National Junior Rankings: June 28, 2023
Trey Deere, Orangeville Northmen (Photo: Ontario Lacrosse Association)
During the 2023 Canadian junior seasons, The Lax Mag will publish our National Junior Rankings, a weekly rundown of all 23 A-level teams across the country. The opening edition will begin on June 7 with future rankings published in the middle of every week (date dependent on league schedule for that week) until the start of the Minto Cup.
The rankings will include the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL), British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League (BCJALL) and Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL).
The Lax Mag’s rankings will position teams based not only by overall record, but also the strength of their opposition and the quality of their results - win, lose or draw.
Joey Spallina, Orangeville Northmen (Photo: Ontario Lacrosse Association)
The Orangeville Northmen have run their ridiculous season-starting streak up to 15 straight wins, and are now just four victories shy of being one of the very few teams in Canadian Junior A history to go perfect on the season. The still have the Six Nations Arrows & Brampton Excelsiors (x2), who are currently quarrelling over the all-important eight seed, plus two against the Kitchener-Waterloo Lacrosse Club, who’ve won just once in 15 games. Last year, the Northmen beat KW by a combined total of 28-10 in their two regular season games. Not to jinx ‘em, but 20-0 seems to be a certainty for this diverse & dangerous group that is showing no signs of slowing down.
In British Columbia, the Coquitlam Adanacs remain our season-long #2, even after a close loss to the pre-deadling dealing Victoria Shamrocks (10-8). The Nanaimo Timbermen, who slip into our Top 5 for the first time this year, stumped the Shamrocks last night (8-6) and are riding a four-game win streak. They’re arguably the hottest team in the country right now, after of course the 15-0 Northmen.
And speaking of spicy streaks & perfectly timed pre-playoff runs, the Calgary Mountaineers have entered that chat. After starting the season 0-4-1, the Mounties are on a five-win heater, which includes two OT wins over the recently very active Raiders Lacrosse Club, plus a 10-9W over the first-place Edmonton Miners (they clinched the RMLL’s #1 seed this week) last Sunday. Calgary sneaks into our Top 10 with their second straight four-spot hop in the National Junior Rankings, with two highly anticipated rematches with the Raiders on deck (at Max Bell on July 2 & July 7). Side note: the Mounties are spiting out some severe social content on IG (follow them @jramounties), plus Hayden Wasson’s swing-for-the-fences slugfest with former teammate Hunter McChesney is closing in on half a million plays on a TLM reel.
National Junior Rankings: June 28, 2023
1. (1) Orangeville Northmen (OJLL) 15-0
2. (2) Coquitlam Adanacs (BCJALL) 14-3
3. (5) Edmonton Miners (RMLL) 10-3
4. (3) Burlington Blaze (OJLL) 10-5
5. (8) Nanaimo Timbermen (BCJALL) 11-6
6. (4) Oakville Buzz (OJLL) 10-5
7. (6) Mimico Mountaineers (OJLL) 9-6
8. (9) Victoria Shamrocks (BJALL) 12-6
9. (10) Toronto Beaches (OJLL) 8-7
10. (14) Calgary Mountaineers (RMLL) 7-5-1
11. (7) Raiders Lacrosse Club (RMLL) 8-5
12. (16) Six Nations Arrows (OJLL) 6-8
13. (12) Port Coquitlam Saints (BCJALL) 9-7-1
14. (11) Whitby Warriors (OJLL) 7-10
15. (13) St. Catharines Athletics (OJLL) 7-9
16. (15) Burnaby Lakers (BCJALL) 7-10
17. (17) Brampton Excesliors (OJLL) 6-9
18. (21) Langley Thunder (BJALL) 5-11-1
19. (18) Peterborough Lakers (OJLL) 4-10
20. (19) New Westminster Salmonbellies 5-11
21. (20) Delta Islanders (BCJALL) 4-13
22. (22) Kitchener-Waterloo Lacrosse Club (OJLL) 1-14
23. (23) Saskatchewan SWAT (RMLL) 0-12-1