The Thompson Lacrosse Association will be represented at the peewee national championships by Glenn Shatford and Taylor Ritchie, who play for the Ravens and the Shamrocks in the local house league.
The players were chosen after attending tryouts in Winnipeg with about 35 other players, 20 of whom were named to the provincial team.
"There were lots of good players," said 12-year-old Ritchie of the tryouts, and he wasn't sure if he'd make it. "I was kind of nervous. They just brought us in a room and told us one by one."
A lacrosse player for five or six years, Ritchie says his height may have given him an advantage, as his 5'4" frame put him literally head and shoulders above all the other players except one.
"They said I was big and athletic," Ritchie explained, saying he was happy and really excited to make the team as this was his first time trying out for a provincial squad.
Shatford, 11, who plays in net against Ritchie in Thompson, said the tryouts were a nerve-wracking experience.
"When I was there I was really nervous because I knew there were lots of goalies that could have been better than me," he said, saying he lost track of how many shots he faced over the two days. "I have no idea. A lot."
Not that he minds.
"I want it to hit me," said Shatford, who's been a goaltender since he started playing lacrosse when his family moved to Thompson three years ago. "I've always wanted to play goalie for hockey but I wasn't allowed. I like coming out of my crease and waiting for someone to hit me."
There are downsides to playing goal, though.
"When it hits you in the head that hurts a lot," he said, adding that stick-side, bottom-corner shots are probably the hardest to stop.
Shatford was thrilled to learn he made the team.
"I was really happy," he said. "The best part was when they told us we were getting sponsored by Reebok."
The Thompson players travelled to Winnipeg for a practice session June 13-14 and there will be several more as well as a tournament in Saskatchewan before the national championships Aug. 2-8 in Whitby, Ont.
Shatford expects to see a lot of action there.
"[The coaches] said Ontario's been winning,' said Shatford. "They said I'd get around 150 shots against per game [versus Ontario]."
