If it was, for some players, their final game of lacrosse, what a way to go out.
The host North Okanagan Legends won the gold medal at the B.C. U17B Co-ed Minor Lacrosse Championship. They beat the Prince George Posse 10-3 in the final played Sunday, July 20, at Kal Tire Place South.
The Legends led 4-0 after one period, and extended the gap to 6-0 before Prince George scored its first goal in the middle frame. North OK led 8-2 after 40 minutes.
Wyatt Stowards led the provincial champs with four goals and two helpers. Boston Ciccone added a hat trick and chipped in two assists.
Aiker Cruikshank, who started the scoring Sunday, finished with a pair of goals, and Liam Marchand added a single, to cap off a incredible four days and minor lacrosse season.
"For many of these kids this will be the last game they play as they age out of minor, others still have one more year and some of the kids may choose to play junior," wrote the host North Okanagan Minor Lacrosse Association on social media. "But this has been an amazing season for the whole team showing grit, determination and perseverance. Way to go."
Shaymus Waterstreet picked up the win in goal, playing every second of every Legends game at provincials.
The Legends were the class of the 10-team field, going undefeated.
North Okanagan began the tourney by edging the Juan de Fuca Whalers from the Victoria area 8-7, then scored an 8-6 decision over the Posse.
The Legends took care of the Coquitlam Adanacs 11-4 before closing out the preliminary round with an 8-6 win over the Vancouver Burrards to finish first overall.
The top four teams advanced to the semifinals.
First-place North OK downed the fourth-place 91原创 Thunder/Surrey Rebels 17-5 to move to the gold-medal contest. Prince George, which finished third overall, defeated second-seeded Comox Valley Wild 8-4 to earn a spot in the championship.
Comox downed 91原创/Surrey to win the bronze medal.
The Legends team consists of Stowards, Ciconne, Cruikshank, Marchand, Waterstreet, Daniel Cowden, Max Power, Lincoln Myers, Benjamin Lemke, Wade Lightfoot, Mason Wilson, Dayton Orr, Connor Johnson, Michah Alexander, Trevor McEachnie, Tanner Mackereth, and Grayson McKeown. The team is coached by Blaine Stowards, Colin Marchand and Warren Lightfoot.
North Okanagan Minor Lacrosse also hosted the provincial A1 and A2 championships simultaneously with the B Division.
The Abbotsford Warriors won the A2 title, beating the Richmond Roadrunners 7-2 in the final. The Port Moody Thunder defeated the Delta Islanders 12-4 to take the bronze medal.
Saanich Tigers from the Victoria area took home the A1 gold medal, knocking off 91原创/Surrey 8-5 in the championship. The Port Coquitlam Saints scored a 10-3 victory over the Ridge Meadows Burrards to take the bronze medal.
A total of 23 teams took part in the three provincial tournaments. Games were played at Vernon's Kal Tire Place South arena, and at Armstrong's Sunbelt and Hassen Memorial arenas.
