He isn’t the first Dickson in the family household to earn a Mann Cup ring.
But Curtis Dickson’s achievement on Friday, where he and his Peterborough Lakers scooped up a 14-10 victory over the New Westminster Salmonbellies, involved the longer route.
The win wrapped up the national championship seres 4-2 for the Lakers, giving the franchise six Mann Cup titles in 14 years. The Port Coquitlam native also achieved what his father Derek did 36 years earlier, capturing a Mann Cup title with Queen’s Park Arena as the backdrop. Seven years before Curtis was born, his father did the exact same thing, only winning it with New West.
“I know how badly he wanted it and how badly I wanted it for him,” said Derek, a retired member of the New Westminster Police Department. “When he was little he’d hold the (Mann Cup) ring but after a while he wouldn’t touch it, maybe a superstitious thing. But we had it out (after Friday), so I guess it’s all OK now.”
Although the father’s playing career ended three years before Curtis was born – and saw two other unsuccessful battles for a Mann Cup, including a loss to Peterborough in 1982 in six games – there was no doubt the championship meant a lot to both.
“It’s extra special. My dad’s in the crowd and he won a Mann Cup back in ’81. He was texting me this morning and I think he may have been more nervous than I was,” Curtis said following Game 6.
For the six-foot-two righthander, beating the Western Lacrosse Association champion ’Bellies in six games was about perseverance and endurance, especially after the host team won the first two games.
“(New West) came ready to go right off the hop, obviously got a 2-0 lead but we knew we had to weather the storm,” said Dickson. “They’re not WLA champs for nothing. They’re a great team, and every game pretty much went down to the wire. We learned how we had to play after the first two games, and we were able to squeak four games in a row.”
The margin for Peterborough in their four consecutive wins seemed to grow as the squad became accustomed to New West’s game plan and adjusted to their surroundings – including the iconic wooden floor. Turning their situation around wasn’t easy, but followed a similar path that led them to a Major Series Lacrosse playoff crown a few weeks earlier.
“It was just getting into a flow, right, get in a rhythm and keep the momentum. We had lots of momentum after a couple of wins, getting the series even. We were able to roll off four straight, and it feels pretty sweet,” he said.
After New West won the first two games, the Lakers revived their playoff momentum – and a run that saw them go 17-1 in the regular season – with three victories in three nights. Dickson scored the game winner each time. That set the table for Game 6, where the ’Bellies were in must-win mode, and Peterborough was hungry to finish it.
When the series ended, the PoCo minor lacrosse product scored 14 times, tying New West’s Kevin Crowley for the most goals in the six-game series, and set up 13 others.
“It means the world to me. It’s unbelievable,” said Curtis, who as a junior call-up in 2007 played two games with the senior 'Bellies, scoring four times. “Especially (after losing) two years ago in Victoria. Going down 2-0, there was no doubt in our minds. We just plugged away and this is probably the greatest moment in my lacrosse career.”
It wasn’t the same route that Derek and the ’Bellies took in 1981, but the dominos fell the same way.
“We had a struggle (in 1981), there was some turmoil and I think a coaching change along the way, but we actually snuck into the playoffs, maybe in our last game,” he recalls of a team that finished 10-13-1 in the regular season. “In the playoffs we just caught lightning in a bottle. We had great goaltending, great leadership and I think we only lost once that whole playoff run. It was one of those rides you get and you just hold on.”
That ’Bellies lineup included Hall-of-Famers Dave Durante, Wayne Goss and goalie Rod Banister, and current WLA commissioner Paul Dalmonte. Dickson finished second in team scoring.
In the playoffs, they rolled with an 8-1 record to claim the provincial title, and swept Brampton 4-0 for the Mann Cup, bookmarked by a 24-10 capper at Queen's Park.
That was Goss' final season, and New West transitioned well in 1982 with the full-time addition of draftee Geordie Dean. This time, the 'Belles dominated en route to the Mann Cup championship, held in Peterborough that year.
But the Lakers would outlast the B.C. champs in a six-game series.
Those memories gave him a great appreciation for what the two teams this year endured.
“It’s the road to get there, that’s what is so difficult. It’s a real test of the players endurance, but to end the year as the only team with that win, it’s really special,” said Derek.
While Curtis’ plans for next year – and a possible return to the WLA, where Maple Ridge owns his rights – have yet been determined, Derek said he’s still a Salmonbellie at heart.
“We have a very strong alumni association. ... After it was over, I think someone asked me if I’d be back (supporting the team), and I kinda laughed. I support (New West), but family always comes first.”
