Feb 04, 2010 - 02:37 PM

By Shawn Cayley

The road to the Mann Cup for Major Series Lacrosse teams will go through Peterborough and Brampton in 2010.

But it's not as though that is anything new in this seemingly two-team league.

The Peterborough Lakers and Brampton Excelsiors, both backed by solid, star-laden rosters and owners willing to spend a dime or two, have been the cream of the crop in this league going on eight seasons now.

Every year since 2003, the two powerhouses have met in the MSL final, Peterborough winning four times to Brampton's three with five Mann Cup championships to share between them.

On the heels of the Lakers adding the likes of Mark Steenhuis, John Tavares, Steve Toll and Pat McCready during the dispersal of the St. Regis Indians to a roster already boasting stars John Grant Jr., Tracy Kelusky and Shawn Evans among others, it's hard to believe anyone is going to threaten the Lakers in 2010.

While the Six Nations Chiefs have been mentioned as possible contenders this season, history suggests it will the be Excelsiors, if anyone, that try to give the Lakers a run for their money. Need proof? You'd have to go back to 1995 to find the last time Brampton didn't reach the league final.

The Brooklin Redmen, meanwhile, were once a team of that ilk. A league powerhouse that floored the best roster it could and challenged for league and Mann Cup titles.

It's been a while though.

Brooklin's last winning season came in 2004 when it finished 13-5 before being swept in the semifinal, by, you guessed it, the Brampton Excelsiors. The three years prior, the Redmen reached the MSL final, facing Brampton each time, losing twice, winning once and going on to capture the 2000 Mann Cup.

It's been a long 10 years since that team brought the coveted Canadian championship to town on the backs of Shawn Williams, Gavin Prout, Nick Trudeau and Rob Blasdell, among others.

With all due respect to the current players expected to form the roster this season, Derek Hopcroft, Steve Hutchins, Kyle Buchanan and Mike Miron aren't likely to form the nucleus of a 10th anniversary title-winning team.

And certainly not while Peterborough and Brampton continue to floor all-star like rosters year after year, further cementing the status of the league as not much more than a two-team battle.

It's a sad reality that is not likely to change anytime soon.