Photo: Town of Oakville
The Oakville Rock Sr. lacrosse team has dominated the round-robin portion of the Presidents Cup this past week, winning four games out of the five they have played so far and have stayed at the top of the scoreboard on their home field at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre since the second day of the cup. The cup's round-robin started on August 27th and ended on August 31st before the semi-finals and finals on September 1st and 2nd.
On day one of the cup, the team struggled to find their footing against the Six Nations Rivermen. The Oakville Rock started off the first period strong, scoring halfway through the period and earning the first goal of the game, but Six Nations Riverman came back stronger, scoring two goals back to back in the closing minutes of the first period. The second period is where Oakville stumbled in their defence, letting Six Nations score three goals in the period where Oakville only managed to score twice. The third and final period of the game saw Oakville change up their defence, not letting Six Nations score at all while also earning another goal for Oakville. Six Nations Riverman comes out on top with a score of 5-4 over Oakville Rock.
Day two of the cup is where the team pulled it together and ruled the field against the Tuscarora Tomahawks. Oakville came out stronger than before, scoring seven goals in the first half alone, whereas Tuscarora only scored two in the first 20 minutes of play. In the second period, the Rock and the Tomahawks scored four goals each. The Tomahawks weren't prepared in the third and final period of the game, letting Oakville score five more goals while only being able to score two for their team. Oakville Rock came out on top with a final score of 16-8 over the Tuscarora Tomahawks.
Day three of the cup saw the first doubleheader for the team in the cup, having back-to-back games against two different teams in a single day. The Oakville Rock first took on the Edmonton Miners at 11 a.m. The early game didn't stop Oakville from dominating the field for a second day, winning 14-5 against the Miners. Oakville Rock's second game of the day was against the Snake Island Muskies at 8 p.m. Oakville didn't lose any momentum after playing a game earlier in the day, winning 13-4 against the Muskies, putting the Oakville Rock on a three-game winning streak.
Day four of the cup saw the Oakville Rock extend their winning streak again against the Ladner Pioneers. Oakville came out with a strong defence and attack plan, scoring two goals and shutting down all Pioneer's shots on goal. Oakville finished the second period strong, scoring four goals, while the Pioneers only were able to score two. In the third and final period of play, Oakville had a break in its defence, letting the Pioneers score five goals while only managing to score four goals themselves. The Oakville Rock emerged victorious over the Ladner Pioneers with a final score of 10-7.
On the fifth and final day of the round-robin in the Presidents Cup, the Oakville Rock took on the Kahnawake Mohawks and extended their winning streak once again. Oakville scored four goals in the first period, while the Mohawks stumbled a little and scored three times. Like the first period, Oakville was constant in the second, scoring four more times, while the Mohawks only managed two more goals. In the third and final period, the Mohawks bounced back, scoring five goals in the 20 minutes, while Oakville scored four more. The Oakville Rock won the game over the Kahnawake Mohawks with a final score of 12-10, giving the Rocks a winning streak of five.
The top four teams advance to the semi-finals held on September 1st, where teams play for a spot in the gold medal match. The finals are held on September 2nd to determine the winner of the Presidents Cup.
The Oakville Rocks take on the Edmonton Miners at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre on September 1st at 8 p.m. in the semi-finals.
