Whitby Warriors win 2022 Minto Cup lacrosse championships

The Whitby Warriors added another Minto Cup to their trophy case Monday night, besting the Miners Lacrosse Club of St. Albert, Alberta 6-5 at Brampton’s CAA Centre to win the national junior ‘A’ championship series two games to one.

Brock Haley, who led the OJLL in goals this season with 74, led the way Monday night with a hattrick, with Owen Tapper, Gabriel Sorichetti, Jack Budway and Parker Pipher adding singles. Pipher’s tally, a twisting shot scored from his off-side midway through the final period, proved to be the winner in a tight-checking, back and forth game.

The biggest margin in the game was two, and that was when Pipher scored in the third to make the score 6-4.

Mathieu Gautier had three assists for the Miners – the first team from Alberta to reach a Minto Cup final – to give him 32 points (9-23) and the tournament scoring championship, as well as the Jim Bishop Award for Leadership, named in honour of the long-time coach of the Oshawa Green Gaels who won eight Minto Cup titles, including seven straight from 1963-69. Whitby captain Adam Poitras also had three assists in the game to tie him with Haley for second in tournament scoring – each with 14-15-29 totals – and was presented with the Jim McConaghey Award for MVP.

The Whitby Warriors franchise, including a title in 1980 as the Whitby Builders, has now won eight Minto Cup championships.