Local lax lad Marshall Bloomfield didn't come back from a national tournament empty-handed, after helping the Jr. Calgary Roughnecks to the Jr. National Lacrosse League championship title, and topping the tournament points board himself.
The Olds High School student made the cut earlier this summer for the Jr. Roughnecks' inaugural showing at the fifth edition of the national tournament, held in Toronto, Aug. 26 and 27.
Going into the championships for the first time, Bloomfield said the midget team wasn't sure what to expect.
"We didn't really think that we were going to win much at all actually," he said. "But we got there and started playing, and we played like a team, and we were kind of dominating."
The Jr. Roughnecks played six games during the 11-team tourney, eking out a pool lead based on goal averages, despite a loss to the Rochester Knighthawks in their final game of round robin play.
The lead bought them a bye in quarter-finals, sending them into the semis, where they met Rochester again, redeeming their only loss, and earning a spot in the finals against the favoured Toronto Rock.
"We got into the gold medal game and then our players, they were kinda scared," said Bloomfield. "They didn't think we were going to win, because Toronto is undefeated for the last four years."
But an early lead, courtesy of Bloomfield, set the tone.
"We were going back and forth for five minutes, and then I ended up stealing the ball and scoring a goal," he said. "That kinda pumped up the team, right off the bat. So then we kinda realized, like yeah, we've got a chance."
The Roughnecks ended up toppling the Rock 7-5 to take the title and the trophy. Bloomfield also topped the midget leader board, racking up 15 goals and 8 assists over the tournament.
"I noticed after our first two or three games that I was up there, in the top six," he said. "(So) I was kinda competing for it."
The Grade 10 student has now headed back to class, but will pick up his stick for several scouting camps over the winter, including one this week with the Calgary Mountaineers, leading up to the Junior A draft next February, where he's hoping to make the cut. Getting a chance to play in a national tournament certainly helped his game.
"I learned a lot, my coaches were really good -- my offensive skills, my memory (improved)," he said. "It was a really cool experience, especially getting to win the thing."
