As summer lacrosse nears the halfway point across the country, it is a good time to check in on the data we have. Both at the team and individual level, the standout performances are beginning to stand out.
Obviously there are differences in the strength of schedule across the three provinces, and readers may notice that there are more Ontario players near the top of the standings. This is reflective of the depth of talent in the OJLL this year, and the generally higher scores we have seen throughout the Ontario season.
Likewise, the RMLL often has goals with only one assist. Obviously these goals can occur, but it seems unlikely that they would have as many unassisted and one-assist goals as they do, suggesting a difference in stat-keeping. The RMLL players are well below the Ontario ones in most categories, and the relative lack of second assists could be why.
Starting on the team level, the Beaches have been the story of the season as they remain undefeated. But out west, Coquitlam has arguably been more dominant. With just one loss, the Adanacs lead the country in both goals for per game, and goals against.
As you can see below, Beaches is right behind them in both categories. This chart should be read from left to right. Low left is bad (low goals for and high goals against) and top right is good (high goals for and low goals against).
While much of the attention has been on the offensive play of Willem Firth, Finn Thomson, and Joe Spallina out east, it can be argued that Jack Kask has been the player of the year in Canada. His goals against average has frankly been absurd, and Coquitlam has been running teams out of the building. Speaking of their building, the Palace on Poirier will host the 2024 Minto Cup, so the Adanacs are loaded up for a deep run.
On the player level, let’s begin first with the raw numbers. Again, the scoring is higher in Ontario and OJLL players dominate most of these metrics. What sticks out is the incredible advantage that Firth has in the goal-scoring category. He has truly been remarkable this season.
Readers should hover over the individual data points to see the players making the biggest difference this year.
On a province by province basis, the charts look like this. Lukas Nielsen is leading in goals in the BCJALL while Jack Royer and Max Janousek have been the best players in the RMLL.
Moving to the per game averages, the biggest difference is the play of Joe Spallina. Having missed a few games in his return from the NCAA and then a few more recently, Spallina trails the other top scorers in raw numbers. On a per game basis, he has been the best assist man in the country. In case you have been living under a rock, Spallina is American. This is a remarkable accomplishment for a player who didn’t grow up with box lacrosse.
The other notable player on here is Will Macleod, who has carried a ridiculous load for the Burlington Blaze this year. He has been one of the best players in the country, which is specifically tied to his ability to set other players up.
The OJLL will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to league awards. There are two all-star teams in the OJLL with three forwards each. There are seven elite scorers, with Firth, Thomson, Spallina, Liam Matthews, Macleod, Greg Palmer, and Matt Collison. Someone will be left off the list.
That’s all for today, stay tuned for more coverage all summer long from throughout the OJLL and Lacrosse Canada.
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