First Nations Junior B Lacrosse League
 FNJBLL | |
| Sport | Box lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Commissioner | Bob Burr |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | United States Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) | Seneca WarChiefs (2018) |
| Most titles | Seneca WarChiefs (5) |
The First Nations Junior B Lacrosse League (formerly Iroquois Nations Junior B Lacrosse League) is a box lacrosse league sanctioned by the First Nations Lacrosse Association. The league was formed in 2014 with the restructuring of the Canadian Lacrosse Association. Four teams competed in the inaugural season.
The league winner earns a spot in the Founders' Cup, the national championship of Junior B lacrosse in North America.
History
The first game in INJBLL history was contested between Tonawanda and Seneca on May 24, 2014[1] at Cattaraugus Community Center. Seneca won the game 27-4. Brandon Brooks (7 goals, 6 assists) was named Player of the Game.
The WarChiefs finished a perfect 12-0 regular season and went on to win the playoff title over Onondaga 3-1[2][3] (best-of 5 series). Seneca finished as Silver medalist at the 2014 Founders Cup, falling 14-7[4] to the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League champion Six Nations Rebels.
In 2015 the league joined forces with the Montreal Junior Lacrosse League to for a 7-team league, renamed First Nations Junior B Lacrosse League.[5] Teams play each other twice in the regular season for a 12-game schedule.
Fédération de crosse du Québec (FCQ) member teams Montreal Jr. Shamrocks and Vermont Jr. Voyageurs are not eligible to represent the FNLA at Founders Cup. FCQ teams may have players represented on the Team Quebec All-Stars.
On May 16, 2015 the Montreal Jr. Shamrocks won the first-ever FNJBLL game, 6-5[6] over Kanehsatake Warriors. The game was played at Aréna Kevin-Lowe in Lachute, Québec.
After playing eight games in the 2015 season the Jr. Voyageurs withdrew from the league, citing player commitments.
Seneca repeated as league champion in 2015 winning the two-day playoff tournament on July 24-25 at Cattaraugus Community Center. The WarChiefs defeated Tonawanda Jr. Braves 29-3 in a semifinal before downing Onondaga Jr. Redhawks in the championship game.
Kanehsatake Jr. Warriors went on hiatus for the 2016 season leaving the league with four teams. Seneca WarChiefs dominated the competition finishing a perfect 10-0 regular season, outscoring opponents 210-59. The WarChiefs went on to sweep Onondaga in a two games (best-of 3 playoff) to win their third-consecutive league championship.
Teams
| Team | City/Area | Arena | Head Coach | First FNJBLL season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohawk Medicine Men | Massena, New York/Akwesasne | Massena Arena | Kariwate Mitchell | 2017 |
| Onondaga Jr. Redhawks | Nedrow, New York | Tsha’Hon’nonyen’dakhwa’ | Mike Abrams | 2014 |
| Rochester J-Hawks (hiatus for 2017) | Rochester, New York | Total Sports Experience | Craig Whipple | 2014 |
| Seneca WarChiefs | Irving, New York | Cattaraugus Community Center | Darris Kilgour | 2014 |
| Tonawanda Jr. Braves (hiatus for 2018) | Basom, New York | Logan Field Outdoor Box | Nate Blueye, Scott Bennett | 2014 |
| Tyendinaga Thunder | Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory | Loyalist Sports Dome | Joe Brant | 2018 |
Former teams
Kanehsatake Jr. Warriors (2015)
Montreal Jr. Shamrocks (2015)
Vermont Jr. Voyageurs (2015)
Champions
| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Finals result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Seneca WarChiefs | Onondaga Jr. Redhawks | 3-1 (best-of 5) |
| 2015 | Seneca WarChiefs | Onondaga Jr. Redhawks | 21-15 |
| 2016 | Seneca WarChiefs | Onondaga Jr. Redhawks | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2017 | Seneca WarChiefs | Mohawk Medicine Men | 3-0 (best-of 5) |
| 2018 | Seneca WarChiefs | Tyendinaga Thunder | 2-1 (best-of 3) |
Founders' Cup
| Season | Team | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Seneca WarChiefs | Silver medal (lost to Six Nations Rebels) |
| 2015 | Seneca WarChiefs | Silver medal (lost to Akwesasne Indians) |
| 2016 | Seneca WarChiefs | Bronze medal (defeated Calgary Chill) |
| 2017 | Seneca WarChiefs | Bronze medal (defeated Manitoba Blizzard) |
| 2018 | Mohawk Medicine Men (host)
Seneca WarChiefs |
7th Place
Silver medal (lost to Elora Mohawks) |
References
- ^ "Home Opener". Seneca WarChiefs. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
- ^ "Seneca WarChiefs win ILA championship". Salamanca Press. 5 August 2014.
- ^ "WarChiefs Win ILA Championship". Seneca WarChiefs. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- ^ "Six Nations Rebels win Founders Cup". Brantford Expositor. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
- ^ "Exciting Season Expected in FNJBLL". Indian Time. 12 March 2015.
- ^ "Inaugural First Nations Junior B Lacrosse League Season is Underway". Lacrosse All Stars. 19 May 2015.