The Orillia Mister Transmission Kings had their season come to an end on Saturday night at the hands of the Orangeville Northmen.
In Game 4 of the Ontario Lacrosse Association, the Jr. B Kings lost 12-10 at Rotary Place in West Orillia. While the Kings played the Northmen tough all series long, they ultimately fell three games to one.
For goaltender Quinton Greenfield, Saturday marked his final game of junior lacrosse. He played all five seasons for Orillia.
"Obviously it sucks," he said. "While this is the end of my time in Orillia, we came a long way and started to build a winning culture."
Greenfield says he's proud of how the Kings played this year and he hopes the team left their mark on lacrosse in Orillia for years to come.
"The fan support and the amount of kids that have been coming out to our games has been amazing," he said. "I hope we've impacted how lacrosse is viewed in the community."
Before this season, the Kings hadn't won a playoff series since 1997 when they won the Ontario Lacrosse Association Jr. B Eastern conference.
"It was definitely a successful season for the organization and the future of our program," Greenfield said. "There is a lot of youth coming up through the system. As long as we have the same support from the community, the executive, and the staff, there is no reason Orillia won't compete for a Founders Cup in the future."
Greenfield, a Bracebridge native, is credited by his coaches and players for being one of the Kings' key players during the playoff run. He finished the postseason with a 4-3 record despite facing the fourth most shots on goal among goalies in the league.
"I take a tremendous amount of pride in my play and contributing to the success of the team," he said. "It's rewarding to know that my efforts are recognized by my peers and teammates."
Greenfield encourages the next wave of Kings to "trust the process."
"There is a really good framework right now with the team, coaching staff, and executive," he said. "I think reaching the next level is just a matter of everyone buying in."
Scott Balkwill played with the Kings from 1992 to 1997 and won two Founders Cups with the team in 1994 and 1995. He is now the assistant general manager. He says he is proud of this year's team and their accomplishments.
"It was a great season," he said. "I'm super proud of the players as a part of the organization but also as an alumnus."
Balkwill says it was "fun" watching the team grow and mature together over the spring before "putting it all together" for the first deep playoff run in over two decades.
"There were a lot of different people contributing," he said. "It wasn't just one or two goal scorers. They work together as a team and took pride in what they were doing."
Looking ahead to the future, Balkwill says the Kings are hungry for more.
"The kids got a taste of what it's like to play meaningful lacrosse in the summer," he said. "We had a tremendous amount of support from our fans and sponsors. There were lots of kids in the stands at our home games and even travelling down to support the team in Orangeville."
While some of the Kings' best players, such as Greenfield, are aging out of the program, Balkwill says some talented young players from Orillia's U17 team are waiting in the wings.
"We've also had players from out of the area express interest in wanting to be a part of our program moving forward," he said. "The character of the kids we have continuing with us is also what is going to make a huge difference moving forward."
Balkwill thanks President Rich and Vice President Dave Marwick for helping to make the 2024 campaign a success.
"I think that their efforts over the past few years have contributed to where we are now," he said. "They do a lot, and I don't think we'd be anywhere near where we are without them."
Balkwill also thanks social media director Lauren Young, the scorekeepers, gatekeepers, 50/50 organizers, and the fans for their efforts and support this season.
"It takes a ton of people to run a successful program," he said. "We are very lucky, this is definitely a lacrosse town, and we appreciate all the support that everyone has given us."
