Canada’s “Great Unknown National Sport”’ is alive and well in Campbell River.
Selena Lasota, a member of the Katzie First Nation was named number three Rookie choice by NCAA Womens Field Lacrosse. Lasota, from Campbell River, plays for Northwestern University Wildcats in Evanston Il. as a freshman mid-fielder. She got her start playing box lacrosse for the Campbell River Ravens and switched to the women’s field game with the Nanimo Timbermen. Girls are welcome in lacrosse and more and more are taking advantage of the full-ride scholorship potential of the game and a chance to play on an equal footing with the guys.
Meanwhile, it was a busy summer for local lacrosse. Players from Campbell River and the Comox Valley attended camps run by the Western Box Lacrosse champion Victoria Shamrocks and got coaching from top Box and NCAA players. A number attended the field camp laid on by Pacific Coast champion Simon Fraser University. Lacrosse is unique. In spring and summer, arenas deserted by the skate crowd host “ The War On The Floor.” Fall and winter see the same players move outdoors for the graceful long-pass running game. It’s this versatility that make Island LAX graduates so attractive to college scouts on both sides of the border.
The season is underway for all three divisions U-16, U-14 and U-12 and involve travel for stick-on-stick action with mid-Island and south island teams. The caliber of opposition teams is high and select squads from the Island are powerhouse competitors both in Canada and across the border. Thanksgiving weekend saw Owen Shears, Carter Mulligan and Gavin Sam head to Langley for tryouts for the BC Under 15 provincial squad. Snipers, Rowan Armstrong and Ethan Blacklock shoot for places in the U-13 line-up for Team BC. We’ll let you know how they made out and bring you up-to-date team standings shortly.
Don’t miss a chance to to watch “The Fastest Game on Two Feet’ as teams from over the Island compete here regularly. Your next opportunity will be on October 26th when U-14’s take on Nanaimo.