The Lambeth Lancers were a Junior ice hockey team based in Lambeth, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.
| Lambeth Lancers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Lambeth, Ontario |
| League | Provincial Junior Hockey League |
| Division | Yeck |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Folded | 2019 |
| Home arena | Lambeth Arena |
| Colours | Blue, Red, and White |
| General manager | Tony Mandarelli(2015-16) |
| Head coach | Dylan Thomas (2017-18) |
| Affiliate | London Nationals (GOJHL) |
| Championships | |
| League champions | 1988, 1989, 2018 |
| Clarence Schmalz Cups | None |
| OHA Cups | 1988, 1989 |
History edit
The Lambeth Lancers were founded in 1987 as members of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League. The Lancers were created in the tradition of the Lambeth Flyers who were members of the same league from 1968 until 1975.
In the 1988 playoffs, the Lancers won the Western league title in their first season. They challenged the Exeter Hawks of the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League in the final and defeated them 4-games-to-2 to win their first ever OHA Cup.
The next season, the Western and Southern Counties leagues merged to create a "super league". The Lancers won the league's championship by defeating the Lucan Irish 4-games-to-none to win their second straight OHA Cup.
In 1991, the Western Junior D league became the OHA Junior Development League.
In 2000, the Lambeth Lancers ceased operations due to financial problems. The team was put on the shelf and their rights were put on sale. After a year of waiting, the team was bought and resurrected by the Western Ontario Hockey League's London Nationals who were looking for a farm team.
2001 saw the resurrection and the Lancers and them making the playoffs in their first year, thanks to the likes of an offensive prowess in Jay Mocszelt and Josh Ryan who came over from the Port Stanley Lakers club. Mike Borrows and his brother Jeff (15 at the time) and a collection of other young talent being groomed for a transition to the Jr. B London Nationals team. Coach Dan Dolbear led the team during these years with few players that moved on to bigger and better things. Standouts included defenseman Brad Meagher, who led all defencemen in the league in points in his rookie season and logged a considerable amount of ice-time for the team. He went on to acquire the best defenseman trophy in the Yeck conference each year he played as well as leading defenseman scoring in those years. Jeff Borrows (5'8") went on to play Jr. B and then on to semi-pro in the US. Mike Borrows went on to become the GM of the London Nationals from 2013-2016, winning 2 Western Conference Championships and a Sutherland Cup. Notable team matchups during the 2001-2005 era were the Thamesford Trojans, Exeter Hawks, Mount Brydges Bulldogs and West Lorne (and former Port Stanley) Lakers.
The 2005-06 season saw the Lancers finish in ninth place overall. They entered the conference quarter-final against the North Middlesex Stars and were defeated 4-games-to-1.
The 2006–07 season ended with the Lancers finishing in fifth place overall in the league. The OHAJDL disbanded at the end of the 2005–06 season and was replaced by the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lancers drew the Mount Brydges Bulldogs. The Lancers defeated the Bulldogs 4-games-to-1 to advance to the conference semi-final. The second round of the playoffs pitted the Lancers against the red-hot Mitchell Hawks. The Hawks swept the Lancers 4-games-to-none and eventually went on to win the OHA Cup as SOJHL champions.
The 2010–2011 season was one of the worst in Lancers history. The Lancers ended the season with 16 winless games, two losses coming in overtime. The Lancers weren't expected to make any impact during the SOJHL playoffs. However, when facing the 2nd-place Exeter Hawks in the first round, the Lancers took part of SOJHL history by defeating the Hawks in 6 games in what would go down as one of the biggest upsets in the SOJHL playoffs. The "puck stopped there" as the Lancers went on to face the eventual OHA Jr. D champions, Thamseford Trojans, dropping 4 straight in the Conference Semi-final.
Season-by-season standings edit
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs | |
| 1987-88 | 39 | 24 | 8 | 7 | - | 248 | 143 | 55 | 1st of 6 South Div. 2nd of 11 WJDHL |
Won League Won OHA Cup, 4-2 (Hawks) | |
| 1988-89 | 35 | 25 | 7 | 3 | - | 215 | 112 | 53 | 1st of 6 Central Div. 3rd of 19 WJDHL |
Won League, 4-0 (Irish) | |
| 1989-90 | 35 | 19 | 10 | 6 | - | 151 | 120 | 44 | 3rd of 6 Central Div. 7th of 18 WJDHL |
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| 1990-91 | 40 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 173 | 162 | 42 | 4th of 9 Western Div. 7th of 18 WJDHL |
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| 1991-92 | 40 | 19 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 175 | 184 | 42 | 5th of 9 Western Div. 9th of 17 OHAJDL |
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| 1992-93 | 40 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 211 | 202 | 37 | 5th of 9 Western Div. 10th of 18 OHAJDL |
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| 1993-94 | 40 | 20 | 15 | 5 | - | 179 | 177 | 45 | 5th of 9 Western Div. 9th of 18 OHAJDL |
Won Div. QF, 4-3 (Hawks) Won Div. SF, 4-3 (Hawks) Lost Div. Final, 3-4 (Lakers) | |
| 1994-95 | 40 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 183 | 148 | 54 | 2nd of 9 Western Div. 3rd of 18 OHAJDL |
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Lakers) Lost Div. SF, 0-4 (Trojans) | |
| 1995-96 | 38 | 15 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 137 | 165 | 34 | 4th of 5 Thomas Div. 8th of 10 Yeck Conf. 12th of 18 OHAJDL |
Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Lakers) | |
| 1996-97 | 38 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 133 | 172 | 31 | 4th of 5 Thomas Div. 9th of 10 Yeck Conf. 13th of 18 OHAJDL |
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| 1997-98 | 38 | 15 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 127 | 144 | 35 | 4th of 5 Thomas Div. 8th of 10 Yeck Conf. 13th of 18 OHAJDL |
Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Lakers) | |
| 1998-99 | 40 | 14 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 139 | 173 | 35 | 5th of 5 Thomas Div. 7th of 10 Yeck Conf. 12th of 18 OHAJDL |
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| 1999-00 | 39 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 172 | 160 | 41 | 4th of 5 Thomas Div. 5th of 10 Yeck Conf. 8th of 18 OHAJDL |
Lost Div. SF, 2-4 (Lakers) | |
| 2000-01 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 2001-02 | 40 | 22 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 180 | 170 | 45 | 4th of 5 Thomas Div. 5th of 9 Yeck Conf. 7th of 19 OHAJDL |
Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Trojans) | |
| 2002-03 | 40 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 205 | 152 | 55 | 1st of 5 Thomas Div. 2nd of 9 Yeck Conf. 3rd of 19 OHAJDL |
Won Div. SF, 4-1 (Bombers) Lost Div. Final, 2-4 (Trojans) | |
| 2003-04 | 40 | 21 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 158 | 149 | 45 | 1st of 5 Thomas Div. 3rd of 9 Yeck Conf. T-6th of 18 OHAJDL |
Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Bulldogs) Lost Div. Final, 2-4 (Lakers) | |
| 2004-05 | 40 | 24 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 189 | 135 | 53 | 1st of 5 Thomas Div. 2nd of 9 Yeck Conf. 5th of 18 OHAJDL |
Lost Conf. QF, 3-4 (Lakers) | |
| 2005-06 | 37 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 174 | 142 | 45 | 2nd of 5 Thomas Div. 4th of 9 Yeck Div. 9th of 18 OHAJDL |
Lost Conf. QF, 0-4 (Stars) | |
| 2006-07 | 40 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 192 | 144 | 50 | 1st of 5 Thomas Div. 3rd of 9 Yeck Conf. 6th of 17 SOJHL |
Won Conf. QF, 4-1 (Bulldogs) Lost Conf. SF, 0-4 (Hawks) | |
| 2007-08 | 40 | 20 | 17 | - | 3 | 182 | 147 | 43 | 3rd of 5 Thomas Div. 4th of 9 Yeck Conf. 9th of 17 SOJHL |
Lost Conf. QF, 1-4 (Lakers) | |
| 2008-09 | 40 | 12 | 22 | - | 6 | 133 | 169 | 30 | 5th of 5 Yeck Div. 13th of 14 SOJHL |
DNQ | |
| 2009-10 | 36 | 18 | 18 | - | 0 | 156 | 166 | 36 | 4th of 5 Yeck Div. 10th of 15 SOJHL |
Lost Div. SF, 3-4 (Stars) | |
| 2010-11 | 36 | 7 | 26 | - | 3 | 120 | 187 | 17 | 7th of 7 Yeck Div. 14th of 15 SOJHL |
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Hawks) Lost Div. SF, 0-4 (Trojans) | |
| 2011-12 | 36 | 26 | 9 | - | 1 | 174 | 124 | 53 | 2nd of 7 Yeck Div. 3rd of 15 SOJHL |
Won Div. QF, 4-1 (Sailors) Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Hawks) Lost Div. Final, 0-4 (Trojans) | |
| 2012-13 | 37 | 29 | 5 | - | 3 | 187 | 93 | 61 | 1st Yeck Div. 1st SOJHL |
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Stars) Won Div. SF, 4-0 (Trojans) Won Div. Final, 4-3 (Dolphins) Lost final, 0-4 (Centennials) | |
| 2013-14 | 40 | 31 | 8 | - | 1 | 193 | 91 | 63 | 1st of 9 SOJHL | Won quarter-final, 4-0 (Bulldogs) Won semi-final, 4-0 (Sailors) Lost final, 0-4 (Dolphins) | |
| 2014-15 | 40 | 31 | 7 | - | 2 | 213 | 112 | 64 | 1st of 9 SOJHL | Won quarter-final, 4-3 (Spitfires) Lost semi-final, 1-4 (Dolphins) | |
| 2015-16 | 40 | 10 | 30 | 0 | - | 171 | 260 | 20 | 8th of 9 SOJHL | Lost quarter-final, 0-4 (Dolphins) | |
| 2016-17 | 40 | 18 | 19 | 3 | - | 181 | 149 | 39 | 4th of 9 Yeck Div. PJHL |
Won Div. QF, 4-3 (Bulldogs) Lost Div. SF, 0-4 (Dolphins) | |
| 2017-18 | 39 | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 218 | 89 | 68 | 1st of 9 Yeck Div. PJHL |
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Spitfires) Won Div. SF, 4-1 (Stars) Won Div. Final, 4-1 (Dolphins) Won Conf. Final, 4-3 (Canadiens) Lost semi-final, 2-4 (Rangers) | |
| 2018-19 | 40 | 25 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 176 | 121 | 53 | 3rd of 9 Yeck Div. PJHL |
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Irish) Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Hawks) | |