Akwesasne Bucks Taking a Year Off; Muskies and Redmen Will Play as Planned

By Andy Gardner.

AKWESASNE – The Akwesasne Bucks are taking a one-year hiatus from the Three Nations Senior B Lacrosse League. The Snake Island Muskies and Cornwall Island Redmen will play the season as expected alongside leaguemates Capital Region Axemen.

The teams will play each other four times and also play a quartet of games against the Kahnawake Mohawks to form a 12-game regular season.

Snake Island aims to defend their championship title this year, hosting all their home games at the Cornwall Civic Complex. They're bolstering their roster by acquiring several players from the Akwesasne Bucks. Meanwhile, the Redmen will be playing their home games at the Anowarakowa Arena.

The Bucks, despite clinching silver medals in consecutive Presidents Cup tournaments in 2019 and 2022 as part of the Can Am league, transitioned to the TNSLL last season. Their journey culminated in a hard-fought seven-game championship series loss against the Snake Island Muskies.

Taking a one-year break, Akwesasne has released their players to join other teams for the summer season.

The Muskies kicked off the Three Nations schedule with a decisive 15-8 victory against the Axemen in Ottawa on May 25. The Axemen are eager to bounce back, especially with four consecutive games in the season's opening stretch, including a rematch against the Muskies on June 1 in Cornwall.

Kahnawake remains the sole representative in the Quebec Senior B league, earning an automatic bid to the Presidents Cup. Despite some new faces, familiar figures like Greg Horn and Jamie Batley, with Andrew Suitor now serving as assistant coach, are leading the charge.

The Can Am league has expanded with the addition of Grand River, now boasting six teams. Teams will engage in a home-and-home double round-robin format, totaling 10 games. The season commenced with a thrilling 9-8 victory for the Newtown Golden Eagles over the Allegheny Arrows on April 27. Since then, the Arrows have surged, leading the standings with a 4-1 record.

The defending champion Tuscarora Tomahawks have encountered a slow start, suffering three consecutive losses while being outscored 33-11. However, with returning players and playoffs on the horizon, they aim to replicate their 2023 playoff success.

The remainder of the league sees Newtown, Grand River, the Tonawanda Braves, and the Onondaga Redhawks all tied at 2-2, setting the stage for a competitive season.