The Mann Cup’s most successful 0-2-starting sides: Is New West next?
Chad Tutton, 2022 Mann Cup (Photo: David Pickering)
Most felt the Major Series Lacrosse Champion Six Nations Chiefs would be a heavy favourite during this year’s Mann Cup.
With an 0-2 series stranglehold over the host New Westminster Salmonbellies, the Chiefs are proving that the popular vote - so far at least - is pretty on point.
While Game 2 was much closer & competitive than the best-of-seven series’ opener, what are the Salmonbellies chances of digging themselves out of this early and somewhat concerning hole? Not great actually.
Lacrosse Canada history books seem to say it’s unlikely New West battles back to take the Cup, well, unless you focus on the really recent series history.
Going back to 1932 when the Mann Cup went from a field trophy to a box-specific honour and prior to this summer, 49 times has a series started with one side jumping out to a 2-0 lead (only including series that were best of five or seven, which was actually most of them). In 41 of those instances, the team leading 2-0 has gone on to win the Mann Cup.
With that said, over the last eight 2-0 Mann series starts, only half of the time has the 2-0 starter held on to win the coveted Cup.
New Westminster has owned a lot 2-0 starts, but have never rebounded completely after going down 0-2, ever. In fact, the Bellies are the only team in Senior A history to be up 3-0, and then lose the next four games & drop the series (vs. Brooklin in 1985).
New Westminster vs. Brooklin, 1985 Mann Cup (Photo: Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame)
Of those eight incredibly rare instances when someone has slumped out to an 0-2 start only to flip the switch and win it all, the Peterborough Lakers have done it three times, and all very recently (2012 vs. Langley, 2017 vs. New Westminster and 2022 vs. Langley).
In their first and still only two previous Mann Cup meetings, the Chiefs started 2-0 against the Salmonbellies in those series as well, and while they weren’t sweeps, they were Mann Cup wins.
Only three Western Lacrosse Association (Inter City Box Lacrosse League prior to 1969) teams have ever come back from 0-2 series stumbled: 1964 Vancouver Carlings, 1977 Vancouver Burrards and 2001 Coquitlam Adanacs.
Can New West pull off a rare Mann Cup win after starting two games down? A win tonight in Game 3 (Queen’s Park Aren, 7:30pm PT) is surely needed if they hope to rewrite history books and quiet their many Mann Cup critics.
Below, see the eight teams that were in the same spot the Salmonbellies are right now, only to battle back and capture the Mann Cup.
Mann Cup Winners after starting 0-2
2022 Langley at Peterborough
Peterborough Lakers win series 4-3
2017 Peterborough at New Westminster
Peterborough Lakers win series 4-2
2012 Langley at Peterborough
Peterborough Lakers win series 4-2
2001 Brampton at Coquitlam
Coquitlam Adanacs win series 4-3
1985 Brooklin at New Westminster*
Brooklin Redmen win series 4-3
1977 Brampton at Vancouver
Brampton Excelsiors win series 4-3
1964 Vancouver at Brooklin
Vancouver Carlings win series 4-3
1948 New Westminster at Hamilton
Hamilton Tigers win series 3-2
*Series started with Brooklin down 0-3