Thunder an instant success
The Blessed Trinity Thunder made an impressive debut Tuesday at the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association girls field lacrosse jamboree at Notre Dame.
The Thunder topped the Holy Cross Raiders 13-1 and the host Fighting Irish 16-7 in their first two games since forming the team last month.
“It’s really good. We’ve been pushing for it since last year,” Thunder midfielder Aubrey Sartor said. “We wanted a team last year, couldn’t get one. We just started practising a month ago.
“It’s pretty good.”
Thunder co-coach Stephanie Jarrett helped Agi Mete coach the girls field lacrosse team at Notre Dame until being transferred to BT where she and Sarah Tritchew consented to coach the squad.
“When we found out there were girls who wanted to play, it was Sarah who approached me and our principal (Jim Whittard) was on board,” Jarrett explained.
The team began practice in March and quickly came together.
“The whole community has rallied around and there is a new boys field lacrosse at BT,” Jarrett said. “We’re just excited to be able to do it for the girls.
“I think it’s great for lacrosse in Niagara. It’s a fantastic sport, especially the girls field lacrosse, which is maybe one of the best sports. It’s a beautiful game. I’d love to see more of it in Niagara.”
Jarrett will take the two wins, but said that was just “gravy.”
“I think we’ve got girls who have been playing and practising really hard and trying their best,” she said. “We want to play to win and we’re hopeful.”
The addition of BT to established programs at Notre Dame and Holy Cross now gives the schools a legitimate league in which to play. The teams will play each other at another jamboree next week and then in a playoff series with the winner being declared the SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) champion and advancing to the Trillium Cup provincial championship held in Peel May 28-29.
“Adding a third team is huge,” Mete said. “Now with a full league, these games will matter.”
Mete feels girls field lacrosse is on the brink of expanding at the high school level in Niagara.
“There are pockets where field lacrosse is strong all over Ontario and Niagara has a great summer program in St. Catharines,” he said. “It just hasn’t transferred to the schools mainly because you still need someone in the building who wants to take on the team. There are a lot of girls playing club lacrosse. I think it’s just a matter of time before other schools pick it up.”
Sartor, a 16-year-old, Grade 10 student, paced the Thunder over ND with eight goals while twin sister Brynn Sartor added five. Elliotte Pergentile, Lita Sutor and Vanessa Sample added singles.
Ava Briggs and Aurora Grenier scored two each for the Fighting Irish while Myla Fishleigh, Lauren Potts and Ava Stachura also scored.
Thunder 13 Raiders 1
Blessed Trinity Thunder: Aubrey Sartor 4; Brynn Sartor 4; Frances Warner 2; Nicole Peters, Ryann Sakowski, Brianna Davis.
Holy Cross Raiders: Kamryn Hoenig.
Fighting Irish 15 Raiders 6
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Grenier 5; Briggs 3; Potts 2; Arianna Hetherington 2; Stachura, Fishleigh, Julia Tremeer.
Holy Cross Raiders: Hoenig 3; Chelsea Tiller 2; Cailleigh Tiller.
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