The dynasty will continue, at least for another year.
The Airdrie Mohawks senior C men's lacrosse team secured their fifth consecutive Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL) championship on July 24, beating the Edmonton Warriors 14-5 to achieve yet another provincial banner.
After topping the RMLL's Senior C south division with an 11-1 record during the regular season, the Mohawks advanced to the championship round by sweeping the Olds Stingers in a best-of-three series to open the RMLL senior C playoffs. Airdrie kept the unbeaten post-season run going against the Warriors, downing the Edmontonians in two straight games – 11-5 on July 23 and 14-5 the following day.
Playing in front of their friends and family on July 24 at the Plainsmen Arena, the Mohawks were leading by nine goals late in the third period, when the game was called in the final five minutes due to safety issues pertaining to the arena floor.
Thanks to a roster boasting plenty of experience and camaraderie, the Mohawks have won the RMLL title every year since 2016. (the RMLL season was called off in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In addition to their provincial titles, the Airdrie team went unbeaten in league play for just under seven years, finally losing for the first time to the Olds Stingers earlier this summer. The loss brought to an end an 80-game win streak the Mohawks had enjoyed.
Knights swept by Miners
In the RMLL's senior B division, the Rockyview Knights saw their playoff run end earlier than hoped.
Having ended the season as the fourth seed in the five-team league with a 4-8 record, the Airdrie-based men's team was paired with the first-place St. Albert Miners to open the post-season.
In a best-of-five series that began July 20, the Miners proved too much to handle for Rockyview, sweeping the Knights in three games to clinch the series and move onto the league finals.
St. Albert outscored Rockyview 44-16 across the three games, which culminated by beating the Airdronians 19-4 in St. Albert on July 23 to end the visitors' 2022 campaign on a disappointing note. The other games ended 11-6 and 14-6 in favour of the Miners, who are a perennial title challenger in senior B lacrosse, both in Alberta and nationally.
After beating the Knights, the Miners will go on to face the Calgary Mountaineers in the RMLL finals. The series gets underway Aug. 6.
