National Junior Rankings: June 7, 2023
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: Dave Fryer)
We open this year’s National Junior Rankings with an extremely easy selection for the top spot: the Orangeville Northmen. The Horn Heads have stormed out to a 6-0 start and easily sit atop the OJLL. Led offensively by American impact import Joey Spallina (Syracuse University), Koleton Marquis (Johns Hopkins University), and Liam Matthews (Penn State University), who a few months back wrecked the Rock Elite League (MVP, Playoffs MVP, scoring champion and REL Cup champion), hold down a +44 goal differential after just six squeaky clean starts. Matthews was also just named the OJLL’s Gatorade Athlete of the Week. That talented trio recently received a ton of attention on social media, their tic-tac-toe highlight garnering 140K views and counting on Twitter alone.
Between the pipes, Orangeville starter Chris Origlieri (San Diego Seals) has allowed double digits in just one game during those six wins, and not surprisingly leads the province in GAA (4.79) & save percentage (.899). Origlieri was a finalist for last year’s OJLL Goalie of the Year Award, recently completing his second National Lacrosse League season at just 20 years old too.
The Coquitlam Adanacs, pegged as the league’s pre-season favourite by British Columbia GMs, are having similar big success out west while leading the BCJALL with a 10-2 record and ridiculous +54 goal differential. The Adanacs are running a five-game win streak with New Westminster & Nanaimo on deck for this upcoming weekend.
And finally in the RMLL, a familiar recent force has taken an early lead. 2022’s most-talked about Junior A team, the Edmonton Miners are 5-1 so far this season, just recently dropping their first (and quickly avenged) loss to the Okotoks Raiders. Led by Head Coach John Lintz (Colorado Mammoth), the Miners return a number of notable names from last year’s almost-Minto winning team, like Mathieu Gauthier (Panther City Lacrosse Club), Jack Royer (Queens University of Charlotte), Ronin Pusch (Panther City Lacrosse Club), Callin Harris (Queens University of Charlotte) and Jackson Ganton (Shooting Eagles LC), who was throwing his weight around during the team’s recent double against the Raiders.
National Junior Rankings: June 7, 2023
1. Orangeville Northmen (OJLL) 6-0
2. Coquitlam Adanacs (BCJALL) 10-2
3. Edmonton Miners (RMLL) 5-1
4. Burlington Blaze (OJLL) 5-2
5. Mimico Mountaineers (OJLL) 3-3
6. Nanaimo Timbermen (BCJALL) 7-4
7. Victoria Shamrocks (BCJLL) 8-3
8. Okotoks Raiders (RMLL) 5-2
9. Oakville Buzz (OJLL) 6-2
10. St. Catharines Athletics (OJLL) 5-3
11. Whitby Warriors (OJLL) 3-4
12. Port Coquitlam Saints (BCJALL) 7-4
13. Toronto Beaches (OJLL) 3-4
14. Six Nations Arrows (OJLL) 2-3
15. Peterborough Lakers (OJLL) 2-5
16. Burnaby Lakers (BCJALL) 4-6
17. Brampton Excelsiors (OJLL) 1-4
18. Calgary Mountaineers (RMLL) 2-4-1
19. Langley Thunder (BCJALL) 2-8
20. New Westminster Salmonbellies (BCJALL) 2-6
21. Delta Islanders (BCJALL) 2-9
22. Kitchener-Waterloo Lacrosse Club (OJLL) 0-6
23. Saskatchewan SWAT (RMLL) 0-5-1