The Niagara Thunderhawks were a Junior "B" box lacrosse team from Niagara, Ontario, Canada. The Thunderhawks played in the OLA Junior B Lacrosse League. The franchise folded after 18 years in 2021.
 | |
| Sport | Box lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Folded | 2021 |
| League | OLA Junior B Lacrosse League |
| Based in | Niagara, Ontario |
| Arena | Meridian Credit Union Arena |
| Colours | Blue, Black, and White |
| Head coach | Randy Chrysler |
| General manager | Al Janzen |
History
edit
The Thunderhawks entered the OLA in 2003. After a slow but modest start, Niagara broke out with a .500 record in 2005 and earned their first birth into the playoffs. Success really came in 2006 as the Thunderhawks finished 15-5-0 and finished in second place overall in the West Conference. They beat out the upstart Hamilton Bengals in the first round 3 games straight. In the second round they faced the more challenging Windsor Fratmen where they went the distance, winning 3 games to 2. The Semi-final went the distance as well, as they faced the Orangeville Northmen, but this time they were eliminated in five games.
In 2021 the Thunderhawks announced they would be ceasing operations. The announcement cited a lack of available players as a reason for the teams folding.[1] However the teams legacy lives on through Niagara-on-the-Lake's minor lacrosse teams which still use the name "Niagara Thunderhawks" as well as their logo and colours.
Season-by-season results== Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | Placing | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 151 | 195 | 12 | 9th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2004 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 142 | 185 | 12 | 10th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2005 | 20 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 166 | 165 | 21 | 7th OJBLL West | Lost 1st round |
| 2006 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 194 | 118 | 30 | 2nd OJBLL West | Lost semi-final |
| 2007 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 176 | 147 | 26 | 6th OJBLL West | Lost 1st round |
| 2008 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 157 | 206 | 12 | 12th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2009 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 95 | 180 | 5 | 14th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2010 | 20 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 99 | 155 | 10 | 12th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2011 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 173 | 225 | 10 | 10th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2012 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 219 | 197 | 22 | 8th OJBLL West | Lost Conference QF |
| 2013 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 223 | 179 | 26 | 4th OJBLL West | Lost Conference SF |
| 2014 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 204 | 174 | 32 | 4th OJBLL West | Lost Conference SF |
| 2015 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 218 | 132 | 34 | 2nd OJBLL West | Lost Conference SF |
| 2016 | 20 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 214 | 146 | 31 | 3rd OJBLL West | Lost Conference SF |
| 2017 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 187 | 218 | 16 | 9th OJBLL West | DNQ |
| 2018 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 183 | 188 | 20 | 7th OJBLL West | Lost Conference QF |
References
edit- ^ "END OF AN ERA". Niagara Thunderhawks Jr B Lacrosse. Retrieved 13 June 2023.