Century 21 Lakers and general manager Paul Day are excited to announce the new coaching staff for this season’s senior lacrosse team. The GM, head coach and one of the assistants are presently with the National Lacrosse League’s champion Rochester Knighthawks. The new coaching staff, two of them former Lakers, has 11 Major Series Lacrosse Mann Cup wins and a dozen National Lacrosse League championships among them.
HEAD COACH
Mike Hasen is the head coach of the National Lacrosse League champion Rochester Knighthawks and former NLL Coach of the Year. He has a long history in lacrosse as player and coach.
He has been the Knighthawks’ head coach for the last three championship teams.
Lakers’ fans will remember him as the 2011 Mann Cup head coach of Lakers’ rival Brampton Excelsiors. He also served as assistant coach with two more Mann Cups in Brampton. He won two Mann Cups as a player with Brampton and two NLL cups as a player with Buffalo and Rochester. He played 12 seasons in the NLL; nine seasons with Rochester in the NLL from 1999-2007 with five of those as team captain. As head coach at Rochester his players have included many in the major series lacrosse loop including Lakers’ Brad and Scott Self, Cory Viteralli and Aaron Wilson. His assistant has been new Lakers GM Day who will step away from the bench this summer to concentrate on Lakers’ GM duties.
This year Hasen is also the head coach of England’s entry in the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. He is the brother in law of former Lakers’ goalie great Pat O’Toole.
ASSISTANT COACHES
Former Lakers’ Mike Accursi is returning to Peterborough. He ended his playing career in the NLL in 2014 with the Rochester Knighthawks but joined the team in the front office after a five time NLL champion career, four cups with Rochester and one with Buffalo. He played 16 seasons in the NLL. Mike, a teacher in St. Catharines, joined the Lakers in 2004 in mid season and helped the Lakers win their first Mann Cup in 20 years. He also won a Mann Cup with Brampton. He has played with Syracuse and Edmonton in the NLL as well as Brooklin and St. Regis in the MSL. He played for the Lakers in 2004, parts of 2005 and 2006. From 2008 to 2011 he was the Junior A St. Catharines offensive coach. He has been an assistant coach with Brock University men’s field lacrosse team and head coach of its women’s field lacrosse team.
Tracey Kelusky
Peterborough’s Tracey Kelusky retired from the Peterborough Lakers in 2014 after an outstanding career. Just like GM Day he is a product of the Peterborough minor lacrosse system. As a player he won four Mann Cups, two NLL championships, two world Indoor championships. Tracey didn’t stay out of lacrosse long becoming an assistant coach in the NLL and with the Peterborough Junior Lakers which he also helped coach while playing for the Senior Lakers. He is helping coach Team Finland in the world championships this fall. He helped found Evolve Elite Lacrosse, an international lacrosse company. He was the 2001 NLL Rookie of the Year and continued his career in the NLL and with the Lakers as a highflying forward and consummate team player.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Bob Keast: Peterborough native and long time Lakers’ assistant coach Bob Keast who has also played with The Lakers will stay with the team and take on a new role in player development with Day. Keast has also been an assistant coach in the NLL on several teams. Another product of the Peterborough minor lacrosse system he played on three Minto Cup national junior championships for Peterborough and won numerous Mann Cups while assisting the Lakers.
