Jr. B Lacrosse is back for another exciting season in Niagara.

The Thunderhawks saw 44 players come out to camp this year. New Team President/GM Al Janzen was encouraged by the numbers and he noted that “competition is stiff for the last few positions, the guys are really working hard”. With 10 returning players from last years team and the addition of 2 returning players from Junior A, the team is focusing on a strong season. The team is coached by Roger Chrysler, Robert “Bear” Henry and Dale Henry. The sophomore staff gained valuable knowledge last year and look to use that experience to their advantage.

The team traveled to St. Catharines this past weekend for the Annual Spartan pre-season tournament. Coach Chrysler stated that “This tournament allows the coaching staff to analyze all the players before rostering them to the team”. Niagara beat Mississauaga in the opener 6-3. Bryn Jones led the way for the Thunderhawks scoring 2 goals and adding an assist. Tomas Lester, Marcus Langerstrom, Derrick Miller and Tom Owen tallied singles for the T-Hawks. Game Two was a close 7-5 loss to the St.Catharines Spartans. The Niagara team went down 5-1 early but managed to rally with 4 straight goals before a late Spartan goal sealed the game. Marcus Langerstrom scored 3 goals on 3 breakaways, with Bryn Jones and Don Ferguson adding singles. Dean Janzen, and Jones both had 2 assists. Rhys Clarke was strong in the nets. In Game 3, a tired T-Hawks team went down 9-2 to Oakville. The gritty affair saw a highlight tilt with local boy Alex Windsor holding his own against the Oakville enforcer. James Rickard and Bryson Filipetti both scored for the T-Hawks.

Regular season action begins Monday, April 20th at the Virgil MCU Arena. Game time is 8:00pm. Come early and enjoy the pre-game barbecues. Saturday night home games will begin at 7:00pm and will include a full bar run by the NOTL Kinsmen.