A trio of players with New Westminster connections were among the 26 players chosen to suit up for Team Canada at a pair of field lacrosse exhibition games in Denver later this month.
The roster, which includes 11 who will be making their debut for Team Canada, will take on the University of Denver and United States Air Force Academy on Oct. 22 and 23, as part of the planning for the 2018 FIL Men’s World Lacrosse championships.
Named to the roster are New Westminster-born Wesley Berg, New West junior Salmonbellies sniper Jeremy Bosher, and senior Salmonbellies defender Mike Messenger.
For Berg, it will be like home-away-from home, as the former University of Denver record-setter was part of Canada’s 2014 World win over Team U.S.A. in the Rocky Mountain city.
Berg, 23, counted five goals and two assists in that championship, which saw Canada reclaim the World title with a convincing 8-5 win over the host and defending champion Americans.
The Coquitlam minor product is currently preparing for the upcoming National Lacrosse League season, where he plays for the Calgary Roughnecks, after toiling the summer for Oakville in the Ontario Major Series league.
Also familiar with the territory is Bosher. At 20, the attackman is one of the youngest players named to the Canadian squad. The New Westminster junior and native of Kamloops is entering his junior season at the University of Denver.
The 6-foot-2 sniper has played for New West the past four seasons and is slated to wrap up his junior A career next summer. This past season in the B.C. junior circuit, Bosher tallied 11 goals and 12 assists in seven regular season games, then tagged on another 11 goals and 16 assists over six playoff matches.
Messenger, meanwhile, was among the Western Lacrosse Association ‘Bellies’ newest additions this past year, having been selected second overall in the 2016 junior draft.
In his first year at the senior A level, Messenger tallied four goals and three assists over eight regular season games, while winning 66 of 96 faceoffs.
