While Alberta may not have the rich history of lacrosse like BC or Ontario does, without a doubt significant strides have been made over the past decade. Alberta has always been the ‘little brother’ of the lacrosse community, but this little brother is starting to grow up..Alberta is starting to see success at every level of lacrosse at the national stage. In 2017 the Team Alberta Midget team did something that had never been done before — faced off against the top 25 players from each province/territory at the National tournament, and against all odds, they made a statement by winning gold. Some skeptics in the lacrosse world might have thought it was a fluke and to make sure those skeptics kept those opinions to themselves, the Team Alberta Midgets did it again in 2018..However Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse is a bit of a different story. Unfortunately Alberta teams have not had the same storybook ending as the Midget teams did. The Junior A Mounties first made history in 2016 as the first Alberta team to get a win in the Minto Cup against a BC and an Ontario team, defeating the Delta Islanders and the Orangeville Northmen in round-robin play. When the Mounties lost to Orangeville in the semi-finals, the dream died..Fast forward to the 2017 Minto Cup, the Okotoks Raiders had arguably the most competitive National showing Alberta had ever seen. They lost three games straight, but those losses came by a total of four goals, once again showing Alberta is right there knocking on the door, demanding respect from the lacrosse community..For the most part, it’s clear Alberta’s developing dexterous teams and demonstrating potential throughout the Junior ‘B’ division. Recently, in 2019, the Calgary Shamrocks became just the third Alberta team to ever win the Junior ‘B’ national championship, ending a nine-year winning streak of Ontario teams and taking home the Founder’s Cup..Last, but not least, is the Edmonton Senior ‘B’ Miners, who I believe to be the most dominant showing of Alberta lacrosse at the national level, based on their players’ attention to detail, and championship culture. Prior to the Presidents Cup tournament getting shut down by the pandemic in in 2020, the Miners won three of the last four years and were well on their way to solidifying themselves as a dynasty..Lacrosse is a beautiful sport with a rich history. While the book on Alberta lacrosse may be a short one, it’s an exciting one. The game is growing in the mid-west of Canada and with the success as of late, expect that growth to continue. We are seeing more and more prairies players make their way into the NCAA lacrosse, as well as working their way into the NLL. .Highlighting the successes and achievements of recent Alberta lacrosse teams, players and personnel is crucial in growing the game. The intent of this article, and the ones that follow, is to feature, promote and acknowledge those involved in the continued development of this historic game within the province..Look out Canada, looks like the little brother of lacrosse just hit puberty.
