Brooklin Redmen
Encyclopedia
| Brooklin Redmen | |
| City | Whitby, Ontario Whitby, Ontario Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region... |
| League | Major Series Lacrosse Major Series Lacrosse Major Series Lacrosse is a Senior A box lacrosse league based out of Ontario, Canada sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Most of the players in the league play or have played in the National Lacrosse League. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the... |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Home Arena | Iroquois Park Sports Centre |
| Colours | Red & Black |
| Head Coach | Peter Vipond |
| GM and Coach | Wayne Colley |
The Brooklin Redmen are a box lacrosse
Box lacrosse
Box lacrosse, also known as indoor lacrosse and sometimes shortened to boxla, LAX or simply box, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada, where it is the most popular version of the game played in contrast to the traditional field lacrosse game...
team from Whitby, Ontario
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
. The Redmen play in the Major Series Lacrosse
Major Series Lacrosse
Major Series Lacrosse is a Senior A box lacrosse league based out of Ontario, Canada sanctioned by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Most of the players in the league play or have played in the National Lacrosse League. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the...
(MSL) league (formerly known as Senior "A"). The MSL, and its counterpart, the Western Lacrosse Association
Western Lacrosse Association
The Western Lacrosse Association is an amateur league of men's Senior A box lacrosse sanctioned by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. It consists of seven teams, based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the...
, represent the highest level of competitive box lacrosse in Canada. Both league champions compete each September for the Mann Cup
Mann Cup
The Mann Cup is the trophy awarded to the senior men's lacrosse champions of Canada. The championship series is played between the Western Lacrosse Association champion and the Major Series Lacrosse champion...
, one of the most historic and treasured sports trophies in Canada.
Throughout team history, the Brooklin Redmen has always been a community based team that represents the best box lacrosse players from Brooklin, Whitby, Durham and nearby regions. The lacrosse club is a non-profit, volunteer operated organization.
History
Mann Cup Canadian Champions: 7 times1968 * 1969 * 1985 * 1987 * 1988 * 1990 * 2000
Ontario Senior Champions: 13 times
2008 season
The Brooklin Redmen had hit an all-time low in 2007, missing the MSL playoffs. With the return of Redmen greats Peter Vipond as Head Coach, and Wayne Colley as GM and Assistant Coach, the Redmen embarked an a rebuilding program featuring young, local talent. With a number of high profile National Lacrosse LeagueNational Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
players such as Gavin Prout and Mike Hominuck no longer on the roster, eight new rookies joined the line-up with Shawn Williams, the 2007 MSL Scoring Champion, taking on the role of leader.
The young team started slowly, but began to gel in mid-season, winning key games, including an impressive on the road 10-7 defeat of the defending Mann Cup Champions, the Peterborough Lakers. The Redmen were now becoming known for their fast, aggressive, no quit style of box lacrosse.
After finishing last the previous season, the Redmen finished in 4th for the 2008 MSL Regular Season, gaining the home floor advantage for the first round playoff series. Shawn Williams, the Redmen Captain, finished 3rd in MSL scoring, and rookie sensation, Derek Hopcroft, finishing in 9th place in league scoring.
The Redmen swept the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks in three straight games in the First Round MSL Quarter Final Series. However, the Redmen ran into a highly talented Brampton Excelsiors
Brampton Excelsiors
Brampton Excelsiors may be:*A team that competes in an OLA league at some level:**Brampton Excelsiors who compete in Major Series Lacrosse**Brampton Excelsiors Jr. A who compete in the OLA Junior A Lacrosse League...
squad, and were eliminated in 4 games in the Semi Finals. Likely the most heartbreaking game of the season for the Redmen was the third game of the Brampton series. The Redmen, having held the lead since the start of the game, could not stop Brampton from scoring the final 3 goals of the game, with the final marker coming with 2 seconds on the game clock to steal a 9 to 8 victory at the Iroquois Park Sports Complex.