FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tom Succamore
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 416-742-8630
ONTARIO LACROSSE HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2009 INDUCTEES
St. Catharines, Ontario-10 new members have been named for induction into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame located at Lock 3, Welland Canal Parkway, St Catharines, Ontario.
The Class of 2009 are Players Gilbert Bomberry ( Six Nations), Sherwin Paul Henhawk (Six Nations), Mark Jacobs (Akwesasne), Derek Keenan (Oshawa), Zenon Lipinski (Brampton) and Ronald “Rooney” Roundpoint (Akwesasne); Builders Larry Galbraith (Fergus), Bob Luey (St. Catharines), and Michael Montour (Six Nations) ; Veteran Player Wally Thorne (St. Catharines).
Gilbert Bomberry, elected in the Players category from Six Nations was a top scorer with the Six Nations Braves Junior team and the Guelph Mohawks in the 60’s. He was a member of the Presidents Cup Championship team, the Brantford Warriors in 1967 and 69.
One of the last active lacrosse icons from the past in Six Nations, he is a role model for younger generations by continuing to teach and coach and giving back to the game of lacrosse.
Larry Galbraith from Fergus, elected as a builder is credited with being able to motivate the masses, working with numerous people, sharing his organizational skills and fundraising ideas to get the job done. He helped to rebuild Fergus Minor Lacrosse and has been involved as an executive member of both Minor and Senior Thistles lacrosse for over 35 years.
Having played all his Junior and Senior lacrosse in Six Nations, Sherwin Paul Henhawk was a high scoring, hard working player who helped his teammates and never quit. Known for playing offensively when needed and as a hard nosed defenseman, he never let the game carry over off the floor and shook hands before and after the game.
Mark Jacobs from Akwesasne is remembered by his coaches as being one of the most versatile players and for having the heart and the head for the game. Having played from 1962 on Junior, and Senior, teams in Akwesasne his ability to apply speed, agility and excellent stick handling skills made him a dominant defenseman.
As a player, he achieved many positive experiences to give him that “lacrosse for life” foundation and he continues to devote his time to coaching and managing youth teams in Eastern Ontario. He believes he now has a special responsibility to deliver and develop appropriate positive attitudes toward the sport of lacrosse.
Derek Keenan played 7 years of Junior A with the Oshawa Green Gaels where he was an all around dedicated, great player whose scoring stats were spectacular and his defensive skills were well known. Winner of the Dennis Mackintosh Trophy as MVP in Junior A lacrosse in 1979, he is also 2nd all time Career Playmaker in a Junior A series with 440 assists, 3rd all time Career Points with 757 points, and 7th all time Career Goal Scorer with 317 goals.
As a member of the Brooklin Redman Major Lacrosse team for 9 years, he was the league leading scorer and league MVP in 1987 and 1988 and a member of the Mann Cup Championship team in 1985, 1987, and 1988.
Keenan went on to play professional lacrosse with the Buffalo Bandits where he won NLL Rookie of the Year in 1992 and has won the coveted Champions Cup in the NLL 5 times, twice as a player with Buffalo and 3 times as an assistant coach with the Toronto Rock in 2000, 2002 and 2003 alongside Les Bartley and Ed Comeau. He has continued to give back to the game he loves at all levels, coaching Minor Lacrosse in Whitby, Team Ontario in Peewee and Bantam, and is currently the coach of the Edmonton Rush in the NLL.
Player Zenon (Zenny) Lipinski is remembered for his leadership qualities and his defensive prowess and his ability to put the ball in the net. He played Junior A in Brampton and played major in Brantford where he was a member of the Mann Cup Championship team, the Brantford Warriors in 1971.
Zenny has been a great ambassador and has made contributions to lacrosse not only as a player but has coached at many levels. He has been instrumental in bringing the Brampton Junior A organization back to the forefront as a competitive club in the Junior A ranks in Ontario lacrosse serving as an executive member, president and assistant general manager for over 20 years.
Bob Luey of St Catharines has spent over 33 years as a coach, executive member, manager and Junior A Lacrosse Council executive member. As a builder he has coached minor lacrosse and been a member of the Board of Directors for many years and in 1990 moved to the ranks of Junior A lacrosse with the St. Catharines Athletics.
Winning the Minto Cup with the Athletics in 1990 as Vice President, he continued as treasurer, sponsor, and GM for many more years, again the winner of the Minto Cup in 2001 and 2003. He has received awards for his dedication to the promotion of lacrosse and also the Jack Gatecliff Award as the St. Catharines Standard Sportsman of the Year in 1998; He continues to be involved with the Junior A Lacrosse Council and always places the direction of the council to the forefront of his agenda.
Michael Montour of Six Nations, elected in the Builders Category is a very dedicated, patient coach to all ages and a role model to many young players. He instills the spirit, heart and passion for the game of the lacrosse to all he coaches. As coach of the Six Nations Arrows Junior A’s he won an Ontario Championship in 1998 and a trip to the Minto Cup in Burnaby. From 2001 to 2004 he coached the Six Nations Junior B Rebels to the Ontario finals and in 2005 and 2006 was assistant coach for the St. Catharines Junior B Spartans.
Ronald (Roonie) Roundpoint (deceased) of Akwesasne was a very competent player known for having an accurate shot that could pass well and play both ends of the floor. He played for the St Regis Indians of the late 40’s and 50’s.The St. Regis Indians were frequent winners of Eastern Ontario Championships. Having been raised on Cornwall Island he grew up around lacrosse and his father‘s, Frank Roundpoint, lacrosse stick factory. He evolved into an expert carver of hickory lacrosse sticks and continued making them the rest of his life.
Nominated in the Veterans Category as a player, Wally Thorne of St. Catharines was a consistent, high scoring two way player in the 50’s and 60’s. He played with the St. Catharines Athletics from 1956 to 1960 where he was team captain. He won a Minto Cup with Brampton Junior A’s in 1959 and was a Minto cup finalist with Whitby in 1960 as a pickup for both teams. In 1960 he was Junior A lacrosse MVP. He went on to play major lacrosse with St. Catharines from 1960 to 1965 where they were Mann Cup finalists in 1963. In 1968 he was drafted to the pros.
The 2009 Induction Ceremony for the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame will be held on Saturday October 17th 2009. A Reception will be held at the Hall of Fame, located at Lock 3 , Welland Canal Center, Welland Canal Parkway in St. Catharines, Ontario at 12:30 pm. Open to all family and friends.
The formal Induction Ceremony will be held at the Quality Parkway Hotel, Ontario St.
St. Catharines at 6:00 pm. For tickets and information call Tom Succamore at 416-742-8630.
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