Team B.C. has one goal in mind – gold.
The girls midget program is looking to keep the good times going and repeat as Canadian national box lacrosse champions in the tournament that kicks off next week in Halifax.
What will be the deciding factors in a short, six-day series will be cohesiveness and endurance.
“What I try to do is build a team of athletes who can go through the national tournament with as little wear and tear as possible, and be their sharpest on the last day of the tournament,” remarked head coach Matt Black.
And while B.C. is the defending midget champion, there is almost complete turnover from last year’s roster.
Only Coquitlam’s Raegan Mackenzie was part of last year’s perfect 7-0 run.
Both New Westminster and Burnaby have three players contributing to the cause in Halifax, with the first game on July 21 against hosts Nova Scotia.
New Westminster’s Lauren Black, Taylor Lee and Olivia Smith are key members expected to play important roles with the 2018 squad, as both Black and Lee part of last year’s bantam squad that finished second at the nationals.
Burnaby’s Emily Kuhn, Clara Liu and Ava Regan are also on this year’s roster. Both Kuhn and Regan were part of a strong provincial bantam roster that pushed it right to the final, where Ontario prevailed 5-3.
While last year’s midget team had to face one more opponent during their run to the top – Alberta withdrew from this year’s competition – B.C. won’t be taking anything lightly as they battle Ontario and Nova Scotia for national bragging rights.
After a tryout camp that saw 56 players vying for positions, management selected 20 players, who come from six different minor teams, to defend the title.
Last year’s squad was composed of more than half from the Tri-Cities – including nine from PoCo. This year’s lineup draws from more programs, including three from Vancouver Island, White Rock and Mission.
That regional diversity has made practices all the more crucial, Black said.
“We have players from six different programs who are trying to get to know each other,” he noted. “The biggest challenge for the coaches is getting to know all their strengths and weaknesses, and fitting them into their best roles.”
Lauren Black, 15, was selected as captain for this year’s group, after being an on-floor spark at last year’s nationals. In the bantam tournament, the New West native scored seven goals and set up six other over seven games.
The 2017 midget team featured a pair of Burnaby players – Nicole Kuhn, Emily’s sister, and netminder Jaime Richards. It also had three New West players – Hannah Bernoe, Avery Dean and netminder Jenna Phillips. The tandem of Phillips and Richards allowed just seven goals over seven games.
Those are big shoes to fill, but coach Black is confident.
“I do expect we’ll be in the gold medal game. The players have been working hard, they’ve been coming together in the limited chances we’ve had and shown their commitment to the team.”
