappointing 2004 Season, the Mohawks prepared for a rebuilding year. With 13 rookies, the Mohawks finished the 2005 season with a 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 birth 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, inwhich 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 first Founders Cup Championship as the best Junior "B" Lacrosse team in Canada -- one year after everyone figured it would have happened.

[edit] Season-by-Season Results

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
1969 24 5 19 0 278 452 10 8th OLA-A Lost Quarter-final
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 0 - - - - - - Folded
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 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
2000 21 18 3 0 255 178 36 1st OLA-B West Lost Final
2001 20 19 0 1 344 91 39 1st OLA-B West Lost Semi-final
2002 22 18 4 0 303 176 36 2nd OLA-B West Lost Semi-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
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

[edit] External links

OLA Junior B Lacrosse League
Current Teams: Akwesasne Lightning | Barrie Tornado | Clarington Green Gaels | Cornwall Celtics | Elora Mohawks | Gloucester Griffins | Guelph Regals | Halton Hills Bulldogs | Hamilton Bengals | Huntsville Hawks | London Blue Devils | Markham Ironheads | Mimico Mountaineers | Mississauga Tomahawks Jr. B | Nepean Knights | Niagara Thunderhawks | Oakville Buzz | Orangeville Northmen | Owen Sound Rams | Sarnia Pacers | Scarborough Saints | Six Nations Red Rebels | Spartan Warriors | Wallaceburg Red Devils | Welland Warlords | Windsor AKO Fratmen

Former Member Teams: Kitchener-Waterloo Braves | Mississauga Tomahawks | Orangeville Northmen | Orillia Rama Kings | Six Nations Arrows | Toronto Beaches | Windsor Warlocks

Ontario Lacrosse Association | Canadian Lacrosse Association | Founders Cup