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Orangeville to host 2016 Founders Cup championship

March 11, 2015   ·   0 Comments

The Orangeville Junior B Northmen Lacrosse Club have been awarded the opportunity to host the Canadian Junior B Lacrosse Championship Tournament – the Founders Cup – next year.

In a town that has become one of the defining centres of lacrosse in Canada, the chance to play host to this prestigious tournament will be a crowning achievement for a club that strives for excellence on all levels.

The Ontario Junior B Lacrosse council selected the Northmen bid over other centres on March 7.  Junior B Northmen General Manager Ryan Dowdall presented the bid that had been months in the making and included letters of support from the Jr. B Northmen’s parent organization, Orangeville Minor Lacrosse, as well as the Town of Orangeville, Members of Parliament, the Orangeville Alumni Association and local service clubs including the Kin Club, The Rotary Club of Orangeville, and the Orangeville Lions Club.

“We started the bid in August and September,” Mr. Dowdall explained. “We had to put together quite a proposal. It’s quite extensive. We needed support – to secure the facilities, hotels, letters of support and we had to provide a budget.

“We pointed out the history of the Club. That played into a big part of the decision of the tournament committee to bring it to Orangeville. Our committee worked hard to put together a solid bid.”

The Alder Street Recreational Complex will serve as the main venue for the event that is expected to bring more than 700 players, coaches, officials, family and supporters to the community.

“We wanted offer each team their own dressing room. There’s more seating and it’s a fresher environment,” Mr. Dowdall said, as to why the tournament will take place at the Alder Street facility rather than both it and the older Tony Rose Memorial arena.

The eight-team round robin tournament will last for one week and feature championship teams from the Iroquois Lacrosse Association, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec, and the host team from Orangeville.

Bringing a tournament of this importance to Orangeville benefits the town in many ways, including support for local businesses and showcasing the Town as an important lacrosse and sports centre.

“This is going to be a big deal for Orangeville,” said Junior B Northmen head coach Bruce Codd.

“There is more of an impact when you hold a tournament like this in a smaller town rather than in a large centre where it gets lost. From a team standpoint, our players will have a chance to play in this tournament in front of family and hometown fans. It’s also good for recruitment purposes.”

The Founders Cup got its start in 1972 when it took over from the original Castrol Cup that ran from 1964 to 1971.

The national champions are determined through a round robin format with the final playdowns being held in the host city.                                                                                                               The Orangeville Junior B Northmen were formed in 2001 and play in the Western Conference. They reached the finals in 2013 and 2014.

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