The Elora Mohawks Junior B lacrosse team has kicked off its season with a new coach and a big win.
The Mohawks came away with a 17-4 win in the first game of the season against the London Blue Devils.
Former coach and current general manager Terry Heseltine said he has high hopes for the team this year.
Heseltine stepped down from the coaching position after the 2015 season.
“I had had them two years in a row and I’m sort of the firm believer that, it’s like players, coaches get sometimes a little bit stale or maybe not as aggressive as they should be,” he said.
Kevin Lorch has taken over as head coach. He coached in Centre Wellington minor lacrosse and was an assistant coach with Team Ontario.
Lorch also played for the Elora Mohawks in the 1980s.
Lorch brings with him two assistant coaches, Dean George and Jordan Bosomworth, as well as a new goalie coach, Mark McMannis.
While the team has some fresh faces on staff, it boasts a large number of fifth-year players.
The Mohawks have 16 members of the 24-player roaster returning to the team. Only two members are first-year players.
“Our goal is simple; our goal is to drive for an Ontario championship,” said Lorch.
Last season saw the Mohawks bumped out of the playoffs in the first round, the same result the team had in the 2014 playoffs.
Heseltine is hoping to go farther this year.
“It would be nice to get out of the first round of playoffs for sure … I think they’re going to have a really good year,” he said.
Two tributes
The Mohawks’ home opener is April 29 at 7pm at the Elora Community Centre.
The Mohawks, as well as the Centre Wellington minor lacrosse teams, will pay a special tribute to 13-year-old Austin Whittom, who passed away in 2013 after a battle with leukemia.
Jr. B team players will also be wearing commemorative patches on their jerseys in honour of Annie McDonald, who passed away earlier this year.
McDonald was well known as a strong supporter of the local lacrosse team.
