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Local lacrosse team’s Canada Games gold anniversary to be celebrated

There were three impressive wins for the Niagara Jr. B Kinsmen Warriors 50 years ago — gold at the Ontario games, Canada Games and the Ontario Jr. B Lacrosse championship.
Ken Slingerland
lacrosse-70-ontario-report-canada-games-team-photo
The winning Canada Games lacrosse team: front row, John Wiens, Dave Parsons, Howie Vant, George Moses, Bob Taylor; second row, Ontario Mission Member D.L. Minshall, Russ Hodgkinson, Norm Hope, Jojie Engemann, Mike French, Bruce Morgan, Steve Miller, Coach Monty Slingerland; back row, Ralph Hamm, John Floris, Willie Plett, John Skubel, Don Smith, Gary Hill and manager Stan Ignatczyk.St. Catharines Lacrosse Hall of Fame

It was 50 years ago this summer that the Niagara Jr. B Kinsmen Warriors won the gold medal at the Ontario games, the gold medal at the Canada Games in British Columbia and also the Ontario Jr. B Lacrosse championship, all in the same year — a feat that has never been repeated.

The Jr. B franchise was started in 1969 by Fred Conradi, Peter Conradi and Stan Ignatczyk, and it only took five years to win the championships. The Jr. B Warriors also later won the Founder’s Cup, Canadian Jr. B Championship in 1981.

On Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. there will be a celebration to honour the 50th anniversary at the Kinsmen Hall in Niagara-
on-the-Lake.

After winning the gold medal in British Columbia, Jack Gatecliff, sports editor for the St. Catharines Standard, called the Kinsmen Warriors’ season a “Rags to Riches” story. The team was rated the underdogs in the Ontario tournament to qualify for the Canada Games but eliminated Whitby and then upset number one seed Hamilton to qualify for the trip to B.C.

Co-franchise owners Monty Slingerland (coach) and Stan Ignatczyk (manager) then had to scramble to raise funds to send the team to B.C. The Town of Niagara-
on-the-Lake chipped in to outfit the team with warm-up jackets and T-shirts.

The team won all four games at the Canada Games, including the final game against Nova Scotia to win the gold medal. A newspaper clipping from 50 years ago reported, “On their return home to the Toronto Airport, the team was met by Lord Mayor Jake Froese, who left a meeting of the Town Council mid-way to greet the boys personally. Accompanying them home to a homecoming reception at the Royal Canadian Legion headquarters, the Lord Mayor and the team were greeted by a few hundred residents who cheered their arrival in King Street.”

The team still had to compete in the Ontario Lacrosse Playoffs, following the Canada Games. After almost being upset in the semi-finals to Oakville, the Warriors defeated Whitby to claim the OLA Championship.

A civic reception was held in late September in 1973 to honour the Jr. B Kinsmen Warriors and other athletes in the community. Goaltender John Skubel was awarded the most valuable player for the year.

On Aug. 18, the Kinsmen welcome all NOTL Jr. B players from all teams over the years to celebrate the 1973 Jr. B Kinsmen Warriors champions.