April 25, 2024 · 0 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
The Orangeville Junior C Northmen regular season will get underway this Friday, April 26, when they face the Barrie Bombers on their home floor at Tony Rose Arena in Orangeville.
The Northmen had success in the pre-season finishing with a 4-1-1 record after tournaments in Wilmot and Orangeville.
Returning after a successful 2023 season, the Northmen ended last year with a loss in Game Five of a best-of-five West Division Final.
In 2022, the squad won the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League Championship and that is the goal this year as they return to competition.
The 2024 edition of the Junior C Northmen has 11 players who are 21 years old, including offensive leaders Josh Presley, Luke Downard, Jack Fitzpatrick, Aiden Toogood, and Nick Haladuick.
In the back, defensive stalwarts, Lyle MacNeil, Bryce Barwick, Owen Kelly, and Chris Chung, will be shutting down offensive play in the Northmen end.
Aiden Clark will be goaltending for the team.
Last season’s offensive coach, Taylor Hartley, will move up to take over the head coaching duties, and Malcolm Young joins the staff as the new offensive coach.¸
Ty Mikulik is returning as the defensive coach, as well as Aiden MacLeod to round out the bench staff.
There are 15 teams in the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse League this season, grouped into two divisions – the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference.
In the West, the Northmen will be up against, Fergus, Halton Hills, Wilmot, Six Nations, Brantford, and Barrie.
Teams in the East include Cornwall, Huntsville, Nepean, North Shore, Clarington, Whitby, Peterborough, and Akwesasne.
It is an 18-game regular season schedule.
The Northmen will have nine home games.
Friday’s home opener will get underway at 8 p.m.