Girls gunning for gold
Local members of the Team Ontario U13 squad which will be at the 2024 Box Lacrosse National Championships in Regina later this month. Photo: BILL POTRECZ.
There will be definite local female presence at the 2024 Box Lacrosse National Championships in Regina later this month.
A total of 11 girls from Niagara will be participating for Team Ontario in three age groups at the Championships which run August 12-17. Opening Ceremonies will be held at Mosaic Stadium, located right next to the Cooperators Centre at the University of Regina.
The U13 age group features local players Amira Hamdani, Sabina Cahill, Charlotte Olsen, Morgan Kemp, Kacy Chan-Hill, Ericka Westfall and Mieke Watson and will be coached by St. Catharines Minor Lacrosse Association president Sallah Hamdani.
It is the first year the U13 girls division has been part of the Championships.
Sallah Hamdani said interest in girls lacrosse in St. Catharines is at an all time high.
“Now that the girls are starting to come in large numbers, St. Catharines is starting to become a very powerful centre for girls lacrosse,” he said.
St. Catharines had teams in U13, U15, U17 and U22 divisions this season, the only age groups available at this point.
“The girls U22 have been going on for a long time but it’s blossomed through the U13 and U15 and U17 age groups,” Sallah Hamdani said.
Team Ontario U15 features assistant coach Scott Turner as well as local players Elizabeth Turner, Ella Schmidt and Mia McCready. The U15 division will be playing for the Rose Engemann Trophy.
“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s so much different from U13 to U15 because I’m playing as a minor,” said Turner, who attends Dalewood Public School.
Schmidt, who attends St. Ann Catholic School, is also eager to participate.
“I think I do well on defence and I’m good at protecting my teammates,” she said.
Maddy McCready will participate in the U17 division where father Pat McCready is an assistant coach.
As well, Reese Shigwadja and Sophia Getti are members of the U19 women’s field lacrosse squad who are at the 2024 Lacrosse Canada Field Lacrosse National Championships this weekend in Winnipeg.
Salah Hamdani said Team Ontario squads have set the bar high.
“The expectation when Ontario goes to the Nationals, we know it’s going to be a grind and usually B.C. is ready to answer the call,” he said. “Between Ontario and B.C., the finals are pretty well set throughout every age group.”
Players went to a Team Ontario identification camp and then selection camps over three or four weekends in order to be selected.
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