1914 - EXCELSIORS' FINAL SEASON
Vancouver hosted a Mann Cup challenge from Calgary during the Victoria
Day weekend. They defeated the Albertans by scores of 12-0 and 5-2.
Brampton was next to venture west. They arrived on the coast June
27th. Excelsiors opened the two game series by surprising the
cupholders 5-4. Duchy Davis' hattrick gave Brampton a one goal lead.
A week later they slipped badly. Vancouver rebounded with a 6-2 win,
taking the series 10-7.
The red shirts headed home to face a busy O.L.A. schedule because they
had only played one game through the first two months of the season.
Young Torontos gave them a rude welcome. Stew Cowan scored three as
they topped Brampton 5-4. A week later the Mann Cup hangover continued
as Excelsiors struggled past St.Simon's 9-6. Only George Sproule's six
goals avoided an upset. In their season opener Brampton had tripled
the Anglicans 18-6. On August 8th the titleholders found their form.
They hammered Young Torontos 15-5. Yet the Queen City crew created a
tie for first place the next Saturday. They handed Brampton their
second loss, 6-3. The fight for division honours came down to the last
game on September 6th. Two late goals by Sproule secured Excelsiors'
8-5 win.
Against the eastern champs Brampton had little difficulty winning their
third league title. At home they won 22-1. Sproule led with seven
tallies. He was shutout in Ottawa as Shamrocks won 3-1. Still
Excelsiors claimed provincial honours thanks to their 19 goal edge.
That marked the end of the Brampton dynasty. With war started in
Europe the team disbanded. It would be five years before Excelsiors
returned.
Toronto Rosedales joined the N.L.U. and they were simply too good for
the other teams. They had eight players with pre 1912 N.L.U.
experience, compared to eleven on the other three teams combined! And
the quality of the Rosedale veterans was undeniable. Pete Barnett,
Bill Fitzgerald, George Kalls and Harry Murton had all been top ten
scorers, plus Murton had won a scoring championship. Cornwall,
M.A.A.A. and Shamrocks could not compete against that. They didn't as
Rosedales went 12-0. Game results best display their dominence. They
handed the irish an 11-1 beating, the Winged Wheels 11-3 and concluded
the year by routing Cornwall 18-6! Only the green shirts came close to
defeating them. They got three goals from Paul Jacobs and two each
from J.Egan and John Quinn. Rosedales, however, scored eight, five
from Barnett. Pete Barnett had an incredible year. He was runaway
scoring champ with 44 goals. Second best in the league was M.A.A.A.'s
S.McDonald with 23.
Shamrocks were the most improved team. Their record bounced up to 6-6
as the young players were finally meeting expectations. The Triple A's
and Colts both fell to 3-9. Jimmy Walsh produced 18 markers for
M.A.A.A.. Cornwall had lost Mark Cummins and relied on George
Anderson(15 goals) Jim Penny(14) and Dot Phelan(14) for offence.
Montreal Nationals romped to the Big Four championship. Their
performance was stunning. 17 wins and 1 loss, plus an incredible 274
goals scored! They finished eight games better than second place
Toronto and miles ahead of Irish-Canadians and Tecumsehs, five wins
each. What had happened. Very simply, Newsy Lalonde had happened. He
led the greatest offence lacrosse had yet seen. Plus he was available
the entire year. Lalonde began quietly. He scored only once in the
frenchmen's season opener. They defeated Tecumsehs 13-3. Newsy came
to life with four goals against Toronto in a 12-7 win. Next he really
got serious by scoring six as Nationals slaughtered Toronto 28-10! Yet
the finest effort of the summer was saved for August. Once again
Toronto was the victim, 27-8 was the score. Oncle Lamoureux fired home
10 markers. Lalonde went one better counting 11! Keep in mind, this
was not some bush league the violet et blanc were tearing up. It was
the four best teams from the two largest lacrosse centres in Canada.
Plus in 1914 lacrosse still enjoyed immense popularity and had more
participants than any time in its history. There was nothing ordinary
about these frenchmen.
Of course a team does not set a scoring record with just one player.
Newsy Lalonde had plenty of help. Nevertheless his 66 goals in 16
games does stand out. Honourable mention to such teammates as:
Lamoureux(52 goals) Didier Pitre(36) and Ambrose Degray(30). Other
sharpshooters were, for Toronto: Henry Donihee(24) Clifford Spring(24)
Art Warwick(23) and Alex Turnbull(23). George Roberts led the irish
with 28 goals, followed by Charlie George(22) and Henry Scott(21).
Tecumsehs top marksman was Ed Carmichael with 23 tallies.
This was the grand finale for the Big Four. Its three year run had
been a success, however the beginning of the Great War changed
everything overnight. The effect of the war on lacrosse would be
devastating. Chief casualty would be Montreal, Canada's sports
capital. Never again would that city be a major force in the game.
Such was a blow that would take lacrosse many years to recover from.
The sport never really has fully recovered.
