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¢ GA THE OSHAWA TIMES, Scturdey, September 9, 1967 'TT WAS A HARD FIGHT, FANS, BUT WE WON! The sweat - stained uni- but those happy grins loud- Minto Cup again. This jubi- minster Arena last year, forms are mute evidence ly proclaim that Oshawa lant scene was staged on when Oshawa won the fifth that the task wasn't easy Green Gaels have won The the floor of the New West- game, to take the series GAELS BURNISH LAURELS SUCCESSORS TO EARLY CHAMPIONS Lacrosse Put Oshawa On Map In 1872 four games to two, in their third - straight Canadian finals victory ever New Westminster. : The Green Gaels are burnish- ing brighter each year the name of lJacrosse as Oshawa's yame. With their fast, heady and exciting style of play in five national championships in as many years the juniors have brought to peak pitch the enthusiasm for the game which was actually first generated here in 1872. Ninety - five years ago the first team to represent Osh- awa in organized competition with teams from other com- munity was a lacrosse team. As Merv Marshall is a star in the Gaels lineup now so Rich- ard Troy was rated oné of the greats in goal of the nineteenth century. He was a star on the Oshawa squad in games against Bowmanville, Port Hope and Millbrook. Following the enthusiasm of the 1870-1885 period, there was a2 lull but lacrosse popularity surged again at the turn of the century and a 'Town League" was organized, with four teams operating, Williams Piano, On- tario Malleable Iron, McLaugh- jin Carriage and the "Town" team. With the population of those days, every citizen of the town, in that age bracket, either played the game or he worked with someone who did, or lived next - door to one of the players. The OMI team of 1904 recalls the names of Bobby Essery, Bert Land, George Gibson, George Papeman, Bob Knox, "Mickey" McGuire, Billy Hickey, Norman Michael, Eddie Curtin, Ernie Parsons, Charlie Sayyae, "Cham" Cameron, John Griffin, Harry Brown "Red" Callaghan and Eugene Day. The "Oshawa team was selected from the four teams in the. Town League. _ Back in 1907, the Oshawa Shamrocks was one of Ontario's greatest Junior teams of the era. They eliminated three dis- tricts in playoff competition but were later! declared ineligible, because of two over - age play- ers. One of the great stars of that team was the famous "Newsy" Lalonde, rated by many as Can- ada's all-time greats in both lacrosse and hockey. He was Jater to star in the National Hockey League and even as late as 1932, was playing lacrosse, when the professional "box"' game, was introcuced. He headed the Montreal Canadiens of that era. ANOTHER ERA Then followed the era of good and great Intermediate teams, after World War I was over. Joe Swanson, Eddie Curtin and Ed- die Donald were three of the group who got the game going again. Highlight of that era was the Oshawa team that lost out in a thrilling final to St. Mary's, by iwo goals, in 1921. In those days, championship finals had changed to a home-and-home series, tota] goals deciding the issue. In 1928, lacrosse received a major boost in Oshawa when General Motors took over the club sponsorship. They broughr in some outstanding Juniors, such as "Chuck" Barron, "Chuck" Davidson, "Tilly" - Stokes, "Buster" Whitton, Ernie Shepley, 'Smokey' Fox and these along with a group of Osh- awa boys, who had storted the previous summer, formed a great junior team . TITLE FIRST TIME Jn the same season, those mentioned above, along with a host of other imports, won the Ontario Senior Championship-- Oshawa's Intermediate team went to the finals that season also. Some of the Juniors played on all three teams. Intermedi- ates included Howard Luke, "Casey" Luke, Bill Luke, Art Black, Steve Stephens, Fred Kunkel, Quirrie, "Danny" Dan- jels "China" Cardinal Brown, Pete Garrison, "Red"' Cardinal, "Shine" Boivin, Brown, and oh yes - trainer 'Butch' Higgins. Oshawa added top strength at key spots in the persons of Bill Coulter, Walker Wilson, "Dod- dy" Doddemeade "Cunny" Golden and Oshawa's own Norv Hubbell, who quickly de- veloped into a great defence- man, with the guidance of Coul- ter, Smithson, Spencer, etc. C. E. McTavish headed the club as president and other ex- ecutives, other than those al- ready mentioned above, in- cluded Fred Branton, Fred Davis, Art Cooke, H. W. Nicoll, R. P. McKenzie, F. McLaughlin, Oscar Baird and vice - president Fred Hobbs. The team won the Ontario Senior title again and then marched to their Mann Cup triumph and Dominion cham- pionship, beating Ottawa, Win- nipeg, Edmonton and finally New Westminister, right in New Westminister - a feat believed utterly impossible by the avid supporters of the world - fam- ous "Salmonbellies." Oshawa General Motors won the first gig 9-5 and the second game, WORLD CHAMP In June the foNowing year. 1930, Oshawa defeated the Unit. ed States, ai Maple Leaf Sta- _ dium _in_ Toronto, to win. the International or World's Chame pionship. The Oshawa team broke up in 1931, many of them joining a new Toronto team, Native Sons. Oshers stayed on their jobs at General Motors and while Oshe awa fielded a team in the sen- ior league, we did not have @ big year. They took the game indoors, ai a professional level, in 1932 and "Box-lacrosse'" was born. In 1933 Oshawa entered a team in the Senior 'A' league and played their home games in Oshawa Arena. j In 1939, a group of players and other enthusiasts built their own outdoor box, in the Motor Cily Stadium, using lumber that was obtained when the old curl- ing and skating, rink, located on the south side of King Street West, along the west bank of the Oshawa Creek, was finally demolished. Box lacrosse enjoyed good years of fun and competition, but no championships arrived, although Oshawa w in the finals several times. team moved back inside Hambly's "Hockey Home" in 'the late 40's Brooklin was one of Oshawa's keen rivals in most of those years, along with Peterborough, Scarborough, Weston, etc. This was Senior 'B' rating. From 1934 0n, Oshawa's teams were comprised mainly of homebrews, chaps who had learned their lacrosse in the "field" game + when a Ju- venile league was formed to de- velop players for the General Motors Junior and Senies teams. In 1963 the winning ways of the Gaels restored Oshawa to it® position of pride and prestige es ACTIN sas hc: sis sk tics soe 8