Knights Edge Coquitlam To Win Canadian Jr. B Lacrosse Championship

The Nepean Knights are the Junior B lacrosse champions of Canada.

The local team, made up of players from Barrhaven and the North Gower-Osgoode-Manotick area, headed to Brampton last week after winning the Ontario championship to play in the Founder’s Cup tournament. With the score tied 6-6 in the third period, Nick Pelletier netted the winning goal with 5:46 remaining to play, and the Knights shut the door on the Coquitlam offence for a 7-6 win. Pelletier was named the tournament MVP, while Thomas Kiazyk was named the tournament’s top goalie.

The Knights opened the tournament with a convincing 17-5 win over the Onondaga Red Hawks. Pelletier and Cameron York both had three goals and four assists for the Knights, while Nick Bafia had three goals and two assists. Nolan Downey, Sam Parent and James Donnelly each scored twice. Liam Aston had a goal and five assists, while Brodie O’Connell had a goal and an assist. Jared Downey had two assists with one each going to Kiazyk, Isaac Wills and Nathan Woods.

In their second game, the Knights beat the hometown Brampton team 12-7.

Sam Parent had eight points with three goals and five assists, while Pelletier had four goals and three assists and Liam Aston had a goal and six assists. Cameron York had two goals and an assist, with Tristan Nicholson and Nolan Downey each chipping in with a goal and an assist. James Donnelly had two assists, with Nick Bafia, Owen Tasse and Isaac Wills each adding one.

The win put the Knights in the final against the Coquitlam Adanacs.

After Coquitlam scored an early goal, the Knights got on the board with two quick goals, as Aston scored from Jared Downey and York, and then 21 seconds later. Markus Afonso scored for Coquitlam, but Jared Downey scored from Aston and York to restore the two-goal lead. Max Velthuijzen scored late in the first for Coquitlam to make the score 3-3.

In the second period, James Donnelly scored from Aston and Wills, and Nathan Woods scored with 1:35 left in the period to put the Knights ahead 5-4.

The Adanacs got goals from Parker Kennedy and Aidan Lalonde in the third period to go ahead 6-5. Donnelly tied the game with 7:28 as he scored from Pelletier and Jared Downey. Pelletier netted the winner with 5:42 left from Parent and Wills to clinch the gold medal.

The captain of the national championship team is Jared Downey of North Gower.