A team of lacrosse players from the Fraser Valley, zone three, were elated to find that even though they did not make the zone team in tryouts, they would get to be part of the BC Summer Games in Maple Ridge.
A team pulled out of the field lacrosse tournament, and the zone where the sport is so popular was able to quickly put together a team to fill in their spot, giving Zone three two teams. There are six teams in the tournament, with the others being Thompson Okanagan, Vancouver-Coastal, Fraser River and Vancouver Island-Central Coast.
The second zone team was in tough against a very skilled Vancouver Island-Central Coast team on Friday afternoon, and already had lost one game, but the point was for the developing players to face some great competition, and be part of the BC Games in their home zone.
"They're just happy to play, and have a great experience," said Ryan Reed, who was watching on the sidelines, but is the coach of the Zone 3 box lacrosse team.
He lauded the job that Mission coach Sam Adams was doing with the fill-in field lacrosse squad, and said "they're having more fun than anyone here. They're having a great time."
He noted that the lacrosse tournaments, both indoor and field, have a high calibre of competition during this games.
The bronze medal game will be played on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at Golden Ears Elementary, and the championship will follow at 11 a.m.
The 2024 BC Summer Games are being held between Wednesday and Sunday, July 17 to 21, in Maple Ridge. This is the third time in the Games history that Maple Ridge has been the host. This week, an estimated 2,400 athletes (average age is 14 to 15), plus some 500 coaches and officials are here for the competitions being held at sports venues throughout the community and region.
