Three Langley Minor Lacrosse Thunder teams returned with gold, silver and bronze medals from the 2022/23 youth field lacrosse provincial championships held in Surrey over the Feb. 17 weekend.
In the Under-15 Tier 1 gold medal game, Langley defeated Adanacs by a score of 7-5 to capture the provincial championship.
Head Coach Jason Goller said “the team was gelling, [the] boys were playing for each other and for the love of sport”
It was the latest in an impressive list of wins for the team, which includes four tournament wins during the 2022/23 field season where the team was 18-2 and outscored the competition 176 – 58.
“At every position from our goalies to face offs, to offence and defence our player group set the bar for the age group playing a fast-paced game with a focus on sportsmanship,” Goller said.
Assistant Coach Connar Abrams said the U15 team has a saying, “for my brothers.”
“The selflessness and confidence these athletes play with stems from those words,” Abrams added. “This group of men grew together holding each other accountable with one goal in mind – provincial champs!”
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U13 Tier 1 Thunder took silver after a loss to Maple Ridge in the final.
Head Coach Austin Robinson praised the players for peaking at the right time.
“They battled adversity well and different players stepped up and contributed, game by game” Robinson said.
“Overall, we as a coaching staff are very proud of this group and their development throughout the year.”
It was the last tournament as Langley Minor Field Lacrosse Players for Thunder U18 third years (left to right) #13 - Nathaniel Leroux, #7 - Hudson Zazelenchuk, #22 - Lance Barker, #4 - Jonathan Grywacheski, #18 - Wyatt Dayman and #1 - Justin Beal. Their team took bronze at the youth field lacrosse provincial championships held in Surrey over the Feb. 17 weekend. (Special to Langley Advance Times)
U18 Tier 1 Thunder won bronze with a 15-10 victory over New West.
Head Coach Colin Josephson said they played their best. “My team showed that it takes a team of dedicated players, willing to sweat and sacrifice, to achieve success on the field, Josephson commented.
“And when a hard working team plays, they play with intensity and focus that cannot be matched, driven by a shared goal and an unbreakable spirit. In the end, it is this spirit, their dedication, that propelled them to victory in that weekend. All the guys wanted our third years to leave this year with a medal around their neck and they succeeded in doing that. I am proud of how hard they worked and never gave up.”
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