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Lambeth Lancers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lambeth Lancers
CityLambeth, Ontario
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
DivisionYeck
Founded1987
Folded2019
Home arenaLambeth Arena
ColoursBlue, Red, and White
General managerTony Mandarelli(2015-16)
Head coachDylan Thomas (2017-18)
AffiliateLondon Nationals (GOJHL)
Championships
League champions1988, 1989, 2018
Clarence Schmalz CupsNone
OHA Cups1988, 1989

The Lambeth Lancers were a Junior ice hockey team based in Lambeth, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

History

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The Lambeth Lancers were founded in 1987 as members of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League. The Lancers were created in the tradition of the Lambeth Flyers who were members of the same league from 1968 until 1975.

In the 1988 playoffs, the Lancers won the Western league title in their first season. They challenged the Exeter Hawks of the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League in the final and defeated them 4-games-to-2 to win their first ever OHA Cup.

The next season, the Western and Southern Counties leagues merged to create a "super league". The Lancers won the league's championship by defeating the Lucan Irish 4-games-to-none to win their second straight OHA Cup.

In 1991, the Western Junior D league became the OHA Junior Development League.

In 2000, the Lambeth Lancers ceased operations due to financial problems. The team was put on the shelf and their rights were put on sale. After a year of waiting, the team was bought and resurrected by the Western Ontario Hockey League's London Nationals who were looking for a farm team.

2001 saw the resurrection and the Lancers and them making the playoffs in their first year, thanks to the likes of an offensive prowess in Jay Mocszelt and Josh Ryan who came over from the Port Stanley Lakers club. Mike Borrows and his brother Jeff (15 at the time) and a collection of other young talent being groomed for a transition to the Jr. B London Nationals team. Coach Dan Dolbear led the team during these years with few players that moved on to bigger and better things. Standouts included defenseman Brad Meagher, who led all defencemen in the league in points in his rookie season and logged a considerable amount of ice-time for the team. He went on to acquire the best defenseman trophy in the Yeck conference each year he played as well as leading defenseman scoring in those years. Jeff Borrows (5'8") went on to play Jr. B and then on to semi-pro in the US. Mike Borrows went on to become the GM of the London Nationals from 2013-2016, winning 2 Western Conference Championships and a Sutherland Cup. Notable team matchups during the 2001-2005 era were the Thamesford Trojans, Exeter Hawks, Mount Brydges Bulldogs and West Lorne (and former Port Stanley) Lakers.

The 2005-06 season saw the Lancers finish in ninth place overall. They entered the conference quarter-final against the North Middlesex Stars and were defeated 4-games-to-1.

The 2006–07 season ended with the Lancers finishing in fifth place overall in the league. The OHAJDL disbanded at the end of the 2005–06 season and was replaced by the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lancers drew the Mount Brydges Bulldogs. The Lancers defeated the Bulldogs 4-games-to-1 to advance to the conference semi-final. The second round of the playoffs pitted the Lancers against the red-hot Mitchell Hawks. The Hawks swept the Lancers 4-games-to-none and eventually went on to win the OHA Cup as SOJHL champions.

The 2010–2011 season was one of the worst in Lancers history. The Lancers ended the season with 16 winless games, two losses coming in overtime. The Lancers weren't expected to make any impact during the SOJHL playoffs. However, when facing the 2nd-place Exeter Hawks in the first round, the Lancers took part of SOJHL history by defeating the Hawks in 6 games in what would go down as one of the biggest upsets in the SOJHL playoffs. The "puck stopped there" as the Lancers went on to face the eventual OHA Jr. D champions, Thamseford Trojans, dropping 4 straight in the Conference Semi-final.

Season-by-season standings

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1987-88 39 24 8 7 - 248 143 55 1st of 6 South Div.
2nd of 11 WJDHL
Won League
Won OHA Cup, 4-2 (Hawks)
1988-89 35 25 7 3 - 215 112 53 1st of 6 Central Div.
3rd of 19 WJDHL
Won League, 4-0 (Irish)
1989-90 35 19 10 6 - 151 120 44 3rd of 6 Central Div.
7th of 18 WJDHL
1990-91 40 19 17 2 2 173 162 42 4th of 9 Western Div.
7th of 18 WJDHL
1991-92 40 19 17 4 0 175 184 42 5th of 9 Western Div.
9th of 17 OHAJDL
1992-93 40 17 20 2 1 211 202 37 5th of 9 Western Div.
10th of 18 OHAJDL
1993-94 40 20 15 5 - 179 177 45 5th of 9 Western Div.
9th of 18 OHAJDL
Won Div. QF, 4-3 (Hawks)
Won Div. SF, 4-3 (Hawks)
Lost Div. Final, 3-4 (Lakers)
1994-95 40 26 12 2 0 183 148 54 2nd of 9 Western Div.
3rd of 18 OHAJDL
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Lakers)
Lost Div. SF, 0-4 (Trojans)
1995-96 38 15 19 2 2 137 165 34 4th of 5 Thomas Div.
8th of 10 Yeck Conf.
12th of 18 OHAJDL
Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Lakers)
1996-97 38 12 19 3 4 133 172 31 4th of 5 Thomas Div.
9th of 10 Yeck Conf.
13th of 18 OHAJDL
1997-98 38 15 18 3 2 127 144 35 4th of 5 Thomas Div.
8th of 10 Yeck Conf.
13th of 18 OHAJDL
Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Lakers)
1998-99 40 14 19 6 1 139 173 35 5th of 5 Thomas Div.
7th of 10 Yeck Conf.
12th of 18 OHAJDL
1999-00 39 19 17 2 1 172 160 41 4th of 5 Thomas Div.
5th of 10 Yeck Conf.
8th of 18 OHAJDL
Lost Div. SF, 2-4 (Lakers)
2000-01 Did Not Participate
2001-02 40 22 17 1 0 180 170 45 4th of 5 Thomas Div.
5th of 9 Yeck Conf.
7th of 19 OHAJDL
Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Trojans)
2002-03 40 24 9 5 2 205 152 55 1st of 5 Thomas Div.
2nd of 9 Yeck Conf.
3rd of 19 OHAJDL
Won Div. SF, 4-1 (Bombers)
Lost Div. Final, 2-4 (Trojans)
2003-04 40 21 16 2 1 158 149 45 1st of 5 Thomas Div.
3rd of 9 Yeck Conf.
T-6th of 18 OHAJDL
Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Bulldogs)
Lost Div. Final, 2-4 (Lakers)
2004-05 40 24 11 2 3 189 135 53 1st of 5 Thomas Div.
2nd of 9 Yeck Conf.
5th of 18 OHAJDL
Lost Conf. QF, 3-4 (Lakers)
2005-06 37 20 12 5 0 174 142 45 2nd of 5 Thomas Div.
4th of 9 Yeck Div.
9th of 18 OHAJDL
Lost Conf. QF, 0-4 (Stars)
2006-07 40 22 12 0 6 192 144 50 1st of 5 Thomas Div.
3rd of 9 Yeck Conf.
6th of 17 SOJHL
Won Conf. QF, 4-1 (Bulldogs)
Lost Conf. SF, 0-4 (Hawks)
2007-08 40 20 17 - 3 182 147 43 3rd of 5 Thomas Div.
4th of 9 Yeck Conf.
9th of 17 SOJHL
Lost Conf. QF, 1-4 (Lakers)
2008-09 40 12 22 - 6 133 169 30 5th of 5 Yeck Div.
13th of 14 SOJHL
DNQ
2009-10 36 18 18 - 0 156 166 36 4th of 5 Yeck Div.
10th of 15 SOJHL
Lost Div. SF, 3-4 (Stars)
2010-11 36 7 26 - 3 120 187 17 7th of 7 Yeck Div.
14th of 15 SOJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Hawks)
Lost Div. SF, 0-4 (Trojans)
2011-12 36 26 9 - 1 174 124 53 2nd of 7 Yeck Div.
3rd of 15 SOJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-1 (Sailors)
Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Hawks)
Lost Div. Final, 0-4 (Trojans)
2012-13 37 29 5 - 3 187 93 61 1st Yeck Div.
1st SOJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Stars)
Won Div. SF, 4-0 (Trojans)
Won Div. Final, 4-3 (Dolphins)
Lost final, 0-4 (Centennials)
2013-14 40 31 8 - 1 193 91 63 1st of 9 SOJHL Won quarter-final, 4-0 (Bulldogs)
Won semi-final, 4-0 (Sailors)
Lost final, 0-4 (Dolphins)
2014-15 40 31 7 - 2 213 112 64 1st of 9 SOJHL Won quarter-final, 4-3 (Spitfires)
Lost semi-final, 1-4 (Dolphins)
2015-16 40 10 30 0 - 171 260 20 8th of 9 SOJHL Lost quarter-final, 0-4 (Dolphins)
2016-17 40 18 19 3 - 181 149 39 4th of 9
Yeck Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-3 (Bulldogs)
Lost Div. SF, 0-4 (Dolphins)
2017-18 39 34 5 0 0 218 89 68 1st of 9
Yeck Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Spitfires)
Won Div. SF, 4-1 (Stars)
Won Div. Final, 4-1 (Dolphins)
Won Conf. Final, 4-3 (Canadiens)
Lost semi-final, 2-4 (Rangers)
2018-19 40 25 12 1 2 176 121 53 3rd of 9
Yeck Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Irish)
Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Hawks)
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