Okanagan senior lacrosse bragging rights are on the line between two longtime rivals when the Thompson Okanagan League91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s best-of-three Rowcliffe Cup championship series kicks off Friday, June 23.
The regular-season and defending Cup champion Kelowna Raiders host the Armstrong Shamrocks in Game 1 at the Rutland Arena. Face-off is 7:30 p.m.
Game 2 will be Tuesday, June 27, at Armstrong91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Nor-Val Sports Centre at 7:30 p.m. If a third and deciding game is needed, it would be played Friday, July 7, in Rutland.
The Raiders are undefeated in 2023 heading into the final. Both teams are coming off semifinal sweeps, Kelowna dispatching the Vernon Tigers while the Shamrocks took care of the Kamloops Rattlers.
The Rattlers are the last team to have defeated Kelowna, doing so in the 2022 Rowcliffe Cup series, which the Raiders won 2-1.
The Shamrocks had won five straight Cup titles from 2015-2019 before being stopped in the 2022 semifinals. The Cup was not presented in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.
The Raiders are seeking a 10th title since 2006 in their 13th league final appearance. It91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s the Shamrocks91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™ 14th trip to the final since 2001.
Armstrong defeated Kelowna in three straight Rowcliffe Cup finals from 2015-17.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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