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22 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2008 Mann Cup championship all the sweeter for Dawson brothers By Herb Garbutt for all of us." The Excelsiors, coached by Oakville's Troy Cordingley, took the series in four games. Dan Dawson had experienced the long, tough Although none of the games were blowouts (they road to a national lacrosse championship -- the won by scores of 8-5, 6-5 and 7-3), the sweep aching muscles from giving everything, and then made it appear easier than it seemed. "It really is a hard trophy to win," said Dan. finding an energy reserve you didn't know you had and giving more; the bruises from being "You could get seven games in eight days. Luckily we had four in five days. The guys are hacked and crosschecked by an oppohurt, but winning wipes away any nent's stick; the fatigue from playing "Any time you pain." one of the most physically-demanding win with family, Paul said from jumping out to an team sports night after night. especially as early four-goal lead in the opening He had done it twice before and game until the final buzzer in game emerged with a Mann Cup champi- close as we are, four, it was important that the veteronship. But after scoring two goals it's special." an Brampton team maintained conand setting up three more in the trol of the series. Brampton Excelsiors' 9-6 victory over Paul Dawson "(The Salmonbellies) are a realthe New Westminster Salmonbellies Tuesday that secured a third Canadian major title ly young team and when you're a young team, for the 26-year-old, he had an especially mean- you don't know how to give up," said the former Oakville Blades captain. "They're young ingful reason to celebrate. "I'm a great big fan of his," Dawson said of his and naïve and we didn't want to give them any brother Paul. "I want him to succeed, so to see the false hope that they could use. They win one look on his face when he lifted that trophy, it fires game and suddenly you're in a tight situation. me up. Winning it with my brother, being in the We wanted to take the wind out of their sails trenches with him battling and then sipping out right away." This summer marked the first time the of the Cup with him. This is the most memorable Dawson brothers, separated by four years, had (victory)." Paul Dawson said the family ties added to the ever played on a team together - but it may thrill of his first championship -- ties that went not be the last. Both are now members of the Boston Blazers after the National Lacrosse beyond the brothers on the floor. "Any time you win with family, especially as League team acquired Paul's rights in a trade close as we are, it's special," he said. "Not just for earlier this month. And the Blazers can expect us but for our mom, our dad and our sisters. both will bring a winning attitude to the Sharing it with them, it was that much sweeter expansion team. OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAMPTON GUARDIAN CANADIAN CHAMPION: Dan Dawson, pictured in action during the Brampton Excelsiors' run throughout the major lacrosse championships, helped the Excelsiors win the Mann Cup Canadian championship this week against New Westminster. Patience pays off as Gillies wins national Jr. A lacrosse title When Sean Gillies made the jump to Jr. A three years ago, he knew he was passing up a very good opportunity to win a national lacrosse championship. He and his Oakville Buzz teammates had reached the Ontario final the previous season, coming within two wins of the provincial title before falling to Elora, which went on to capture the Canadian crown. With the majority of the team eligible to return, the Buzz was primed for another run at becoming the best in the country. "I knew it was a strong team and it was tough to leave after the way we ended the year," Gillies said. While playing his first season for the Orangeville Northmen, Gillies watched as his former Buzz teammates went on to capture the Founders Cup. "I was happy for them. They were all buddies of mine," he said, "but I look back now and I'm glad I made that choice." That's because Gillies himself is now a "I look back national champion, now and I'm having helped the Northmen win the glad I made Minto Cup. Orangeville that choice." built a 5-1 first-period lead in the one-game Sean Gillies, final and went on to a on switching to 9-4 victory over the Jr. A lacrosse Victoria Shamrocks. Since Gillies first walked into the Northmen's dressing room three years earlier and saw a picture of Orangeville's 1996 championship team prominently displayed, it had been the team's goal to add a photo of its own to the gallery. So when the final seconds ticked off, the club made sure to celebrate its first title in 12 years. "It was pretty crazy," the 20-year-old Gillies said. "It was more surreal. It felt great, but it was hard to realize that it was all over." Gillies said the Minto celebration was almost subdued compared to when the team won the Ontario title, however. "Just because of how hard it was (to beat Six Nations) and the history between us. It's not that the Minto wasn't tough, but (a tournament) is a different feeling than a playoff series going potentially seven games." The Northmen finished the Ontario Lacrosse Association season in first place with a 19-3 record, but right behind them were the Six Nations Arrows, the team that had ended their playoff hopes the previous two seasons -- in the semifinals two years ago and in the Ontario final last season. Orangeville turned the tables this time by beating Six Nations in six games. Gillies, who had 18 goals and 40 points in 21 regular-season games and added four goals and an assist in the four Minto Cup games, is now back at Rochester Institute of Technology where he's starting his second season with the Tigers' field lacrosse team. This year, he'll be joined there by former Oakville Hawks teammates Dan MacRae, who transferred from Potsdam, and Alex Crepinsek. -- Herb Garbutt