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Bantam players fend off B.C. challenge in Canadian lacrosse final They had just watched the provincial peewee squad cruise to victory in the national final (story, page 16), but the Ontario bantam lacrosse players were discovering that British Columbia wasn't simply going to hand them the gold medal. Ontario had beaten the hosts two days earlier, but with the national title on the line, B.C. jumped out to a 3-1 first period lead. "We got the first goal in every game, and when we didn't, we lost our energy," said Harrison Rees. "The coaches came in (during the first intermission) and told us keep working hard." "We wanted it so bad," said Rees' Oakville Hawk teammate, Phil Mazzuca. "The peewees had already won so there was a lot of pressure on us to come through." Ontario scored four minutes into the second period and the teams traded goals late in the frame. Ontario tied the game early in the third. "Right from there, we knew we were in control," Rees said. Ontario took its first lead with five minutes remaining in the game, a lead that would hold up in a 5-4 victory. "Down 3-1 after the first, we were a little worried, obviously," said Oakville's Josh Dawick, who earned his second national title, having won in peewee two years ago. "In the third, we played the best we had all tournament." Ontario went undefeated at the tournament, winning all six of its games. A couple of easy victories over Saskatchewan (14-0) and Nova Scotia (11-1) gave the team an opportunity to get used to playing together. Alberta provided the first test of the tournament, when Dawick scored twice and Rees added a third-period marker in an 8-4 win for Ontario. Ontario followed up with a 9-2 win over Manitoba and then clinched a spot in the final with a 5-3 victory over B.C. While that victory served as good preparation for the gold-medal game, B.C. surprised Ontario in the final. "The first game, we learned a bit about their style of play, but the final was tougher," Mazzuca said. "They came out way stronger. It just shows how good the other provinces are." Dawick said his previous experience at nationals certainly helped against B.C. "Being there before just gives you a little more confidence playing at that level," he said. It can also be addictive, especially when you win. "It was one of the best feelings I've had in my life," said Rees. "Hopefully, I'll get a chance to do it again." -- Herb Garbutt First-year player, strong goaltender key contributors for Lady Hawks continued from p.16 players, creating a strong team atmosphere. Carina DiAntonio, one of the first-time players, proved to be a pleasant surprise. DiAntonio, who plays AAA boys' hockey, emerged as not only one of the best players on the team, but in the entire province. "I'd put her up against anyone," Whitworth said. "She's a true talent." Meanwhile, Hannah Perrier provided the goaltending the Lady Hawks needed as they found their way throughout the season. "She's the top goalie for her age," the Oakville coach said. The other members of the Lady Hawks provincial team are Ava Legaspi, Kate Austin, Kennedy Goddard, Matilda Kim, Flo Cummings, Liliquinn McWatters, Lizzy Sheehan, Hailey Durham, Morgan White, Emily Taylor, Tara Courneyea, Emma Domachevski, Hannah Birtch and Kyra Stinson. 17 | Friday, August 15, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Ontario peewees allowed just seven goals in six games at nationals continued from p.16 Dong, Sage and Ford played key roles on Ontario's penalty killing unit, which negated four B.C. power plays over the final 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Brooks, who set up Ontario's final tally, finished the tournament with three goals and 11 points in six games. Sage (three goals, five assists), Dong (two goals, six assists) and Ford (one goal, four assists) also contributed offensively, but it was the team's defence that really shined in the tournament. Ontario allowed just seven goals in winning all six of its games, never surrendering more than two in a game. The ease of their victories -- they won every round-robin game by at least nine -- didn't dull the thrill of winning a national title. "It was really exciting counting down those last 10 seconds," Brooks said. Despite their young age, the 11 and 12-year-olds have a combined 31 years of lacrosse experience among them. Ford is the newcomer, having not taken up the sport until four years ago in novice. "My friend kind of got me into it," he said. "I didn't have a sport in the summer and my mom told me to go out." Like his Oakville Hawks teammates, all with nine years of lacrosse under their belt, he quickly took to the game. "It's a lot of fun," Dong said. "It makes you work hard." 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