Glengarry Glens Junior C Lacrosse Team

The Glengarry Glens Junior C Lacrosse championship team of 1972 is bit of a Cinderella story.  Former coach Mervyn McIntyre and his wife Cathy were interviewed to gather most of the detail for this article.

In the early part of the summer, Mervyn recalls when he was approached by player Danny O’Brien to coach a group of Glengarry boys wishing to play another year of organized lacrosse in the St. Lawrence Junior C Lacrosse League. This division for the Glens was tough competition having to play against much better schooled teams like Cornwall Mustangs, Cornwall Celtics, Akwesasne, and Cornwall Township.  Mervyn remembers that half the team was made up of rookies and others who had not played for a couple of years.  This group of young men came from all over Glengarry - Martintown, Williamstown, Summerstown, Glen Nevis and Alexandria. The team wore maroon colours and players borrowed or purchased their own sticks and helmets. Mervyn gives credit to the late Mike Depratto for organizing the logistics required to have practices and home games played at the old Glengarry Gardens. Reportedly, the team had quite the following of fans of all ages and the night of the fifth and deciding championship game, it was standing room only at the Gardens.  

The league final pitted the Glens against a strong Cornwall Township team in a best of 5 series. The Glens had previously beaten the favoured Cornwall Celtics team in a physical semi final series to advance to the championship round. The series was tied at 2 games each and the fifth and deciding game returned to the Gardens. The Glens came out firing on all cylinders scoring 7 goals before Cornwall Township found the back of the net.  The game finished 11-3; the Glens creating quite the upset and winning the Jack Lee Trophy.  Glen’s goalie Luc Desjardins played a stand out game in nets and Glens right winger Lyle McMillan was awarded league MVP.

Mervyn remains proud of this lacrosse team to this day.  The team fought to take the series with all odds against them, such as lack of experience and knowledge of the game.  Yet it was their athleticism, determination and coachability that enabled them to make a successful run for the championship. They were good friends and had a lot of fun together in and outside the Gardens. The following year, the  lacrosse league reorganized and the Glens were entered into the Ottawa district division.  Players’ work and school commitments combined with increased costs associated with the required travel prohibited the team from continuing.

Strong bonds and lasting friendships are created when championships are won, and even more so when the “underdogs” achieve the unthinkable.