The 2024 Minto Cup kicks off on Saturday when the Port Coquitlam Saints take on the Orangeville Northmen.
The Coquitlam Adanacs and Calgary Raiders fill out the tournament field, in what looks to be one of the more competitive tournaments in recent memory. To kick off LCD’s Minto Cup Coverage, I wanted to highlight ten players that fans need to know ahead of the tournament.
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Silas Richmond
It’s been a heck of a year for Silas Richmond, who was one of the highest scoring Canadians in the NCAA this season. I wrote about him back in April, and he only continued to thrive after that. He led Albany to the NCAA tournament and to a (surprisingly close to some observers) first round loss to Notre Dame.
Back in the box for the summer, Richmond was a trade deadline acquisition (a theme both of this article and of the tournament in general this year), and has been outstanding for the Saints. He led the BCJALL playoffs in scoring with 33 points in just 7 games.
The key for Richmond is his explosive scoring ability, which allows him to really go off in certain games. In his seven playoff outings, Richmond scored 5 goals twice, and had another 4 goal effort. Entering as the underdog, the Saints will need more of these explosive games.
Caelan Mander
Mander is one of two Saints defenders who have already played in the NLL. He competed in three games this year for the Halifax Thunderbirds and brings that experience back to his Saints teammates.
A legitimate transition threat, Mander scored 7 goals and 3 assists this year out of the defensive door. He didn’t score in the playoffs, but look for him to make a significant impact in what looks to be a relatively low-scoring tournament. He will be key in keeping goals out, but could help score them as well.
Austin Owens of the Thunderbirds wrote a good story about Mander, which can be found here.
Brayden Laity
By my count, Laity is the only other Minto participant with NLL experience. He played in every game last season for the hometown Vancouver Warriors, scoring a goal and 5 assists. Here is a look at the goal.
The 6’3 defender will be a part of a stout defensive group for the Saints. Lindsey Horsting of the Vancouver Warriors wrote a good piece about Laity as well, which can be found here.
Cody Malawsky
Another trade deadline acquisition, Malawsky is making it an annual tradition to play the Minto Cup with the Adanacs. He came over from the Langley Thunder after playing the Minto last season with Coquitlam, where he finished second in tournament scoring with 28 points in just 6 games.
Malawsky led the Adanacs through the BCJALL playoffs this year, with 12 goals and 13 assists in 7 playoff games. He will lead a balanced Coquitlam attack that will need to keep up, particularly with the high-scoring Orangeville Northmen.
Malawsky added 22 goals and 10 assists this year at Denver, and will join a very small group of players to compete in a final four and Minto Cup during the same year. This year, he will look to join some other Denver legends in leading Coquitlam to a Minto Cup.
He’s already doing a good impression of one of them.
Ty Banks
One of the best freshmen defenders in the entire NCAA last season, Banks is the Captain of the Adanacs and the leader of a defence that posted two shutouts this season (including one in the playoffs).
In the box, he’s a threat to score out of the back door. He scored 5 goals and 5 assists in 7 playoff games, including 4 goals in the three-game final series against the Saints.
On the field, Banks was a top 15 recruit, and was a key contributor to Georgetown’s early-season upset of Notre Dame. They were the only team to beat the Irish this year. He was also named to the All Big-East Conference team, an impressive accomplishment in a loaded defensive conference.
A righty, Coquitlam will have some decisions to make about how to best use him. Silas Richmond and Orangeville’s Joey Spallina are right-handed players, who are traditionally best covered by left-handed defenders. Will Coquitlam try to let Banks play on his off-side? Or will they try to win matchups against lefty forwards.
That’s an interesting sub-plot to watch.
Joey Spallina
Those who have been following LCD’s coverage will know that we have written extensively about Spallina this summer. His 40 goals in the playoffs are the second most in a single playoff run since 2008, when Cody Jamieson scored 46 goals for the Six Nations Arrows (Jamieson played in 5 more games).
Read more about that run here.
Spallina will now look to become one of a small number of Americans to win the Minto Cup. Regardless of the result this week however, his OJLL regular season and playoffs have to be considered the greatest season ever by an American player in Jr. A lacrosse.
Trey Deere and Liam Matthews
I am cheating a bit here by including both lefties, but their chemistry is one of the reasons for the Northmen success this season. Matthews is one of the quickest players in the game, and is the primary ball carrier in the two-man actions. Deere is one of the most creative players in recent memory, but combines that with an impressive willingness to do the little things.
Check out Matthews work here.
And Deere’s two appearances in the top ten goals of the OJLL playoffs here.
Jack Kask and Connor O’Toole
Again I am cheating here and going over the ten player exercise, but these goaltenders are certainly facing some big expectations.
Kask was in the goal for two shutouts this season, a remarkable feat that is made more impressive by the fact that one of them came in the playoffs. He posted a 6.05 GAA in the regular season and a 6.18 GAA in the playoffs. He has not allowed 10 goals in a single contest all season.
Meanwhile O’Toole was cruising in the OJLL playoffs before being tested by the Mimico Mountaineers in a seven game final series. He was good throughout the series, and may have the only accomplishment as rare as a playoff shutout. He scored a playoff goal.
O’Toole is familiar with Vancouver, as he was a Warriors draft pick and spent last season on the practice roster. Kask plays field lacrosse at Marquette and will wait a few years to join the pro ranks.
Both goaltenders fill massive shoes, taking over the goaltender position in both Coquitlam and Orangeville. Both will look to join their predecessors at the position as Minto legends.
Cash Frijters
The youngest player on the list, Frijters is listed at just 16 years old, but played above his age. His 34 assists led the RMLL in the playoffs, and he tied for the playoff lead in points with 45.
Frijters is a right-handed forward, and will face his toughest challenge of his young career against a slew of tough defences.
He was interviewed after the RMLL finals, find that interview below.
Dylan Belliveau
Frijters is the right-handed feeder and Belliveau is the lefty hammer. He led the RMLL in goal scoring during the playoffs with 19 goals, and tied Frijters and his 45 points.
Belliveau is another young player, who still competes at the Christchurch School in Virginia.
The Raiders rode the one-two punch of Belliveau and Frijters to and RMLL title and the Minto Cup. Their path to success at the tournament likely depends on the same thing.
Check back tomorrow for a full preview of the tournament, including quotes from today’s press conference.
And make sure to subscribe to LCD’s newsletter, which will revert to daily sends for the duration of the tournament.