BY Sally Dolinski
It was a successful season for minor lacrosse in Olds this season. Following is a rundown of what happened.
MINI
The minis had fun learning the technical aspects of lacrosse -- how to catch, pass and shoot the ball but mostly they had fun. They enjoyed playing other teams throughout Central Alberta.
Following are awards presented to players on this team: Best Team Spirit -- Brody vanDersluys; Most Improved Player -- Talon Koksal; Hustle Award - Lincoln Hilton; Terminator Award -- Jake Williams; and Top Gun Award -- Landon Epp.
TYKE
This was a great year for the players. They jelled as a team and enjoyed the fast pace of the game. With penalties being called for the first time this season it was sometimes challenging, but the team did well and had fun learning to cradle, pass and shoot.
Here are the awards given out by the Olds Lacrosse Association (OLA) at its annual general meeting (AGM): Best Team Spirit -- Alexander Simms; Top Gun -- Ewan Gustafson; Most Improved Player -- Seth Bruck and Jhett Dorin.
NOVICE
The OLA and the Olds Novice Stingers hosted the 2018 CALL (Central Alberta Lacrosse League) Novice Playoffs in Olds, June 22-24.
Twelve teams from around Central Alberta participated in this event.
The Stingers were in fifth place going into the CALL playoffs and finished second overall, bringing home the silver.
They lost to the Red Deer Chiefs 3 team by a score of 12-4.
Awards given by OLA during its AGM: Best Team Spirit -- Oliver Klassen; Top Gun -- Andrew Murray; Most Improved Player -- Brenden Johnson.
OLA officials would like to thank everyone who supported the event either through donations or by volunteering.
PEEWEE
Going into the CALL peewee playoffs, the Olds peewee Stingers were undefeated with a 12-0 season in regular league play.
They won the CALL playoffs, beating out the Innisfail Phantoms 10-3. This qualified them for the Alberta lacrosse provincials July 12-15 in Calgary.
The peewee Stingers were the third ranked team in Alberta with a record of 19-0-0. They finished first in their pool. That sent them into the gold medal game against the St. Albert Rams.
The Rams were undefeated all season also. The Stingers ended their season in victory by beating the Rams 4-2 and taking home the banner for the Alberta Lacrosse Association (ALA) peewee B division.
Awards given out by OLA officials during the AGM: Best Team Spirit -- Jace Dolinski and Liam Steele; Top Gun -- Drew Willimason; Most Improved Player -- Jaxson Wilson.
BANTAM 1
They were fifth going into playoffs and finished fourth after being beaten 18-6 by the Lacoka Locos. Awards given out by OLA officials during the AGM: Best Team Spirit -- Jenna Cappis and Ashlyn Mercier; Top Gun -- Ben Nielsen; Most Improved Player -- Theiss Larose.
BANTAM 2
Going into the playoffs the Bantam 2s were ranked eighth overall. They were beaten out in the first round of the playoffs and ended up eighth in the CALL league. Awards given by OLA officials during the AGM: Best Team Spirit -- Logan Honeyman; Top Gun -- Adam Weresak; Most Improved Player --Ben Fuentes.
MIDGET
The midget team was third in its division going into the CALL playoffs but finished second, taking home the silver after losing 17 - 5 to the Lacoka Locos in a three-game series. Awards given by OLA officials during the AGM: Best Team Spirit -- Jamon Luft; Top Gun -- Dawson Mailer; Most Improved Player -- Logan Layden.
RYAN MCBEATH AWARD
This year, the OLA's Player of the Year award was renamed the Ryan McBeath Award in honour of local lacrosse and hockey player Ryan McBeath, who passed away in March.
This prestigious award of $250 was donated by Rochelle Wilson of the Western Financial Group Inc. It was presented during the OLA AGM to Jace Dolinski and he was very humbled and honoured to have received it.
McBeath played many years in the Olds Lacrosse Association and demonstrated all the things that make up the criteria for this special award.
They are: a high skill level, strong leadership, eighty to 100 per cent attendance at games or practices, being a team player, demonstrating sportsmanship, represented the OLA positively, and representing the game of lacrosse well.
This was just one small way the club could honour this young man and the life he lived.
OTHER NEWS
OLA vice-president Adam Cappis put together an elite bantam team that participated in the 43rd annual Canada Day Lacrosse Tournament.
It's the largest indoor box lacrosse tournament in North America.
The Stingers placed sixth in their division, losing 6-5 to the Sylvan Lake travel team.
Sally Dolinski is president of the Olds Lacrosse Association
