After dropping their first game, Team BC has been unstoppable at the 2016 Warrior PeeWee Lacrosse National Championships in Whitby, Ont.
B.C., with Jordan Vincent of the Comox Valley Wild in the lineup, improved to 5-1 Thursday with a 6-2 win over First Nations in their final preliminary round game. Next up are playoffs on Friday morning, where Team BC will have a rematch with First Nations to determine who advances to Saturday afternoon's gold medal game.
Thursday's game was tied 2-2 at the end of two before B.C. pulled away in the third. Shawn Vincent said his son had a nice assist on the third goal and according to coach Curt Malawsky "played like a man, with several big hits."
B.C. played the first game of the seven-team tournament Monday, Aug. 1 at 9 a.m. and fell 8-0 to perennial PeeWee powerhouse Ontario. It was the closest score of any game Ontario has played in the tournament.
Team BC quickly regrouped and edged Manitoba 8-7 at 5 p.m. Monday, with Vincent tallying a goal and three assists. On Tuesday, Aug. 2 Team BC won a barn-burner 5-4 over Alberta in the morning, with Malawsky showing his confidence in Vincent by having the 12-year-old defender on the floor for the game’s final minute.
B.C. blew out Nova Scotia 16-0 in Tuesday's final game to qualify for a spot in the semifinals on Friday, then crushed Saskatchewan 16-0 on Wednesday. Friday's playoffs have 2nd vs. 3rd and 6th vs. 7th. On Saturday, Aug. 6 it’s the B gold medal game, A bronze medal game and A gold medal game followed by closing ceremonies.
The July 31-Aug. 6 tournament is part of the Ontario Lacrosse Festival, which includes the national Midget championship. The BC Lacrosse Association has a link to the tournament (go to bclacrosse.com, click ‘box’ on the left side of the page, then the Team BC logo on the right side of the page). The tourney website is ontariolacrossefestival.com
BOXLA BITS Vincent is in his fifth year of lacrosse and is one of 20 starters with Team BC, which includes three alternates… Comox Valley Wild teams have won both the B.C. PeeWee C and Bantam B titles this year … Malawsky is assistant GM and head coach of the Calgary Roughnecks of the National Lacrosse League…the Coquitlam native also coaches the Coquitlam Adanacs Jr. A lacrosse team and was named BCLA Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading the A’s to both the provincial and national championships … he was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of in 2015 …