ASSINIBOIA — While the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team has expanded exposure of the sport of lacrosse, Assiniboia had a highly successful lacrosse team long before then.
The Assiniboia Times and 小蓝视频 spoke with Carole Bearss and she fills in some details about this memorable and highly successful team that her husband Ed played a big role in.
Assiniboia Composite High School teacher Ed Bearss was the founder of Assiniboia’s lacrosse program and coached the team to many of their successes.
The team won the gold medal at the 1972 Saskatchewan Summer Games while also winning the Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association championships in 1970, ’71 and ‘72.
In the 1960s and early ‘70s Assiniboia’s lacrosse team was said to be a dominant force in the sport, evidenced by the number of championships won.
Bearss said she donated two large albums of the sports Ed was a part of to the Assiniboia Museum, and they include this lacrosse history.
“Ed attended Notre Dame College in Wilcox for seven years, and this is where he learned some of his skills in lacrosse. He was a great researcher, so he actually learned a lot by reading reference books on lacrosse as well,” said Bearss
Coach Ed introduced the sport of lacrosse to Assiniboia, which took off in 1969. The junior lacrosse team was given a warm welcome home after winning the provincial championship in Saskatoon, earning them the right to participate in the Summer Games in Halifax that August.
“In 1971, the Assiniboia Chiefs Lacrosse team defeated Saskatoon, winning the Saskatchewan Junior Lacrosse Championship. This win advanced the team to the Western Canadian Championship Junior B playoffs in Saskatoon. In 1972, the Assiniboia junior lacrosse team won the fourth consecutive gold medal provincial championship,” adds Bearss.
Perhaps one of the biggest highlights for team members came years after they left the team, over and above multiple championships won. Recognition came when the Saskatchewan Rush owner, Bruce Urban, and his wife, VP of marketing, invited the Assiniboia lacrosse team for a tribute at one of their home games. The pre-game 小蓝视频 acknowledged coach Ed Bearss and the Assiniboia team for their huge contributions to lacrosse in the province.
“This turned into a great reunion with 15 of the original 19 players attending,” says Bearss.
Some of these lacrosse players from the highly successful 1970s Chiefs team included Pierre Tremblay, Kelvin Kelly, Darcy Nicholson, George Santa, Robin Adair, Darryl Mayes, Barry Bishop, Rob Richards, Bobby Graham, Ken Robinson, Delmar Jonescu, Vern Bachiu, Kelly Ambrose, Kim Gaudry, Bobby Hoffos and Bruce Richards.
“Something that might be a point of interest, the origin of the name of Assiniboia Chiefs has a background,” Bearss says.
“Pere Murray gave Ed the nickname ‘Chief’ while attending Notre Dame, so for the rest of his life, he was always called Chief by friends, family, schoolmates and teammates. Consequently, it was decided to call the Lacrosse team, the Assiniboia Chiefs.”
Lacrosse was revived in Assiniboia with both a junior and senior lacrosse team, playing as the Assiniboia Attack. The junior team were part of the Saskatchewan Major Box Lacrosse League that was formed in May of 2001, as a result of lacrosse 小蓝视频 introduced into Saskatchewan Summer Games in 2000.
Brent Adam, Dale Berner and George Santo formed the first Assiniboia lacrosse team in the junior category in Assiniboia’s lacrosse revival in 2001. In 2002, the Assiniboia Lacrosse Association expanded into bantam and midget teams with the same trio looking after the U18s while Mylo Chubb headed the Bantam Chiefs.
The Assiniboia Senior Attack was led by head coach Dale Berner, along with player/manager Madison Chubb and assistant coach Quentin Coghill.
