Two Niagara-on-the-Lake lacrosse teams returned home as divisional champions after a weekend tournament in Grimsby.
The U9 major Niagara Thunderhawks team won the Zone 9 U9 “B” divison championship Saturday with a 10-2 decision over the Hamilton Bengals.
And the U11 Thunderhawks edged the St. Catharines Athletics 6-5 to win their Zone 9 U11 “B” title.
The U9 team went unbeaten through the round-robin portion of the playoffs, defeating the Burlington Blaze, Lincoln Redcoats and Hamilton, before facing the Bengals again in the final.
Coach James Sticca called the win a “total team effort at both ends of the floor.”
The U9 major team is coached by Sticca, Chris Riddle, Matt Dietsch, Kevin Coffey and Adam Stewart.
Players are: Ryan Riddle, Lucas Froese, Colton Dietsch, Smith Kaposy, Kaleb Coffey, Rily Hill, Theo Moore, Reed Francis, Lee Jay Allen, Jason Young, Ethan Sticca, Sydney Herriman, Noah Scaringi and Weston Stewart.
Hill, Riddle and Coffey scored twice each in the final, with singles added by Dietsch, Kaposy, Froese and Moore.
The U11 Thunderhawks are coached by Jay Thorimbert, Dave Funk, Chris Riddle, Jason Meleskie and Brandon Berry.
They also were undefeated, with wins over Lincoln, Pelham and St. Catharines and a tie versus Hamilton.
Players are: James Froese, Owen Thorimbert, Jace Szabo, Brody Cech, Chris Washburn Jr., Jesiah Paul, Conor Bailey, Hunter Berry, Nicholas Riddle, Nikolaas Peters, Nash Funk, Blake Bedic, Colton Meleskie, Charlie Fratangelo, Peter Kostanis and Bentley Barry.
In the team’s win in the final over the Athletics, Froese had a hat trick and Bailey, Cech and Thorimbert contributed singles.
Meanwhile, the U7 Thunderhawks wrapped up their regular season by playing in the Welland Future Stars tournament on the weekend.
After tough losses to the Oakville Hawks, Mimico Mountaineers and Center Wellington Riverhawks, on Sunday they beat the Pelham Raiders 1 team 7-3.
“As a team that struggled to get many wins this year, that was a great way to wrap up a fun season,” said team spokesperson Tracey Hope.
The Thunderhawks are coached by Corey Fowler, Jared Hope, Jason Meleskie, Adam Stewart, James Sticca, Jay Thorimbert and Jeremy Werner.
The roster includes: Carmen Coccimiglio, Colton Ferguson, Cole Fowler, Harper Herriman, Catherine Hope, Arlo Kaposy, Ben Kirkness, Walker Meleskie, Callum Moore, Kenny Neudorf, Reece Nichols, Calvin Spence, Georgia Stewart, Mark Stewart, Noah Sticca, Nora Thorimbert, Amelia Werner and Hunter Willms.
In their final game, the scorers were: Hope and Reece Nichols with a pair each, while Moore, Neudorf and Sticca had a goal each.
