1918 - PROFESSIONAL LACROSSE BACK IN ONTARIO
A C.L.A. Pro League was formed for this one season. Toronto Maitlands,
Leaside Braves and St.Catharines Athletics were the participants.
Notable players for the Maitland crew were Pete Barnett, Corbett
Denneny, Lawson Whitehead and juniors Ted Reeve and Cliss Starling.
Leaside was an indian team led by John White. St.Catharines welcomed
home George Kalls and Bill Fitzgerald. They both donned the double
blue uniform for one last summer. Other A's stars were: Willie Hope,
Gord Pople and Red Millar.
All three clubs finished tied with 4-4 records. The initial tie break
paired the Toronto sides. Eddy Longfellow, who had scored 7 in only 2
regular season games, terrorised the Braves. He scored four in a 7-5
Maitland win. Longfellow continued to dominate in the two game final.
Six more goals as Maitlands narrowly edged St.Catharines. Both teams
won at home but the Toronto squad prevailed by outscoring the Athletics
11-10.
Professional lacrosse was not quite dead in the east either. 1918 was
a bleak year for the N.L.U. but the league did resume play. In July,
organisers scrambled to revive the circuit. The result was a three
team league involving Montreal Nationals, Ottawa Capitals and
Irish-Canadians - another Montreal side. The squads would play home
and away, a grand total of four games each. The championship opened on
the 13th, in the nation's capital. Only 300 spectators witnessed
Ottawa's fourth quarter come from behind win. Trailing the irish 7-4,
Capitals scored four unanswered goals. Frank Hearn had two of them,
including the winner. This was the only league game Baillargeon played
for the irish. He switched to Nationals for the rest of the season.
In the past, such a move would not have been tolerated. In 1918,
however, no one wanted trouble so no complaints were made.
Senior lacrosse returned to Montreal on the 20th. Irish-Canadians
defeated Nationals 8-7 in a game which had everything. Henry Scott
scored four times in a losing cause. Such fine play was overshadowed
by a game ending brawl. The less than angelic George Roberts started
the trouble with a cheap shot.
Competitive lacrosse continued as Ottawa slipped past the frenchmen
5-4. Again Hearn counted a deuce but it was Jimmy Dooley who broke the
tie. Capitals clinched the pennant a fortnight later by beating the
irish 3-1. Former Colt Dot Phelan broke Clint Benedict's shutout.
The season appeared to be over because Nationals could not catch the
leaders and Ottawa were not eager to travel to Montreal for the final
contest. It was eventually played, after a three week wait. Newsy
Lalonde's intervention saved the day. Lalonde had not played all
summer but agreed to join Capitals if they made the trip. Just under
2,000 fans filled Maisoneuve Grounds, mainly to see Lalonde. He scored
a hattrick before being thrown out for a violent foul. Thus ended his
N.L.U. career. The three goals gave him 161 career - fourth place
behind Jack Brennan, George Roberts and Didier Pitre. Nationals
overcame the effort of their former star and managed to win 8-7.
Lalonde headed for Toronto to join Leaside. He scored once in their
playoff loss to Maitlands. That was the last game for the man voted
the best lacrosse player of the half century.
Not much of a season in the O.L.A.. Toronto Beaches and Riverdales
were the only two teams. The Beaches kids were a product of a junior
program which had won a record three consecutive provincial
championship. With wins in 1918 and 1919 they would extend the streak
to five. Statistically this league is practically barren. No Brampton
or St.Catharines papers to give detailed coverage. Only the Toronto
media and they never reported more than a couple of lines on any game.
There were only four games played! The first was a 4-4 tie. Coutie
tended Beaches goal, as he would in every contest. Jacobs made his
only appearance for Riverdales. Horton was the new netminder in the
second match. Beaches won 6-2. Riverdales then signed Tommy Thornton
and reversed that score on Beaches to tie the series. Thornton was
blitzed for 12 goals in the finale. Beaches won 12-3 to take the
title.
