There was one thing missing from the résumé of the best lacrosse player to come out of the Foothills.
No more.
DeWinton’s Holden Cattoni captured his first major title as the Peterborough Lakers edged the New Westminster Salmonbellies in six games to take home the historic Mann Cup – the senior men’s lacrosse national championship - on Saturday at the Queens Park Arena
“It’s huge,” said Cattoni, an Okotoks Junior A Raiders alumnus. “I never won a Minto Cup or anything like that when I was in junior. This is the next step up and it’s definitely an honour. It’s my first major championship, didn’t win one in college, didn’t win one my first year in professional and it’s definitely an exciting win for me.”
Awarded annually to the top senior team in the country out of Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse and B.C.’s Western Lacrosse Association, the Mann Cup is synonymous with the sport.
Teams have been battling for the trophy since it was first awarded since 1910.
The best-of-seven final featured two of the most successful senior clubs in the country.
The host Bellies got off to an early 2-0 series lead only to have the visiting Lakers make the proper adjustments and rattle off four straight to take the title.
“Discipline was a big one. We were in the box a lot in the first two games,” he said. “On offence we were trying to do too much. We had to trust in our system.”
Peterborough took the deciding Game 6 by a 14-10 score.
Cattoni notched five assists in the victory while Mann Cup MVP Shawn Evans had five goals and seven points.
The victory clinched Peterborough’s 15th Mann Cup in team history.
“We’ve won quite a few over the years,” Cattoni said. “This was one of their biggest droughts in recent years, not winning one in five so the city is definitely very excited about it. I’ve got a lot of close friends over there.”
The 23-year-old Cattoni, fresh off a freshman season with the NLL’s Calgary Roughnecks, finished tops in Ontario with 48 goals during the regular season, his second full year with the MSL squad after finishing up his junior career with the Lakers.
“I had a tough year in the NLL this year I struggled with goal scoring and that wasn’t really my role,” Cattoni said. “When I got back to the Lakers I had the role again and was able to provide some goals and some assists for my teammates.”
His full-time teammate, legendary Roughneck Curtis ‘Superman’ Dickson shared in the celebrations on Saturday.
“It was very nice to win with a Roughneck,” Cattoni said. “Obviously, I’m really close with Curtis and play with him year round.”
Following some roster upheaval in the off-season the opportunity to shine out of the front-gate could be there for Cattoni in his second year with the Riggers.
Calgary’s regular season opens in early December following training camp.
“It’s going to be great going into the NLL with this kind of confidence,” he said. “But I’ve been playing lacrosse since December. My body is ready for a break.”
