A tryout roster for of 52 players for the 2014 Team Canada Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships team was selected for the opening camp, which took place October 12th and 13th at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. The Canadian tryout roster was split into two squads, Team Red and Team White, taking on the University of Denver Pioneers and the Robert Morris Colonials in exhibition game action.
On the Saturday, the Canadians took on Denver University. In the first game of the day, Team Red downed Denver 14-10 off a balanced offensive attack. The Pioneers got out to a solid start with a 6-3 lead at halftime and a 9-8 advantage heading into the final frame. Canada rallied in the fourth to earn the victory. Brampton Inferno standout Ryan Campbell was the lone multi-goal scorer as 13 different players tallied for Team Red. Both of Campbell’s goals came during Team Red’s fourth quarter comeback. Other goal scorers included former Pioneer Mark Matthews, Buffalo Bandit rookie sensation Dhane Smith, late tryout roster addition Chris Corbeil and North Carolina junior Chad Tutton. NLL Goaltender of the Year and Team Canada veteran longpole Matt Vinc also registered a goal in the win.
In the second game of the Saturday, Team White dominated the fatigued Pioneers 22-6. Leading the way offensively was Delaware alumni Curtis Dickson with six goals. Kevin Ross had a strong game with a hat-trick, while Virginia senior Mark Cockerton and recent first overall NLL draft pick Logan Schuss each had two goals. Canada continued to get offensive contributions from their defensive core, with MJ Keikebelt and Steve Priolo each scoring lone markers.
On the second day of tryouts, the Canadian squads faced off against the Robert Morris Colonials. Team White captured victory in the first game of the day with a 16-10 win. Cockerton had another successful outing with a three goal performance, as Team Canada veteran John Grant Jr. and Ohio State junior Jesse King also had hat-tricks in the game. King converted to attack versus Robert Morris, playing alongside Grant Jr., after netting one goal at midfield against Denver. Jordan MacIntosh and Stephen Keogh had two goals each.
Team Red finished off Canada’s second win over Robert Morris with an 18-8 victory. Adam Jones, who like King benefitted from a transition to attack on Sunday, netted three goals to lead Team Red offensively. Garret Billings added two goals, bringing his weekend totals to three, while also assuming a quarterback role in the offense. Kiel Matisz and Jordan McBride contributed a pair of goals each.
The crop of 52 will be narrowed down in the near future before the second round of tryouts. The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships are set for July 10-19, 2014, in Denver, Colorado.
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