Buck Wins Back-to-Back-to-Back Championships

With the landscape of junior lacrosse evolving and the Canadian Lacrosse League providing new opportunities for players, so too comes a set of new milestones and records for players to reach and achieve. Tanner Buck (Orangeville, ON) has set a new bar.

Starting in 2017 with the Orangeville Northmen of the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League (OJBLL), Buck and his teammates captured the 2017 Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) Founders Cup Junior B National Championship. 

[Buck & 2017 CLA Founders Cup Champions Orangeville Northman OJBLL (Photo: Facebook)]

In 2018, Buck would play on both the Orangeville Northmen OJBLL and OJALL rosters. However, neither team advanced passed their respective Ontario league championships. This provided Buck an opportunity to join the 23 Man Final Roster of Canada for the 2018 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Championship. 

Coming off a supporting role in 2017, Buck came into his own during the 2018 season leading the Junior B Northmen in every offensive statistical category 35 Goals, 46 Assists, for 81 Points in 20 Regular Season Games.

Buck's game translated seamlessly into international competition for Canada where he lead the team to a Gold Medal World Junior Championship, scoring 6 Goals and adding 9 Assists for 15 Points in 3 Games. Buck also received All-World honours for his performance at Forward. 

[Buck & 2018 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Champions Canada (Photo: Dave Hiscock)]

For 2019, Buck made the jump full-time to the Junior A Northmen contributing to a profoundly deep roster poised to make a Minto Cup run; which they did. 

Buck played in 19 Game and scored 28 Goals, added 37 Assists, for 3rd in Regular Season scoring for the Northmen. In the OJALL Playoffs, Buck played in 10 Games, scored 4 Goals, and added 19 Assists good for 5th in Playoff scoring for the 'Horn Heads'.

Closing out 2019, Buck continued to add depth to a bolstered Northmen offence in 2 Games of the Minto Cup and scored 1 Goal and added 3 Assists. The Northmen dominated the 2019 CLA Minto Cup going undefeated in 6 Games to capture the Junior A National Championship.  

[Buck & 2019 CLA Minto Cup Champions Orangeville Northman OJALL (Photo: Facebook)]

Buck's impressive three (3) year run has set a new milestone for junior players to chase; the Junior trifecta. He is the first and only junior player to win a Founders Cup, World Junior Lacrosse Championship, and Minto Cup in back-to-back-to-back years.

Below is a list of other Canada players who have won notable championships either consecutively or over the course of their junior career while still being junior eligible:

Tanner Buck - 2017 Founders, 2018 WJLC, 2019 Minto
Landon Kells - 2018 Founders, 2019 WJLC, 2019 Mann*
Nikolai Farrus - 2015 WJLC, 2016 Baggataway^, 2017 Baggataway^, 2017 Founders
Christian del Bianco - 2015 WJLC, 2016 Minto, 2018 Minto 

*Edited: Senior Championship won as an Affiliated-Player (AP)
^Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) Baggataway Cup