The 36th annual Canada Day tournament was hosted by the Subway South Soccer Centre in Calgary this weekend, making it the longest-running box lacrosse tournament on Earth. The tournament gives kids from the Novice, Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget levels from across North America the chance to showcase their skills.
In previous years future NLL stars such as local heroes Kaleb Toth and Geoff Snider have competed in this tournament, so the caliber of play is quite high. And the pros continue to give back—Vancouver Stealth players Curtis Hodgson, Tyler Garrison and Mike Grimes are coaches for the Junior Stealth contingent that played here this weekend.
This year the tournament ran from Thursday, June 26-Monday June 30, with 12 divisions at four age groups represented, including a girls’ division at all four age groups.
The Cali-Lax All-Stars won the Novice A gold medal, beating Foothills 6-2 in the championship game. In Novice B the Sundevils beat the Titans 3-2 for the gold medal. On the Novice girls side, the Calgary Axemen club had both spots in the final game, with Axemen 1 defeating Axemen 2 by a 5-2 score.
In the Pee Wee A Division the Coquitlam Adanacs took the gold, beating the Edmonton Warriors 14-5 while in Pee Wee B action it was the Kelowna Kodiaks winning 9-6 over the Junior Stealth. The Calgary Hornets won the Pee Wee Girls Division, beating the Axemen 4-2.
At the Bantam level, the Warriors beat the Penticton Heat 8-4 for the gold in the A Division while the Junior Stealth kept the Moose Jaw Mustangs from repeating, winning by a 13-7 score to take the gold in the B Division. The Red Deer Chiefs took the gold in the Girls Division, defeating the Axemen 7-2.
The Midget Girls Division was won by the Axemen as they beat the Warriors 5-3 in the gold medal game. Midget A was won by the Langley Thunder who squeaked past the defending champ Cali-Lax All-Stars by a 6-5 score. And the Junior Stealth repeated as Midget B champs, earning a 4-3 win over the Denver Elite in the gold medal game.
