The Huntsville Hawks take to the floor for the first time this season on Thursday night (May 4) at the Jack Bionda arena, hopeful for an improved performance in the Ontario Junior C Lacrosse league this year.
Huntsville finished last season in fourth place winning 9 of 16 games. The Clarington Shamrox were division champions with 15 wins and a tie followed by Peterborough Lakers and Whitby Wild.
This year, the Hawks have a new coach, Don Monahan, and will have several new faces in the lineup. Monahan played both minor and junior lacrosse in Huntsville before moving to Barrie. He was involved in lacrosse in the south, running clinics and coaching teams over the past 25 years in Barrie, Stayner, Shelburne and New Tecumseth. He and his teams have had great success, earning multiple league and provincial championships.
This year’s Junior team will be a slightly younger team with some players returning. “I think we have a pretty fast team,” said Monahan as he prepared for one of two last practices this week for the game Thursday against the Barrie Bombers.
From what I saw at our recent tournament in Wilmot, we are fast on our feet, and we can move the ball quickly. I think that will be our style. My teams traditionally are good with the ball and can move it fast. We will be a run and gun team from the beginning but defensive at the same time.Don Monahan, Hawks Jr C coach
A significant change this year will be in goal. Gone are Zack Hubbard and Mitch Wagner from last year. Cole Clarke, who came up through the Huntsville minor lacrosse ranks, and Logan Matthews will share that assignment. Neither has the number one assignment and will get their chance to play based on performance.
“Clarke played well for us in Wilmot,” said Monahan, “as did Orillia native Logan Matthews. We are after wins and if one is a little weak the other one can step in.”
Clarington has been the class of the division for the past three years and Peterborough was not far behind last season. Can Huntsville change that this year? “All I ask my players to do at all times, is compete, compete, compete,” said Monahan. “As long as we compete, whatever the scoreboard says at the end of the game, we are happy with.”
As for the season opener against Barrie, Monahan says he expects Huntsville to get off to a positive start. “We lost a tight game in preseason,” said Monahan, “and the score didn’t reflect how we played, but I’m pretty confident we can beat Barrie. We have a full squad now and we only ran with 13 in that last game. I coached a lot of those kids coming up from Barrie so I know how they play and I know that my squad is a lot more talented than they are.”
Huntsville Hawks Roster: Cole Clarke 00, Logan Matthews 1, Cody Purvis 3, Shea Greenaway 4, Tyler Arnott 5, Spencer Lavallee 7, Kole Smith 8, Josh Zantingh 9, Jackson Bionda 10, Sam Campbell 11, Ross Johnson 12, AJ Campbell 13, Dalton Boothby 14, Nick Vangelder 15, Jack Drinkwater 16, Evan Dickson 17, Cole Hanrahan 18, Devon Blunt 19, Mitchell Jones 20, Marshall Clarke 21, Graydon Macdonald.
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here.
0 Comments