1966 - DAVIS TAKES SENIOR LACROSSE BY STORM 


Having lost five straight Mann Cup finals and winning only one Canadian
title since 1954, the OLA needed something to turn things around.  That
something would be ex Gael John Davis.  Davis was a curiosity.  At a
time when Peterborough players were abandoning their home town, such as
Paul Parnell in New Westminster plus Terry Davis and Grant Heffernan in
Brooklin, John Davis returned home.  With the exception of four years of
professional lacrosse, Davis would wear Peterborough colours his entire
career.

As his brother Terry had done in 1961 and Don Arthurs in 1964, Davis
became yet another rookie scoring champion.  John took top spot with 119
points, while brother Terry was runner up twenty-two points behind. 
With 51 goals John Davis was one of only two fifty goal scorers.  Second
year man Ron MacNeil led the league with 52 tallies.

Peterborough's new blood wasn't limited to Davis.  Bill Armour was
another outstanding rookie and top ten scorer(though Davis scored more
than twice as many points).  Pat Baker also returned home from Brooklin.
 Consequently the Petes finished in first place at 16-7-1, three points
ahead of Brampton and four up on Toronto.  The defending champions
changed their nickname to Redmen and fell to fourth place with a losing
record.  St.Catharines won only three times in their final season and
defaulted all of their late season games.

The Petes started their Mann Cup run by sweeping Toronto Maple Leafs. 
The first two contests were tight wins of 10-7 and 11-7.  The final two
matches were even closer one goal games.  Player/Coach Bob Allan broke
an 8-8 tie with under five minutes remaining in Game Three. 
Peterborough lost Baker with a knee injury in this game.  Russ Dunn
replaced him for the fourth contest, a 12-11 victory.  Ken Ruttan
spoiled Toronto's three goal comeback with a last minute score.

Everyone expected another long Brampton/Brooklin series but no one
expected double overtime in Game One!  Five Redmen power play goals
enabled them to stay even with the Excelsiors.  At the 7:38 mark of the
fifth period Grant Heffernan scored to give Brooklin an 8-7 win.  In the
next match Brampton goaltender Porky Russell held the opposing shooters
to six goals in a 10-6 Excelsior triumph.  Brampton then doubled the
Redmen 8-4 to take the series lead 2-1.  In Game Four the defending
champs trailed 5-4 with six minutes left but scored three unanswered
goals to steal it.  Bob Hanna counted the winner on a backhanded shot. 
Brooklin next won in Brampton 12-11 with Matt Campbell replacing Gary
Drysdale in goal.  Elmer Tran scored a hattrick, including the winner. 
Drysdale was back for the remaining games, both Redmen losses.  The star
of the sixth game wasn't even on the line up sheet!  Porky Russell
inspired the Excelsiors to a 6-4 triumph, however back up John
Jefferson's name was twice written on the score sheet by mistake.  Back
home, Brampton jumped out to a 5-0 lead enroute to a seventh game
victory of 13-5.  Jack Madgett and Jim Richardson both scored three
times.

Brampton's next series also began with an overtime game.  The usual ten
minute overtime was enough as the Excelsiors edged Peterborough 10-9. 
Richardson and Gord Thompson scored in the extra period.  In Game Two, a
third period shutout by Russell was the key.  Brampton scored twice to
take the contest 7-5.  The Petes came back with successive wins on a
Friday and Saturday night.  Pat Baker returned to goal and Cy Coombes
tallied a hattrick in a 12-2 triumph.  That was followed by an 8-6
victory in Brampton.  The first period of that game was so rough that a
third referee was used on the floor for the remainder of play.  That win
gave Peterborough home advantage back.  That would be enough for them to
secure their first championship of the decade.  After three day's rest,
Game Five was a tamer affair.  There was only one fight and seventeen
minutes in penalties.  The Petes won it 11-4.  Though they lost Game Six
in Brampton, they were just as dominant at home for the seventh contest,
a 10-2 triumph.

The Mann Cup Final had returned to Peterborough.  Unlike the past
disappointment in 1956, the Petes would win this time.  Four out of the
five close games went their way as they only outscored the Vancouver
Carlings 47-42.  John Davis was at his best, leading the series with ten
goals and ten assists.  He took home the Mike Kelly Award.  Defenceman
Ken Ruttan was outstanding as Peterborough's second highest scorer. 
Brian 'Butch' Keegan, Don Arthurs and Ken Crawford were picked up for
the series and played every game.  Veteran Jack Mason appeared in a pair
of contests.  He and coach Bob Allan were the only two ex Trailermen
remaining from Peterborough's last Dominion champion back in 1954.

For the second consecutive year the Green Gaels lost more games in the
Minto Cup than in league play.  Oshawa went 35-1 as Gaylord Powless had
a record setting year.  The scoring champ set high marks with 120
assists and 191 points.  New Westminster again took two games from the
titleholders.  After a 20-7 loss, the Salmonbellies rebounded with a
remarkable 15-4 victory, followed by a 10-8 win.  The Gaels barely won
the next encounter 11-10, as Powless had five points.  After that
netminder Merv Marshall shut the door and Oshawa posted wins of 11-6 and
16-6.  Powless counted eight points in the finale.  Ken Winzoski became
the first player on a losing team to win the McConaghy.  For the champs,
Powless' 26 points and Ross Jones' 12 goals stood out.