ROCK HOPE TO CONTINUE DOMINANCE AT JR. NLL TOURNAMENT
Peewee & Bantam Teams Looking For Fourth Straight Win
Oakville, ON – The seventh annual Jr. NLL Tournament kicks off Friday as Jr. NLL teams from across the league will compete for the Jr. NLL Cup in Peewee, Bantam and Midget divisions. Round-robin play begins today and continues on Saturday with the medal round games going on Sunday, all at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre and the Glen Abbey Rec Centre in Oakville.
Youth lacrosse players will play by NLL rules and be coached by NLL players in the seventh annual weekend long lacrosse tournament. The event brings together the NLL lacrosse communities to celebrate the grassroots of the game.
Last summer, the Jr. Rock swept all three divisions, capturing the Jr. NLL Cup in Peewee, Bantam and Midget. The Peewee and Bantam teams are in the midst of an epic run, each having won the last three tournaments. The Midget squad will be looking to go back-to-back for the first time.
Toronto Rock players and staff will coach the Jr. Rock teams. At the helm of the Peewee team will be Rock legend Colin Doyle along with Rock netminder Riley Hutchcraft and the Rock’s strength coach Sean Holmes. On the bench with the Bantams will be Rock goaltender Nick Rose and defenders Adam Jay and Damon Edwards. And, guiding the Midget entry is Rock Captain Challen Rogers joined by assistant coaches, defender Brad Kri and Owner, President and GM Jamie Dawick.
“I’m thrilled with the growth of the Junior NLL Tournament which has coincided with the growth of the NLL,” said Rock Owner Jamie Dawick. “We are looking forward to hosting some of the best youth box lacrosse players from across Canada and the U.S. and three great days of competition and camaraderie.”
Players on the Toronto Rock teams are selected from players that competed in the Rock Elite League in 2018-19. The new season for the Rock Elite League is just around the corner and registration is now open at torontorockac.com.
The Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush and Toronto Rock will compete with over 500 players participating across Peewee, Bantam & Midget age levels. The teams will follow modified NLL playing rules in a safe and competitive environment. NLL players, coaches and staff will be on-hand all weekend, with some serving as Jr. NLL coaches, in addition to joining the youth players for an Outdoor Movie Night on Friday.
Fans will be able to watch the three championship games on Sunday on the NLL’s YouTube channel. For schedules, stats and standings from the tournament, please click here.
Tournament History
Peewee
2013 – Jr. Mammoth
2014 – Jr. Rock
2015 – Jr. Knighthawks
2016 – Jr. Rock
2017 – Jr. Rock
2018 – Jr. Rock
Bantam
2013 – Jr. Rock
2014 – Jr. Knighthawks
2015 – Jr. Knighthawks
2016 – Jr. Rock
2017 – Jr. Rock
2018 – Jr. Rock
Midget
2014 – Jr. Knighthawks
2015 – Jr. Knighthawks
2016 – Jr. Rock
2017 – Jr. Roughnecks
2018 – Jr. Rock
There is no charge for admission and fans are invited to come and cheer on their favourite Jr. NLL squads from across the league.
