INNISFAIL – As the game clock ticked down for the Chargers of Didsbury and Carstairs there was a feeling something very special was taking place.
The Chargers, a U13 lacrosse team with a mix of players from both Central Alberta towns, was on its way to claim a gold medal at the inaugural Gauntlet at the Grove U11/U13 Lacrosse Tournament hosted by the Innisfail Minor Lacross Association and held at the Innisfail Twin Arena and the Bowden Igloo Arena from May 30 to June 1.
When the buzzer sounded to end the game, the Chargers defeated the Brooks Drillers 5 – 2 on June 1 at the Innisfail Twin Arena.
The Charges proved themselves to be a team of heart, a team that entered the tournament short four players but still managed to find a way to win.
“Our team has a lot of heart. Our team is one of the smaller teams here. All weekend we played with eight players,” said Chargers head coach Heather Tolley. “Today, we only had nine plus our goalie, so we're about half what the other teams are.
“Some of these benches have 17, 18 or 19 players, so we’re short four players most of the time,” she added.
Nevertheless, Tolley said her team pulled through by showing exemplary communication and teamwork.
“They stayed strong, heart of a lion,” she said. “We always tell them to play like a lion.”
The new lacrosse tournament for U11 and U13 teams is considered the biggest one yet for Innisfail.
There were 30 teams competing from across Alberta; from Calgary, across Central Alberta, to Edmonton and north of the provincial capital.
The tourney also included four teams from Cranbrook, B.C.
Each team played three games in round-robin play that ended with playoffs on Sunday (June 1).
One of those teams was the U11 Innisfail Phantoms Orange squad coached by Kiwita Salt and Mike Goett.
They were aiming for a gold medal in their final game against the Sylvan Lake Buccaneers.
However, it was not to be. Sylvan Lake won 5 – 3 to take the gold but the Phantoms, inspired by great goaltending from Rhys Rieberger, made a late rally but had to settle for a silver.
“We knew we were going to have a tough team to play going into the game today, and the kids showed up, and it was just one of those days where some of the bounces didn't go our way,” said Goett. “We wished we had another 10 minutes in the game.”
Nevertheless, both Goett and Salt felt the new U11 and U13 tournament was an excellent experience not only for his team but for the sport’s growth in the region.
“It was a really well-run tournament,” said Goett, noting Innisfail’s other U11 Phantoms team also performed well by winning a bronze medal.
“All the teams that came in had great sportsmanship, and it was just a real tribute to the game of lacrosse and the Town of Innisfail.”
