Thanks to Brent Clark for sending me these articles which appeared in the Buffalo News...


Article 2

Article 3

Article 4--Sept 14


Buffalo News Sports Section:
Sept 7, 1997.


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Gamblers take break from day jobs to battle for Canada's Mann Cup Crown.
By Tom Borrelli-News Sports Reporter.



Members of the Niagara Falls Gamblers have earned the right to put life outside of lacrosse on hold for a week or so.

The first-year expansion team earned a trip to British Columbia by winning the Ontario Lacrosse Association Major Division Championship Series in seven grueling games over the Brampton Excelsiors.

Next stop is Vancouver Island and the city of Victoria where the Gamblers will face the hometown Shamrocks in the best-of-seven Mann Cup Championship Series for the overall title of Canada's national sport.

"Its sorta of like getting the chance to feel like pro lacrosse players," said Gamblers captain Rich Kilgour, "Just like pro basketball players or pro hockey players, we'll be able to sit around a hotel and relax before games, not worrying about working, then just show up and play the games."

But unlike pro athletes, lacrosse players also have to make a living. Many of the Gamblers have been scrambling for weeks, even months, to get time off to play in the Mann Cup.

Kilgour, who works for Smokin Joe's in Sanborn, NY (Joe's is a place which sells gas, beer and cigarettes at low prices.) is lucky. "With Smokin Joe's, lacrosse comes first," he said. "It won't be a problem for me at all."

Kilgour and his teammates flew from Toronto to Vancouver on Saturday, then were to take a ferry boat to Victoria, a city of 300,000. The series begins on Monday night and if all seven games are necessary, they'll be played in just nine days. But nobody's worrying about the grind of a long summer season which saw the Gamblers go 25-6.

"Tired, no, everybody's just plain excited," said Randy Mearns, who along with teammate Darris Kilgour will be looking to become the first players ever to win six consecutive Mann Cup championships. They were teammates on the title winning Six Nations Chiefs the past three summers and on the champion, Excelsiors in 92 and 93.

Mearns, an assistant lacrosse coach at Canisius College (in Buffalo, NY) says getting a chance to play in the Mann Cup is worth any of the inconveniences. He'll have to take an unpaid leave as a baker for Tim Horton's.

His situation isn't unique. Head coach Terry Sanderson must find a replacement at his sporting goods store. Forward Paul Day is a police officer, starting goaltender Bob Watson is a machine operator, Grant Johnston is a guide for Niagara Falls Scenic Tours. But business must wait. "For the opportunity of a lifetime, its worth it," Mearns said.

Victoria led by (former) Major Indoor Lacrosse League All-Pros Gary Gait, Tom Marechek (Philadelphia Wings), Neil Doddridge (Buffalo Bandits), Tyson Leies (ex-Buffalo Bandit) and goaltender Marty O'Neill (Boston Blazers), went 12-8 and finished first in the Western Lacrosse Association during the regular season. The Shamrocks then defeated the Paul Gait led-North Shore Indians in five games to reach the Mann Cup finals.

Fans can keep up with the series on the internet at http:/www.fernweb.com/bclax/manncup97.

Article 2

Buffalo News Sports Section: Sept 7.
Mann Cup To Attract Big Crowds.
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VICTORIA, B.C -- The Niagara Falls Gamblers spent the eve of the Mann Cup championship series dealing with press conferences and television interviews. Gamblers' interviews were shown coast-to-coast by The Sports Network (TSN) as the team prepared to open the best-of-seven series Monday night against the Western Lacrosse Association Champions: The Victoria Shamrocks.

The first four games of the series at the 4,861 seat Memorial Arena in Victoria, B.C. are already sold out with a few hundred standing room only seats remaining for each game.

The Shamrocks (led by Gary Gait) are looking for their first Mann Cup Championship since 1983 when the team was then known as the Victoria Payless. Last year, the Shamrocks lost in four games to the Six Nation Chiefs. The Gamblers (The Ontario Lacrosse Association Major Division Champions) are an expansion team.

Ontario teams have won the Mann Cup the past five summers and have taken 10 of the last 13 titles against their British Columbia foes.

Buffalo News Sports Section: Sept 8.

Shamrocks draw first blood in Mann Cup final series.
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VICTORIA, B.C.-- The west is best, at least for openers in the Mann Cup championship series. The Victoria Shamrocks broke a tie with two goals in the final 1 minute and 15 seconds Monday night and defeated the Niagara Falls Gamblers 9-7, in Game One of the best-of-seven series to decide the national lacrosse championship of Canada, before an overflow crowd of 5,000 in the 4,861-seat Memorial Arena. Game Two is here tonight at 11 pm (EST.)

Chris Prat's power-play goal at 18:45 of the third period gave the Shamrocks (the WLA Champions), an 8-7 lead. The score came just one second after a minor penalty for holding by the Gambler's Travis Kilgour had expired. The Shamrocks then added an empty net goal by ex-Buffalo Bandit Tyson Leies with just six seconds left after the Gamblers had pulled goaltender Bob Watson for an extra attacker.

That capped off a wild third period which saw the Shamrocks outscore the Gamblers 5-4. Grant Johnston's goal with 5 minutes remaining, pushed the Gamblers into a 7-7 tie, the fourth and final deadlock of the game, setting up the last minute heroics by the Shamrocks.

The loss spoiled a brilliant effort by Watson who made 42 saves out of 51 shots. Victoria's goaltender Marty O'Neill only had to make 18 saves on 25 shots. The Shamrocks were particularly dominant in the final period, outshooting the Gamblers 19-10. Victoria's Gary Gait had a whopping 14 shots on goal while Steve Toll's 5 shots led Niagara Falls.

Darris Kilgour and Derek Graham each had two goals for Niagara Falls while Johnston, Marty Calder and Tony Henderson had the other Gamblers scores. Chris Prat and Neil Doddridge led Victoria with two goals apiece. Despite the 14 shots on goal, Gary Gait could get only one past Watson.

Victoria was 2 for 6 with the man advantage while Niagara Falls went 1 for 3. The Gamblers had 8 penalties called on them compared to only 5 on the Shamrocks.

Buffalo News Sports Section: Sept 14, 1997.

Gamblers face long odds in attempt to come back.
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By Tom Borrelli-News Sports Reporter.

The Niagara Falls Gamblers have thrived against adversity all summer long but they've never faced odds as long as the ones they're staring at right now.

Down three games to one in the best-of-seven Mann Cup championship series against the Victoria Shamrocks, the Gamblers must win three straight games at Victoria's Memorial Arena to keep the trophy in Ontario.

After splitting the first two games of the series, the Gamblers fell 14-7, in Game Three on Thursday and 17-2 in Game Four on Friday before raucous sellout crowds. Since the second intermission Thursday (when Game Three was tied at 7-7) the Shamrocks have outscored the Gamblers by an astounding 24-2.

Steve Toll and Canisus College product Scott Ronson were the only two Gamblers to score in Game 4 as the Shamrocks held a 53-19 advantage in shots on goal.

The Gamblers who battled back from a 3-2 series deflict (after losing Game 5 of that series 17-4) to beat the Brampton Excelsiors in seven games of the OLA Major Division finals, get their chance to stay alive at 11 pm tonight (EST) in Game Five. A Victoria win (either tonight or in the next two games) will give British Columbia its first Mann Cup since the New Westminster Salmonbellies won in 1991.

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