The First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY will host the Fifth Annual Bowhunter Cup on Saturday, October 4th at 7:30 p.m. The Iroquois Nationals will play the United States in the international exhibition game, which is being presented by Arrow Express Sports. The $20 general admission tickets will go on sale at the First Niagara Center and online at www.firstniagaracenter.com on Monday, September 8th.
“It’s nice to have the Bowhunter Cup every year and get our players together again,” said Iroquois Nationals General Manager Gewas Schindler. “We are very happy to be back and be a part of it.”
The Iroquois team will include players who recently won the bronze medal at the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship in Denver. The list of potential Iroquois players may include Cody Jamieson, Sid Smith, Craig Point, Jeff Shattler, Tom Montour, Alex “Kedoh” Hill, Roger Vyse, and Miles, Ty, Jeremy and Jerome “Hiana” Thompson. The American roster will be announced at a later date.
“We have some momentum. We have a great group of nice young talent to look at,” said Schindler. “We have a lot of veterans that are going to fill spots with professional players, but a lot of youngsters to add. We are excited to get them together as much as possible in the next year.”
The game is a prelude to the 2015 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, which the Iroquois Nationals will host for the first time in the tournament’s history. The 2015 event will take place at Tsha’Hon’nonyen’dakhwa’ Onondaga Nation Arena near Syracuse and at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo in September of 2015.
“Now that Denver is over, we really have to get ready for the World Indoors and hosting for the first time ever, which is huge for all our people and our confederacy,” said Schindler.
“Any time you can get on the floor with the best Native talent is special,” said Jamieson. “It’s something I really look forward to.”
The Bowhunter Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the game between the United States and the Iroquois Nationals, is named for the sons of Rochester Knighthawks Owner and General Manager Curt Styres, Wake:Riat Bowhunter and Rato:Rats Bowhunter. The game has special meaning for Jamieson, who has played in the previous four events named after his cousins.
“It’s great what they do for the game of lacrosse,” he said. “They give up a lot of their free time and try to take lacrosse one step further than it already is.”
The Iroquois Nationals are 6-1 all-time against the United States in indoor competition and have won the past three Bowhunter Cups. In last year’s game, the Iroquois defeated the USA Developmental Team at Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Six Nations.
