Ridge Meadows Burrards players were part of three B.C. minor lacrosse provincial teams that won gold medals at national championships over the weekend.
There were more locals on teams that won silver and bronze.
The many talented girls from Ridge were part of a huge medal haul in Ontario. The boys championships were held at Queen’s Park in New Westminster and Coquitlam Aug. 4-9 and girls were in Whidby, Ont. from Aug. 6-9.
“It really showed that our players are able to play with the best in Canada,” said Burrards club president Ron Williams.
The Team B.C. midget boys were most dominant of the province’s teams, winning the gold medal game over Team Alberta 14-2. Burrard Mackenzie Rope tied for eighth in tournament scoring with 12 goals and six assists in seven games.
“He’s one of the most talented players in B.C.,” said Williams.
His Ridge teammate Anthony Kalinich was also part of the gold medal effort, on a team that was a perfect 7-0, and scored 105 goals while allowing only seven against.
The Team B.C. bantam boys took silver in a thrilling 5-4 loss against Team Ontario. Maple Ridge’s Dylan McCormick had five goals and three assists in the tournament, and his team went 5-2.
The province’s peewee boys also won silver. They posted a 5-2 tournament record, and lost in the final to team Ontario 8-2.
The pee wee’s strong contingent from Ridge included Noah Bradley, Declan Fitzpatrick, Sawyer Morais, Carter Sheridan and Jordan Kujala.
Beating Team Ontario is always the challenge, noted Williams, because their population base of players compared with B.C, gives them an edge.
Golden girls
The bantam girls team also had a strong group of Burrards, including head coach Chris Gill who is also in his first season as head coach of the Western Lacrosse Association Burrards.
Winning the gold medal were local players Kennedy Gill, Mykhaela Johnson, Ashleigh Lesser, Jayde Meredith, Brooke Parry and aige Bell.
Bell was the all-star for B.C. and finished sixth in tournament scoring with 12 points.
“She doesn’t stop running – she’s a workhorse,” said Gill. “She leaves it all out on the floor, that’s what I love about her.”
Johnson was tied for third in tournament scoring with 14 points on eight goals and six assists.
Gill gave her the nickname “Showtime” after she scored the game-winning goal in the final over Ontario on a great individual effort.
“It was a pretty special goal,” said Gill.
The B.C. midget girls also won gold, beating Ontario 6-2 in the final. Maple Ridge had Megan Kinna, Candace McDole, Nicole Pahnke and Mikayla Quinn all on the team.
Kinna’s 11 points tied her for third in tournament scoring, and the team scored 58 goals while allowing only 12 against through four games.
The B.C. junior female took bronze with a win over Team Nova Scotia 5-3. Megan Stewart of Ridge Meadows was the tournament all-star for B.C., and was her team’s leading scorer with 11 points on seven goals and four assists. That placed her fifth in scoring in the tournament.
“It was a really successful year,” said Gill. “I can’t state enough how hard it is to win in Ontario.”