When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

That could easily have passed for the team slogan of the Sudbury Bantam Rockhounds at the recent Ontario Lacrosse Festival in Whitby.

The locals were slotted, by the OLA (Ontario Lacrosse Association), into the 'D' Division of the provincial championships, despite several attempts in making their argument for an upgrade.

“We would rather play in 'C' because it would give us more competition,” veteran Brett Whitehead said after a practice session held last week in Coniston, just before heading to the all-Ontario playdowns.
“I think we've lost only one game this year against a 'D' team. If we won in 'C', it would feel like more of an accomplishment.”

With the decision taken out of their hands, the Bantam Rockhounds were left to make the best of it.

“I think we'll do really well at provincials,” Whitehead stated.

The proof is in the pudding, as the Sudbury crew capped off a six-game winning streak in convincing fashion, dumping Whitby (3) 6-2 in the championship final on Aug. 5.

Despite taking far too many penalties for their liking, the Rockhounds opened with a 4-2 win over Cambridge, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after two periods of play.

Nick Chokan paced the attack with a pair of goals, with Josh Duckett and Tristan Simeoni adding one goal apiece.

The northern Ontario lads looked even more impressive over their next two games, starting with a 6-1 thumping of Brockville behind a three-goal performance from Simeoni.

Tyler Michaud, Jack Drinkwater and Whitehead rounded out the scoring for the winners. A very balanced attack paved the way to a third straight victory as six different players found the back of the net in a 7-0 Sudbury win over North Perth.

Simeoni registered his fifth and sixth goals of the tournament, with Alec St George, Felix Coté, Ward Kyle, Whitehead and Simeoni all chipping in with one goal each.

Dodging their first real bullet of the weekend, the Rockhounds edged Halton Hills 6-5 in overtime as Whitehead netted the game-winner, converting on a lovely passing play that also included Simeoni, Kyle and Chokan.

It was Whiteahead's second goal of the game, with singles coming courtesy of Kyle, Duckett, Simeoni and Riley Roy. For a second straight elimination match-up, the locals were forced to extra time.

And for a fifth straight game, they emerged victorious. A hard shot from Simeoni deflected off the shoulder of Michaud and in, lifting Sudbury past the Toronto Stars 5-4 in overtime.

Duckett netted a pair of goals for coach Dennis Simeoni and company, while Cote and Kristopher Lizzi recorded one each.

Facing Whitby in the final, the Rockhounds scored three unanswered second-period goals, breaking open a 2-2 tie en route to their championship title. Kyle picked up the first three goals of the game for Sudbury, with David Withers, Duckett and Chokan completing the attack.

Goaltender Evan Peltier was stellar from start to finish, as the Bantam Rockhounds displayed a very even keel to all aspects of the game, providing the GSLA (Greater Sudbury Lacrosse Association) with their second of two medal-winning teams, so far this year, at Provincials.

Not that any of the members of this team are all that stunned by the outcome.

“We shouldn't be in 'D' division,” Alec St Georges said, concurring with Whitehead just a few days before play began.

“We're a lot faster with the ball movement, but we didn't play well at the Sudbury tournament.”

Now in his second year of rep lacrosse, the 14-year-old multisport athlete is beginning to feel a lot more comfortable on the floor with teammates who have travelled to Provincials as many as five or six times.

“I think I've really improved my defensive skills,” St Georges said. “You're always trying to help out your team, letting guys know who we have since we play man to man. The guys with really quick feet are tough to defend.”

As for Whitehead, he is confident that yet another summer of lacrosse action, with all of the running that is involved, leaves him well prepared as hockey camps begin later this month.

“Playing lacrosse keeps your hands moving and keeps your conditioning up all summer long,” Whitehead said., which is just one more bonus, in addition to the gold medals, that the Bantam Rockhounds took away from their summer of 2012.

The Sudbury team roster includes Ryder Thususka, Kristopher Lizzi, James Munroe, David Withers, Ward Kyle, Alec St. George, Felix Cote, Tyler Michaud, Tristan Simeoni, Joshua Duckett, Brett Whitehead, Riley Roy, Matt Reid, Nick Chokan and netminder Evan Peltier.