Game 1 Mon July 14th K-W at St. Catharines 8:00 pm
Game 2 Wed July 16th K-W at St. Catharines 8:00 pm
Game 3 Fri July 18th St. Catharines at K-W 8:00 pm
Game 4 Sun July 20th St. Catharines at K-W 7:00 pm
Game 5 Mon July 21st K-W at St. Catharines 8:00 pm
Game 6 Wed July 23rd St. Catharines at K-W 8:00 pm
Game 7 Thurs July 24th K-W at St. Catharines 8:00 pm

All home games will be played at the Waterloo Memorial Rec Centre.

The Braves picked up a pair of home wins over the weekend as they defeated the Toronto Beaches 11-6 on Friday and the Mississauga Tomahawks 7-0 Sunday. The shutout marks the first in the Braves 41 year history and the first for goaltender Evan Kirk.

In Friday's game the Braves got multi-point efforts from Matt Hummel (3,2), Joe Pikul (3,1), Scott Tinning (1,4), Adam Payerl (1,1), Mike Cazzola (0,2), Eric Benesch (1,2), Josh Leis (1,2) & Josh Crone (0,2). Goaltender Evan Kirk turned aside 37 shots in the win. Sunday's game saw Kirk face 30 shots in the shutout win. Jon Thomson & Matt Hummel each had a goal & two assists while singles went to Adam Payerl, Phil Rawn, Shawn Udema & Craig Zeeh.

The Braves are off to Toronto Monday for a rematch with the Beaches before returning home Friday in their final regular season game vs the St. Catharines Athletics. Game time is 8pm at the Rec Centre. 

The Braves defense held the Peterborough Lakers offence to two goals while the Braves were firing on all cylinders & scored eleven goals for the third straight game to earn an 11-2 vistory on the road. Leading the way for the Braves offensively was Jon Thomson with four goals & two assists. Other Braves goal scorers were Joe Pikul (2,1), Scott Tinning (1,2), Eric Benesch (1,3), Josh Leis (2,0) & Andrew Yensen (1,1). Adam Payerl added three assists. Braves goaltender Evan Kirk turned aside 43 shots while collecting two assists in the win.

After a slow start the Braves turned things up in the second & third periods as they put up their second straight eleven goal performance beating the Burlington Chiefs 11-7. The Braves were led by multiple point-getters on the night starting with Joe Pikul who collected a hat-trick. Other scorers for the Braves were Scott Tinning (2,2), Shawn Udema (2,1), Josh Leis (2,2), Matt Hummel (1,2) & Phil Rawn (1,0). Adam Payerl & Jon Thomson both collected three assists.

The Braves were looking for payback when the Whitby Warriors came to town after losing to them in OT just a few weeks ago & that's exactly what they got in a convincing 11-3 win. Leading the way for the Braves was Jon Thomson with three goals. Other Braves goal scorers were Joe Pikul (2,1), Scott Tinning (1,3), Matt Hummel (1,3), Josh Leis (1,3), Shawn Udema (2,0) & Mike Cazzola (1,0).

A combination of tough defense & strong goaltending earned the Braves their second straight vistory as they beat the Peterborough Lakers 6-1. The Braves held the Lakers scoreless until the 8:37 mark of the third period when they scored on a power-play. Goalscorers for the Braves were Scott Tinning (1,2), Jon Thomson (1,2), Adam Payerl (1,1), Tyson Geick, Alex Inch & Joe Pikul.

Captain Scott Tinning scored his third of the night with seven seconds remaining in regulation to snap the Braves four game losing streak as they defeated the Mississauga Tomahawks 7-6. Other Braves goal scorers were Adam Payerl, Joe Pikul, Mike O'Brien & Alex Lubczuk.

The new & improved Burlington Chiefs came out hard & didn't let up as they handed the Braves their fourth consecutive loss 12-5. Goal scorers for K-W were rookie Adam Payerl (2), Shawn Udema, Craig Zeeh & Joe Pikul.

A slow start by the Braves proved costly as they fell behind 4-1 after the first period & came out on the losing end 8-5. Former Northmen goaltender Evan Kirk did his best to keep the Braves in the game against his former teammates by making 47 saves. Goal scorers for K-W were Jon Thomson, Adam Payerl, Josh Leis, Chris Lalonde & Scott Tinning.

The Braves were looking to avenge their embarassing loss earlier in the season when they hosted the Arrows Friday night. They came out firing leading 3-2 after one period & were all tied up at 5-5 after two. The Braves took a two goal lead early in the third only to watch the Arrows score four goals in less than five minutes & hold on for a 10-8 win. Captain Scott Tinning led the Braves with three goals & three assists while Matt Hummel had two & singles went to Mike Cazzola, Josh Leis & Alex Inch.

The Braves came out of the gates fast scoring four goals in the first period but the young Whitby Warriors didn't quit as they came back to win in overtime 5-4. Braves rookie Adam Payeryl scored the first two goals of the game followed by captain Scott Tinning & Josh Crone. Whitby crept back into the game scoring late in the second & three in the third to force OT before scoring the winner with 1:27 remaining. Braves goaltender Evan Kirk made 31 saves in the loss.

Braves goaltender Evan Kirk turned aside 36 shots & Matt Hummel scored once & added two assists as the Braves doubled up on the Orillia Kings 4-2. Other Braves scorers were Scott Tinning, Jon Thomson & Chris Lalonde.

Braves goaltender Evan Kirk allowed only five goals on sixty shots against his former team but that wasn't enough as the Orangeville Northmen scored with :47 left in the third & held off a last second effort for the 5-4 win over the Braves. Kirk was unreal between the pipes turning aside shot after shot & collecting two assists. Other Braves point-getters were Chris Lalonde (1,1), Josh Crone (1,0), Josh Leis (1,0),  Shawn Udema (1,0), Mike Cazzola (0,1) & Scott Tinning (0,1).

The Braves jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first period & held off the St. Catharines Athletics offense for a 6-5 victory. Matt Hummel led the way for the Braves with a four point performance (2,2) while Scott Tinning, Adam Payerl & Josh Crone added singles. Goaltender Evan Kirk turned aside 46 shots for the win.
 

The long weekend in May was exactly that for the Braves as they went 0-2 in their weekend games. On Saturday the Braves traveled to Akwesasne for a rematch with the Indians.  The Indians came out flying in their home opener scoring 7 goals in the first period. The deficit was too much for the Braves to overcome as they suffered a 12-5 loss. On Monday the Braves headed to Six Nations to face the defending National Champions. Although the Braves played fairly well on defence they failed to put the ball in the net & suffered a 10-0 loss.

The Braves move to 2-0 (W-L) on the season as they beat the Orillia Kings 9-5. Josh Leis led the way with three goals & both Matt Hummel (2,1) & Scott Tinning (0,3) collected three points on the night. Other goal scorers for K-W were Joe Pikul,  Shawn Udema (2) & Chris Lalonde. Evan Kirk faced 43 shots making 38 saves.
 

Braves netminder Evan Kirk faced 53 shots allowing only 7 goals as the Braves held off the Akwesasne Indians in their 2008 debut. Matt Hummel led all point-getters with a goal and four assists while Josh Leis had a hat trick & an assist. Scott Tinning chipped in with a pair of goals and assists while singles went to rookie Adam Payerl, Chadd Murphy, Shawn Udema & Chris Lalonde. It was Alumni Night at the Rec Centre with lots of familiar faces in the crowd. The Braves Thank you for your support!

The National Lacrosse League has announced that fomer Braves goaltender Bob Watson ('91) of the Toronto Rock has been named the 2008 US Navy Goaltender of the Year Award.

The 37-year-old goalie tallied a 78.6% save percentage and a 10.34 goals against average, good for fifth and third in the league, respectively, while playing 825 minutes in net this season. The award is Watson's first in seven years, and third overall. He won back-to-back Goaltender of the Year honors with the Rock in 2000 and 2001. Watson played for the Braves from 1987-1991 winning Founders Cups in both 87 and 88.

The Braves landed the players they wanted in the 2008 Junior 'A' lacrosse draft acquiring Mike Cazzola from Guelph and Ian King from London.

The Braves orginally held the first pick in the draft but traded it to Mississauga in exchange for Mississauga's pick (4th overall) and goaltender Adam Hickey from London. Braves GM, Corey Hallman then dealt the fourth pick to Six Nations in exhange for their sixth pick and other compensation and used the pick to acquire Mike Cazzola. With the nineteenth pick in the draft the Braves picked up Ian King who was the captain of the London midget program.

The Braves traded the first overall pick in this weekend's Junior 'A' draft plus cash to the Mississauga Tomahawks in exchange for Mississauga's first pick in the draft (4th overall) and goaltender Adam Hickey of London.

Adam Hickey was the first goalie selected in the 2007 draft (7th overall) and spent last season with his hometown London Blue Devils of the Junior 'B' loop. Acquiring the second year Hickey gives the Braves solid goaltending for years to come.

The Braves handed out their individual awards for the 2007 season and the winners were as follows:

Howard Hallman Most Valuable Player: Evan Kirk
Bob Howey Leadership Award: Dave Cutten
Most Dedicated Award: Curtis Doherty
Rookie of the Year Award: Phil Rawn
Most Improved Player Award: Scott Tinning
Best Defensive Player Award: Evan Kirk
Leading Scorer Award: Scott Tinning
Lawrence Hallman Award (For the player who best represents the Braves on and off the floor): Phil Rawn

Congratulations to all the award winners & best of luck to our graduating players Dave Cutten, Curtis Doherty, Nole Coutrouzas and James Reid.

The Braves have dealt former goaltender Angus Goodleaf to the Six Nations Arrows in a cash deal. Goodleaf who was acquired by the Braves in 2006 from the Akwesasne Indians of the Ontario Junior 'B' loop played his 2007 season with the Burnaby Lakers. Goodleaf became expendable after the Braves acquired standout goalie Evan Kirk from the Orangeville Northmen last season. 

Date: Monday November 19th
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex Kiwanis Room 201

All are welcome. A great opportunity for fans and all interested parties to get involved with the team.

Braves General Manager Corey Hallman ('92) has been named the Canadian Scout for the New York Titans of the National Lacrosse League. Hallman, a former Braves player himself from 1989-1992, served as the Braves Head Coach from 2002-2005 & took over the reigns as GM in 2003. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Ontario Junior 'A' Lacrosse Council.

Former Braves forward Merrick Thomson ('04) was selected 2nd overall by the Philadelphia Wings in the National Lacrosse League's entry draft. Thomson who led the Braves in playoff scoring in his final year of Junior was also a standout at the University of Albany where he finished as the program's career scoring leader with 188 goals and 56 assists for 244 points.

In the 2006 entry draft former Braves captain Ryan Benesch ('06) was selected first overall by the San Jose Stealth before being dealth to the Toronto Rock. Benesch went on to capture the NLL Rookie of the Year Award.

Braves captain Dave Cutten ('07) and former Braves sniper Joel Wilson ('06) both signed one year contracts with the Arizona Sting. Cutten capped off his Braves career wearing the 'C' and put up personal bests in both goals (19) and points (36). He also led the team in loose balls.

After a solid Junior career with the Braves, Wilson made the jump to Major where he finished twelfth in the MSL scoring race with 23 goals and 43 points, three ahead of his older brother and current Rock sniper Aaron "Wildman" Wilson ('00).

Four Braves were selected to compete in the Junior 'A' All Star game taking place on Thursday August 9th at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby at 8pm.

Congratulations go out to Braves captain Dave Cutten, assistant captain Scott Tinning, goaltender Evan Kirk and defensive specialist Craig Zeeh on being selected. Each team submitted a list of six players and the league's thirteen general managers made their selections from that list.

The Braves ended their 2007 rebuilding campaign on a losing note to the Orangeville Northmen 7-2. The loss put the Braves two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. Down 5-1 after the first, the Braves just couldn't seem to find the net in the final 40 minutes. Goal scorers for K-W were Scott Tinning and James Reid.

The Braves would like to thank captain Dave Cutten for his five years of dedicated service along with newcomers Nole Coutrouzous, Curtis Doherty, James Reid and Grant Thomas as they all graduate from junior lacrosse. A special thanks to the Braves executive and all those who help out with game-day operations for all their support. Lastly a very special thanks to all the fans who have come out over the years to cheer on the Braves. See you in 2008 for what should be an exciting year of Braves lacrosse.

The Braves playoff hopes took another hit as they lost to Brampton 8-5. Heading into the second period Sunday the Braves held a 4-2 lead but slowly watched as Brampton scored three goals in less than three minutes and coasted to victory. The Braves held the edge in power-play opportunities as Brampton took twenty minutes in penalties to the Braves six but the Braves power-play couldn't respond.

Goal scorers for K-W were Mark Pfohl, Dave Cutten, Jesse Booker, James Reid and Joe Pikul. It will now come down to Friday night's game versus Orangeville. A Braves win and a Burlington loss will put the Braves into the playoffs.

Two goals in the final 2:21 gave the Orangeville Northmen a 7-5 win over the now desperate Braves. The Braves have now lost their last three games by a combined four goals and will need a win Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Scoring for the Braves were Grant Thomas (2), Scott Tinning (1), James Reid (1) and Josh Leis (1). Goaltender Evan Kirk chipped in with 2 assists. Short-staffed yet again, the Braves went without Matt Quinton, Craig Blinkhorn, Alex Inch and Justin Gibson. Next home game for the Braves is Sunday vs the Brampton Excelsiors at 2:00pm.

A depleted Braves roster came up short against an inspired St. Catharines team losing 7-6. The Braves had five regulars out of the line-up for various reasons including leading scorer Matt Quinton (injured) but still managed to put in a good effort while goaltender Evan Kirk put in another solid performance.

Braves captain Dave Cutten found the net three times while Scott Tinning, Matt Hummel and newcomer Grant Thomas all added singles. Prior to the game both teams paid tribute to former Athletics coach Buff McCready who passed away on Friday. The Braves now travel to Orangeville to face the Northmen on Friday.  

The Braves lost a back and forth battle against the Whitby Warriors 8-7. Down 1-0 after the first period the Braves found the net seven times in the second chasing starting goalie Jesse Gill and holding a 7-5 lead heading into the final frame. Three Whitby goals found the Braves on the losing end of a very important game for both teams.

Scott Tinning, Justin Gibson, Dave Cutten, James Reid, Josh Leis, Joe Pikul and Matt Quinton all had singles for the Braves who now travel to St. Catharines on Wednesday for another key contest.

The Braves made some additions to their roster Sunday by adding former Braves first round pick Joe Pikul and London Blue Devils defender Grant Thomas to their line-up.

Pikul was drafted by the Braves in 2004 and spent his rookie year in K-W before returning home to London to play for their new Junior 'B' club. In eleven games this season with the Blue Devils, the right-hander has found the net 22 times and added 25 assists.

The 6'3", 180 lb Thomas should add some size and speed to the Braves defense. The Western Mustangs defensive back is in his final year of eligibility and looking to end his junior lacrosse career on a winning note.

Matt Quinton (4,3), Scott Tinning (2,4) and Dave Cutten (2,4), led the way for the Braves as they held on to defeat the Peterborough Lakers 11-9. The teams were tied at four after the first period and nine after the second but it was the Braves who scored twice in the final frame to improve to 8-5 on the season. Other Braves scorers were Josh Leis (1,3), James Reid (1, 3) and Justin Gibson (1,3). The Braves are now off until next Friday when they host the Whitby Warriors at the Waterloo Rec Centre.

The K-W Braves rallied for five goals in the third period to beat the St. Catharines Athletics 7-4. Down 2-0 after the first period and 3-2 after the second, the Braves came out firing and finally solved Athletics goaltender Matt Soulliere eventually chasing him to the bench halfway through the third period.

Braves Goaltender Evan Kirk played another solid game making key saves throughout while the Braves received two goals a piece from Justin Gibson, Dave Cutten and Matt Quinton. Scott Tinning scored the Braves other goal. The Braves are now off until Friday when they play host to the Peterborough Lakers at the Waterloo Rec Complex. Please note the game time is 8:30pm.

Last season the Braves ran up a score of 18-1 on the Whitby Warriors in Waterloo so the Warriors showed little remorse as they returned the favour and trounced the Braves 17-3 at Iroquois Park Arena. Scott Tinning scored twice for the Braves while Dave Cutten added a single. The Braves next home game is Sunday when they face the St. Catharines Athletics at the Rec Centre at 7:00pm.

Scott Tinning scored four times to help the Braves get past the Mississauga Tomahawks 10-7. The Braves were ahead 4-3 after the first and 7-6 after the second before scoring three times in the third to seal the win.

Other Braves scorers were Dave Cutten with two while Shawn Udema, Matt Hummel, Josh Leis and Matt Quinton all had singles. Nole Coutrouzas chipped in with three assists. The Braves travel to Whitby on Tuesday to face the Warriors.

Team discipline and goaltender Evan Kirk were the difference as the Braves played a penalty free game and got solid goaltending in their 6-5 win in Brampton.

The Braves scored three goals in the second period to hold a 4-2 lead heading into the third only to have the Excelsiors answer back and tie the game at 5-5 until captain Dave Cutten scored the game winner off a heads-up pass from Eric Benesch with just over seven minutes remaining. Matt Quinton, Craig Blinkhorn, Ryen Wightman, Josh Leis, Mark Pfohl and Dave Cutten all head singles for the Braves who now play at home vs Mississauga Sunday at 7:00pm.

Today the Braves announced that they have traded the Junior 'A' rights of Branden Collins to the Toronto Beaches in exchange for the Beaches first round pick in 2008 as well as an undisclosed amount of cash. The Braves acquired the rights to Collins via a direct release from the Scarborough Saints of the Junior 'B' loop but Collins refused to suit up for the Braves citing the travel commitment was too difficult for him to make.

The Braves found the net three times in overtime and went on to end a two game losing streak by defeating the Burlington Chiefs 14-11. Matt Quinton had a big night for the Braves scoring four times with Scott Tinning, Justin Gibson, James Reid and Matt Hummel all scoring twice with singles going to Eric Benesch and Josh Leis. The Braves were down 4-2 after the first and 8-7 after the second before rallying in the third. The Braves now travel to Brampton on Friday to face the Excelsiors. 

Another slow start proved costly for the Braves as they gave the Ottawa Titans their first win of the season 8-7. The Titans jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Braves got on the board at 5:38 of the first. The game was tied at 7-7 going into the third until the Titans scored the game winner on a power play with 9:58 remaining. The battered Braves who dressed only sixteen players for the second game in a row, travel to Burlington tomorrow for a contest with the new and improved Burlington Chiefs.

Five goals in the first period were all the Six Nations Arrows needed as they hung on to defeat the Braves 6-3. Braves captain Dave Cutten led the way with three goals as Braves goaltender Evan Kirk did his best to shut down the high powered Six Nations offense. The Braves now return to the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex for the remainder of their schedule as they face the Ottawa Titans Sunday at 2:00pm.

Led by a solid goaltending performance by newcomer Evan Kirk, the Braves ended their weekend road trip with a 9-4 win in Ottawa.

K-W Scoring: Josh Leis (3,2) - Matt Quinton (1,3) - Justin Gibson (2,1) - Shawn Udema (1,1) - James Reid (1,1) - Scott Tinning (0,2) - Nole Coutrouzas (0,2) -  - Craig Blinkhorn (0,2) - Eric Benesch ( 1,0) - Dave Cutten (0,1) - Mark Pfohl (0,1). The Braves record now improves to 3 and 2 as they prepare for their next game Friday vs Six Nations. Game time is 8:00pm at RIM Park.

The Akwesasne Indians came out firing scoring six goals in the first twelve minutes and then hung on to defeat the Braves 11-7. After coming off a solid performance versus the Toronto Beaches on Tuesday night, Curtis Doherty got the start but was pulled just past the halfway point of the first in favour of newcomer Evan Kirk. Kirk allowed five goals (including an empty netter), in his debut.

K-W scoring: Shawn Udema (0,3) - Josh Leis (2,0) - Justin Gibson (2,0) - Matt Quinton (1,1) - Scott Tinning (1,1) - Dave Cutten (0,2) - Maek Pfohl (1,0) - Matt Hummel (0,1) - Evan Kirk (0,1) - Eric Benesch (0,1). The Braves now travel to Ottawa for a Sunday matinee.

The K-W Braves announced today that they have acquired goaltender Evan Kirk from the Orangeville Northmen in exchange for cash. Kirk has two years of Junior eligibility remaining and should fill the void left after last season's starting goaltender Angus Goodleaf, opted to play in Burnaby this summer. To make room for Kirk, the Braves released goaltender Steven Bourget.

Five goals in overtime was enough to give the Braves the victory in Toronto Tuesday night. The Braves were behind 3-1 after the first but outscored the Beaches 4-1 in the second to take a 5-4 lead in to the third. K-W was up 7-4 late into the third until a questionable goal closed the gap to 7-5. Two late penalties by the Braves allowed the Beaches to tie the game up at 7-7. In overtime the Braves scored five times to earn the two points and move to 2-1 on the season. Braves goaltender Curtis Doherty had a solid outing between the pipes facing 61 shots.

K-W scoring: Justin Gibson (2,3) - Scott Tinning (3,1) - Matt Quinton (2,2) - Matt Hummel (1,3) - Shawn Udema (2,1) - Curtis Doherty (0,3) - James Reid (1,1) - Josh Crone (0-2) - Dave Cutten (1,0) - Eric Benesch (1,0) - Nole Coutrouzas (0,1) - Ryen Wightman (0,1)

Congrats to former Brave, Merrick Thomson ('04) on a stellar career at the University of Albany. Thomson leaves the school as the program's all-time leading scorer with 188 goals and 56 assists for 244 points. He earned all-conference recognition four times, including a pair of first-team selections, during his career. He ranks third among the NCAA Division I leaders in goals with 56 this season. 

A six goal third period including four goals in less than three minutes helped the Braves get past the Orillia Rama Kings in their home opener 11-7. Steve Bourget got the win in net for the Braves shutting the door in the third period. Matt Quinton (1,4), Justin Gibson (2,1), James Reid (0,3), Matt Hummel (1,2) and Dave Cutten (2,0) led the way, to victory, for the Braves. The Braves head out for three road games in a row and return back to RIM Park on June 1st for a game vs Six Nations.

Come out and support the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves Junior 'A' Lacrosse Club in their home opener this Friday as they kick off their 40th year of Braves lacrosse in the K-W area. Game starts at 8:00pm vs Orillia Rama Kings at RIM Park in Waterloo. Go Braves Go!

We are proud to introduce to you the new home of the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves Junior 'A' Lacrosse Club. We will have news updates on a regular basis to make it easy for you to follow the team throughout the 2007 season. Feel free to look around and we look forward to seeing you at the game.

Congratulations to Head Coach Phil Wetherup ('98) on his NLL Champions Cup victory. Phil is a member of the Rochester Knighthawks who defeated the Arizona Sting 13-11 for the win.

Former Braves captain Ryan Benesch ('06) was the first overall selection in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft in September, taken by the San Jose Stealth. Before the start of the season however, he was traded to the Toronto Rock, in a deal that also sent another former Brave and league MVP Colin Doyle to the Stealth from Toronto. A highly touted rookie coming into the season, Benesch was thrust into the spotlight and was left with the responsibility of filling the void left by Colin Doyle.

Under the heavy pressure, the 22-year-old from Kitchener, Ontario went on to lead all rookies with 33 goals and 58 points, while playing 15 games for the Rock. His 25 assists was the second best rookie total. Benesch's 33 goals scored in 2007 ranked 13th in the entire league and second on the Rock. He also scored ten power play goals and collected 64 loose balls this season.

Former Braves captain Colin Doyle ('98) lead the San Jose Stealth to a 9-7 record this season and to the team's first playoff berth since 2004. Joining the team just prior to the season, Doyle sparked a Stealth turnaround that saw the team go from 5-11 last season to 9-7 this year, and secured a playoff berth. Doyle finished tied for fourth in the league with 59 assists and he added 22 goals for 81 points. His 81 points was good for 13th in the league. Doyle scored nine power play goals and two short handed goals and collected 58 loose balls this season. It is the fifth Second Team All-Pro honor of Doyle's career. Doyle also previously has three First Team honors, including NLL MVP in 2005.