EDGE JUNIOR ELITE - DICK'S SPORTING GOODS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS TEAM PREVIEW
(November 07, 2008)
Location: Southern Ontario
Head Coach: Rick Webster
Established: 2003
Colors: Red, black & white
Qualified: Warrior Lax-N-Nati Lacrosse Tournament
by CJ Lane
Most people would never imagine a high school club lacrosse team composed of 15-16 year old boys playing against a D-I college lacrosse team…let alone three. But that is exactly what Edge Junior Elite did a month ago.
“On October 3rd, we went down [to Rhode Island] and played Providence College, Bryant University, and Brown University,” says Edge Junior head coach Rick Webster. “We didn’t win anything, but learned a lot and became a better team.”
Despite not winning a game the Edge players saw the value of competing against players 3-7 years their elder.
“We learned a lot and bonded as a team,” says attackman Dan Lintner (The Hill Academy).
Edge Lacrosse, whose senior team won the inaugural Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions in 2006, consists of many of the top lacrosse players from Southern Ontario. Two months from now, the Edge Junior team will bring its up-tempo, crease-cutting style of Canadian lacrosse to the national championship.
“We are a transition team,” says midfielder Dylan Webster (St. Edmund Campion Secondary School). “We are built around speed and great passing abilities.”
“We are not afraid to throw the ball through traffic,” says attackman Cody McMahon (Orangeville District Secondary School). “We put it right on the stick.”
Midfielder Mike Mawdsly (Nouvelle Alliance High School) believes that the team’s experience in box lacrosse will transition to success in the outdoor game.
“Having smaller nets in box lacrosse will give us an advantage,” says Mawdsly. “When we shoot on the [outdoor] goals, we will find every opening.”
In January, Edge Junior Elite will look to implement the lessons learned from its trip to Rhode Island, and its ability to compete in tight spaces to the field game, with aspirations of winning another national championship for the Edge program.
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