With everything on the line, it was the Moose Jaw Black Knights that overcame adversity to win the inaugural Mustang Cup.
The Black Knights edged the Moose Jaw Orangemen 15-14 on Tuesday evening at Central Collegiate to win the field lacrosse championship in five games.
“It was back and forth, no team ever got ahead by too much,” said Mick Lewchuk, Moose Jaw Kinsmen Lacrosse Association field sector chair. “They were trading goals the whole game.”
The Orangemen started what was a four game series with a two-to-nothing advantage, but the Black Knights stormed back to win the next two games and force the deciding fifth game.
“Each team tried to surge a little bit and the next team would come back,” he said. “There is always a little bit of luck, but some players weren’t able to book of work. The biggest reason why the Black Knights came back and won three straight because they had superior numbers on the bench and made a team commitment and effort to ensure that the entire roster was there at the game.”
Dalton Bakke led the way for the Black Knights with five goals and seven points, while Cody Dunlop had seven goals and 10 points for the Orangemen.
The two teams decided amongst themselves to have a fifth game instead of having the winner be decided by goals for and against. It allowed the players to grow throughout the season and to build a solid foundation for next season.
“It meant more experience for the players and they are continuing to have fun,” said Lewchuk. “At the same time, they still have that competitive edge. Neither side wanted to lose.”
For more on this story, read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
