WEDNESDAY AUG 20TH

Mohawks down Tri-City, advance to semi-final

By: Greg Horn
K103radio.com
EDMONTON, AB – The Kahnawake Mohawks took control of their own destiny Wednesday night when they defeated the Tri-City Bandits 10-5. The win against the Bandits guaranteed the Mohawks would advance to the playoff round of the 2008 Presidents Cup tournament.
Once again the Mohawks started out slow and finished the first period down 2-0 on goals by Russ Heard and Timm Hamm. But the Mohawks came out gunning in the second period knowing a berth in the semi-finals was at stake. Just 40 seconds into the second Louis Alfred scored the Mohawks first goal. The goal was scored shorthanded while Lance Mitchell was serving a four-minute double minor for cross checking. On the same penalty kill Callum Crawford scored the equalizer for the Mohawks.
Then at 5:21 Crawford scored on the power play to give the Mohawks a 3-2 lead. Less than a minute later, at 6:13 Raj Wasson scored his second of the tournament to give the Mohawks a 4-2 lead. At 9:09 Crawford turned his hat trick, and that goal was once again shorthanded.
Tri-City’s Heard scored his second of the game at 15:30 on the power play to put a stop to five unanswered Mohawks goals. Mitchell was soon to answer back, scoring two more to close out the second period giving the Mohawks a 7-3 lead.
Going into the third the Bandits tried to mount a counterattack and netted two consecutive goals from Clarke Malcolm and Jarett Dormen at 3:36 and 11:48. But the Mohawks offense proved to be too strong as Crawford, Alfred and Mitchell each scored to close out the game giving the Mohawks a 10-5 win.
The win didn’t come without a price, as Mohawks defenseman Sylvain Laroche injured his knee and is most likely done for the tournament. If he is indeed gone for the tournament the Mohawks would be without their top face-off man.
The Mohawks must wait to see how the rest of the teams finish the round robin portion of the tournament to determine who and when they play next. They will either play tomorrow at 6 p.m. (EDT) or 10 p.m. (EDT). Stay tuned to K103 for more information.
Coverage of the 2008 Presidents Cup on K103 and www.k103radio.com is brought to you by Goodleaf’s Auto and Recycling and the Caisse Populaire Kahnawake.

TUESDAY AUG 19TH

Mohawks lose a tough one
By: Greg Horn
K103radio.com
The Kahnawake Mohawks were looking to improve to 2-0 when they took on the host Sherwood Park Outlaws in their second game of the 2008 Presidents Cup tournament. This game was a rematch of sorts between these two teams from the bronze medal match of the 2005 Presidents Cup tournament in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.
That game ended with the Outlaws claiming the bronze by downing the Mohawks 7-4. That game was also marred by a brawl in which 96 penalty minutes were levied and many players from both teams were suspended for the following season, some going into multiple seasons.
This was an important game for the two teams as both wanted to improve to 2-0 to try to solidify first place in their respective groupings. The game started with action seen on both sides of the floor with Mohawks netminder Ben Vanevery and his Outlaws counterpart Grant McLeod making spectacular saves.
Then at 5:41 Sherwood Park’s Colin Sherbanuk struck first to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Kahnawake Mohawks didn’t stay behind for very long as Curry Rice netted his first of the tournament at 11:31 to tie it at 1-1. However, at 13:56 Ben Prepchuk scored an unassisted goal to give the Outlaws a 2-1 lead, which went into the first intermission.
At 4:23 Dan Bostrom gave the Outlaws a 3-1 lead. But at 7:06 Mohawks sniper Lance Mitchell scored on the power play. The play was set up by Callum Crawford, who dished it off to Louis Alfred, who then passed it to Mitchell who blasted it over the shoulder of McLeod to make it 3-2.
Then at 10:28 of the second, Mohawks defenseman Clay Kirby was assessed at five minute major for checking from behind. On the ensuing power play both Prepchuk and Stu Sterparn scored to give the Outlaws a 5-2 lead, which stood going into the second intermission.
Sterparn then gave his team a 6-2 lead at 5:15 of the third period. Just two minutes later Mitchell dished it off to Mike Dube, who was deep in the offensive zone and used his quick hands and beat McLeod over the shoulder to make it 6-3.
Then just before the ten-minute mark Dave McCrimmon netted what could have been a backbreaking seventh goal. McCrimmon’s shot hit the post and shot out across the goal line, but never appeared to cross it. However, the game’s official ruled it a goal and the Mohawks were down 7-3 with ten minutes to go in the game.
As the Mohawks tried to mount a comeback, head coach Barry Alfred pulled Vanevery to give his team a 5-on-4 advantage as both Pat Collins and Outlaws Kevin Hobday were serving penalties. The move worked as Alfred passed to Curtis Diabo, who beat McLeod with a nice bounce-shot. The score was now 7-4 with the Mohawks surging. Then with just two-and-a-half minutes left Diabo netted another to make the score 7-5.
Vanevery was pulled again to give the Mohawks a man-advantage. However, they were unable to capitalize and Peter Gut scored on the empty net. The final score was 8-5.
It is interesting to note that the Outlaws are made up of a number of National Lacrosse League players, including Jimmy Quinlan, Prepchuk, Rory Glaves, Peter Gut, all of the Edmonton Rush as well as Rush assistant coach Chris Stachniak. Calgary Roughnecks Ryan McNish also plays for the Outlaws.
The Mohawks will take on the Tri-City Bandits (B.C.) tonight live on K103 and K103radio.com at 8 p.m.
Coverage of the 2008 Presidents Cup on K103 Kahnawake and www.k103radio.com is brought to you by Goodleaf’s Auto and Recycling and the Caisse Populaire Kahnawake.

Kahnawake Mohawks are off to a good start.

Mohawks dominate Knights in Presidents Cup opener
By: Greg Horn
K103radio.com

EDMONTON, AB - The Kahnawake Mohawks had a game plan and stuck to it in their opening game of the 2008 Presidents Cup in Sherwood Park, Alberta against Airdrie Knights. The success of the Knights team all year in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League was their discipline. This team doesn’t take a lot of penalties and capitalizes when their opponents go into the box.
Going into this game the Mohawks coaching staff made up of Barry Alfred, Kevin Biggs and Eric Jacobs told their charges to play very disciplined lacrosse and not to get into penalty trouble. The Quebec Senior Lacrosse League Champs stuck to that game plan to a T and came out on top. The Mohawks took only four minutes in penalties to the Knights’ eight.
Both these teams came out gunning and the goaltenders had to stand on their heads to keep their respective teams in the game. Airdrie’s Rob McGowean was the first to strike netting one off a pass from Chad Evans and beating Ben Vanevery at 10:40 of the first period.
Just under six minutes later Lance Mitchell made a pass to Callum Crawford to net the equalizer for the Mohawks. The first period ended in a deadlock with the Mohawks outshooting the Knights 15-10.
At the start of the second period it looked like it was going to be more of the same as both teams had spectacular chances. Then at 4:51 Mitchell opened the floodgates scoring two 34 seconds apart. Just 35 seconds later, Curtis Diabo passed to Tontie McComber, who buried his first of the 2008 Presidents Cup tournament.
Then one of the Mohawks defensive specialists Clay Kirby scored on consecutive breakaway passes just 49 seconds apart. Assists went to Ryan “Chucky” McComber and Bobby Delaronde. Then at 15:21, Kirby passed the ball to Crawford who netted his second of the game. At the end of two periods of play the Mohawks held a comfortable 7-1 lead.
During the intermission Airdrie head coach Keith Berg must have fired up his team as McGowean netted his second of the game just 47 seconds into the third period. What spark that created for the Knights squad was soon extinguished as Chris Konopoliff scored at 1:43. Then at 4:12 Mohawks defender Pat Collins took a holding penalty and Aidrie went to work on their second power play of the game. However, Kirby passed to Crawford, who scored his hat trick while shorthanded at 4:51.
Evans was able to convert on the power play with two seconds left in the penalty to make the score 9-3. Raj Wasson scored the Mohawks final goal at 7:08. The final score was 10-3 for the Mohawks.
The Mohawks are in action again tonight at 10 p.m. (EDT) against the host Sherwood Park Outlaws.
Coverage of the 2008 Presidents Cup on K103 Kahnawake and www.k103radio.com is brought to you by Goodleaf’s Auto and Recycling and the Caisse Populaire Kahnawake.