Lacrosse team needs a win to move into finals
- Katie Doke Sawatzky | July 19, 2017
The first two days of the 2017 Northern American Indigenous Games in Toronto were promising ones for Team Saskatchewan.
With 7 medals already in tow, thanks to the cross-country team, the delegation is sitting in first place overall.
On Monday there were both losses and a win for the lacrosse teams. The U19 (under 19) women lost 17-2 to Eastern Doorway Nation and 12-4 to B.C. The U19 men won 22-1 against Wisconsin but lost 10-5 to the Eastern Door & the North on Tuesday.
“We started off strong the first two periods. We were right with them it kind of fell apart in the third. We lost our legs and got a little tired because we lost two key guys,” said Mitchell Linklater, a forward from Saskatoon.
Kallen Currie injured his leg in the third period, and the team lost two other teammates to injuries. Despite that, Linklater remained positive.
“It’s not the outcome we were looking for results wise, but I think we played pretty well,” he said.
The U19 team heads into a game with B.C. today. They need to win if they want to continue into Thursday’s finals.
When it comes to the experience of the games overall, Linklater said it’s been a lot to take in.
“I would say the was pretty overwhelming, especially during the opening ceremonies. The fact that we could fill the Aviva Centre was pretty impressive,” he said.
Linklater said the support of family was noticeable. He estimated a sixth of the seats were filled with parents. His dad has come to watch he games.
Besides a medal, Linklater hopes to take away the experience of seeing and playing against other Indigenous youth from different parts of North America.
"Playing in Saskatchewan … you only really get to play in Alberta and a little piece of Winnipeg. It’s the little things, too, you can see it through Ontario kids or New York kids. They all have different tendencies and ways. It’s different being able to play against those guys…I guess it’s just being able to surround yourselves with different parts of the world that kind of changes your way of thinking for a little bit.”