It will be a year later than they originally planned, but the Prince Albert Lacrosse Association will finally get the chance to host the Saskatchewan Field Lacrosse provincial championships.
The Saskatchewan Lacrosse Association announced on Monday afternoon that the competition, which was originally scheduled for June 2020, will run from Aug. 20-22 at Prime Ministers Park.
“We’re really excited to finally host the event and to see some familiar faces across the province that we haven’t got to meet up with in a long time,” Prince Albert Lacrosse Association president Javan Bexson said on Tuesday.
“There’s a sense of excitement all around from the players, the coaches and the parents.”
While the exact number of teams in each category is still to be determined, seven teams are expected to compete in the 13 and under division, with anywhere between four to six teams taking part in the 15 and under division and the 18 and under division.
The Prince Albert Attack will be representing their hometown in the event with teams in all three categories.
“Everyone on all three teams is really fired up for the chance to play in front of family and friends,” Bexson said.
“We went to our first field lacrosse provincials in 2015, so to have the opportunity to host the tournament really brings things full circle. Everyone’s been waiting a long time for this and they all want to win a gold medal at home.”
Max Clunie Field will be the main pitch for the competition, with the Prime Ministers Park East field and the Carlton Comprehensive High School soccer field also being utilized.
The last field lacrosse provincial championships were held in 2019 in Sturgis, which saw the Attack win silver medals in the Under-13 and Under-15 divisions, while the Under-18 squad earned a bronze medal.
“The sport of field lacrosse has really grown in Saskatchewan over the last couple of years,” Bexson said.
“Since box lacrosse hasn’t been going on due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the field game has been a real lifesaver in giving opportunities to our young players.”
With a little over two months to go until the tournament gets underway, everyone involved with the Prince Albert Lacrosse Association will be busy making sure everything is ready to go when the teams arrive in town.
“One of the big things for us right now is to make sure that our host committee is back in place so that we can start to solidify things like hotels for the visiting teams and other aspects of the tournament that are done behind the scenes,” Bexson said.
“We also have to give kudos to the City of Prince Albert for the work they’ve done on the fields. They are in the best shape that I’ve seen them in since I’ve lived here.”
