This game featured the former Brampton Excelsiors team, who’s owner Joe Norton moved to Owen Sound in the off season, vs. the Oakville Rock (who were victorious their first time out last Tuesday night).
Coaches Darryl Gibson, Chris Driscoll and Jamie Dubrick will be leading Owen Sound for the short summer season.
Of note…four players are not suiting up for Owen Sound this summer. Jeff Teat, Connor McClelland, Travis Burton and Clarke Petterson will be sitting out. In April, the Ontario Lacrosse Association ruled the four players were to become free agents because of a failure to pay their junior affiliated team after acquiring their rights as junior-affiliated protected 2019. According to the OLA’s constitution, drafted and non-drafted juniors who are on a major protected list on July 1 in their year of graduation will see their junior club reimbursed $300.
Steve McCarthy, GM of the Owen Sound squad said both Owen Sound and the MSL were appealing that decision and “as far as the MSL is concerned, those four players are still the property of Owen Sound”.
The Oakville Rock had a strong showing on Tuesday night with a victory over a very young Six Nations team. Brandon Slade had a hat-trick to lead the team. The Rock also fielded a younger team with seven players getting their first career MSL goal. This was going to be an exciting match-up of two up and coming teams.
It was a battle of Rochester Knighthawks goalies with Craig Wende in goal for Oakville, and Rylan Hartley in net for Owen Sound.
The game had a ferocious start with both teams scoring fairly regularly, and had the Rock jumping out to a 7-5 lead. Settling into a calmer pace, the second quarter showcased much stingier goaltending and solid defense. Owen Sound got a goal late, and the score was 7-6 at the half.
The Rock scored four goals in the third quarter to take an 11-6 lead. Craig Wende of Oakville made some incredible saves keeping Owen Sound off the scoreboard, while the Rock defense continued to play aggressively, keeping them off balance most of the half as well.
Owen Sound put up a good fight in this game, but a more veteran Oakville lineup was just too much for them, controlling the majority of the second half. Rylan Hartley made some really big saves in the fourth quarter, otherwise this game could’ve really gotten out of hand. Two late goals made the score respectable, but it was just too little, too late.
Final score, Oakville 11 Owen Sound 8.
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
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