Six Nations Chiefs’ Mann Cup championship ‘one for the reminiscence guide’

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Six Nations Chiefs assistant coach, normal supervisor and president Duane ‘Dewey’ Jacobs has gained the Mann Cup Canadian senior males’s lacrosse championship 9 instances.

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The group’s most up-to-date championship, captured on the weekend when the Chiefs defeated the New Westminster Salmonbellies 4-3 within the best-of-seven closing in British Columbia, feels simply nearly as good because the others.

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“This one was undoubtedly proper up there,” stated Jacobs, who gained three championships with the Chiefs as an assistant captain from 1994-96.

“The first one as a participant was fairly particular however this one, it’s going to be a memorable one. Going to seven video games on the highway in a hostile atmosphere, it was one for the reminiscence guide, for certain.”

Six Nations headed into the 2025 Major Series Lacrosse season in search of a pair of threepeats. The Chiefs had gained the previous two MSL and Mann Cups however that they had some work to do on their lineup.

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Although they had been proud of their steadiness, depth and goaltending, the group did lose a boatload of scoring after Austin Staats and Eli McLaughlin didn’t return. However, they stuffed these holes with Josh Byrne and Dawson Theede and the Chiefs went 24-3 on their method to successful the MSL championship.

“We didn’t have our full lineup till Game 16,” Jacobs defined.

“We felt fairly good about issues after the playoffs and Ontario closing. We gave the impression to be actually jelling and hitting our stride however we form of limped into the Mann Cup.”

Six Nations had a number of gamers injured to begin the Mann Cup championship and the Salmonbellies took benefit by leaping right into a 2-0 collection lead. Despite trailing, Jacobs stated morale didn’t dip.

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“We felt assured in our guys,” he stated.

“I felt like after Game 2, we received a day without work and received the remaining the gamers wanted. I felt they had been actually contemporary within the morning shoot across the day of Game 3.

“I believed they had been going to give you their finest sport and that’s precisely what they did.”

Six Nations would win Game 3 by a snug rating of 19-9. But on the ground and within the stands, the whole lot was removed from comfy.

There had been a number of fights amongst spectators after the sport and Jacobs stated the motion on the ground was heated as effectively.

“I’d say it was fairly intense,” he stated. “It was a conflict on the market, mainly.”

By the tip of the collection, the groups had mixed for 472 minutes in penalties, a mean of 67 minutes per sport.

New Westminster additionally drew the ire of Six Nations in Game 4 – a 10-3 Chiefs win – when it requested an gear verify on their goaltender, Doug Jamieson.

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“You know, when you’re going to beat us, you’re going to must beat us on the scoreboard,” stated Jacobs.

The Chiefs fell behind within the collection 3-2 and with out injured superstars Randy Staats and Byrne for Games 6 and seven, the group may have folded.

However, Six Nations dug down deep and scored wins of 10-6 in Game 6 and 12-7 in Game 7 to safe the championship.

“We simply actually confirmed how nice this group was,” Jacobs stated.

The loss means the Salmonbellies, who personal probably the most Mann Cups with 24, nonetheless haven’t gained the nationwide championship since 1991. The Chiefs at the moment are an ideal 9-0 in Mann Cup championships.

Jacobs has now been a part of two Mann Cup threepeats. Only two groups in historical past – each from Peterborough – have gained 4 in a row and Jacobs stated it’s too early to begin interested by matching that document.

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“We’re going to savour this one after which we’ll get collectively in a month or so and speak about subsequent season,” he stated. “We actually need to take a while to decompress.”

Jacobs praised coach John Tavares for being masterful at making in-game changes and speaking with gamers and in addition stated it was a fantastic win for the Six Nations neighborhood.

“We had nice assist this 12 months, as all the time,” he stated. “We have a fantastic following. We’re grateful and grateful for that.

“It means so much for everybody to have the ability to symbolize the group and the neighborhood on a nationwide stage.”

Jacobs has clearly been round a whole lot of lacrosse in his lifetime and he places the 2025 Chiefs among the many finest groups Six Nations has produced.

“This is a superb group, perhaps top-of-the-line in all-time franchise historical past,” he stated.

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