(Sacred Heart Huskies Varsity Lacrosse team competed in the annual Spring Thaw Tournament on April 19, 2023. Playing undefeated in the one-day tournament, the team started off the season on top by showing their strength – bringing home the gold trophy for the second year. Team photo: Sofie Green; Balance of photos: Kaitlyn LeBoutillier)
Last year, the Sacred Heart Huskies Varsity lacrosse team was dominant in their city league play and had a good showing at OFSAA. This year, they started their season off with the same dominance.
On Wednesday, April 19, the Huskies got their season started with the annual Spring Thaw field lacrosse tournament. During the one day tournament, Sacred Heart went undefeated, outscoring their opponents 38-7 on the day.
The Huskies started their day with a 6-2 victory over St. Petes High School. In their second game, the Huskies defeated St. Joe’s 7-0. Ryan McKowen, Sacred’s goaltender, earned the “Dawg of the Game” award, the Huskies’ equivalent of a player of the game recognition. Ryan had 15 saves and one assist in the game and finished with a shut out to help his team secure the victory.
In their final round robin game, the Huskie’s finished their undefeated effort with a win over St. Mother Teresea High School. The game ended with a 7-1 score in favour of Sacred Heart. Justin Stevenson earned the MVP award, finishing the game with four goals and three assists. Justin was a main contributor to Sacred’s hard-hitting offense and secured eight ground balls in the game.
After going 3-0 and finishing first in their pool-play, the Huskies moved on to play the number two ranked AY Jackson. In their semi final game, Sacred Heart once again came out on top, defeating the Blue Jays 8-1. Veteran player Micheal Green earned the player of the game nod with four goals and four assists, cashing in on every goal. His physical game play led to a lot of turnovers from the Jays and scoring opportunities for the Huskies, he finished the game with six ground balls.
With their win over AY Jackson, Sacred Heart headed to the finals, looking to finish off their undefeated day and start off their season with a trophy. In the finals, the Huskies faced off against St. Marks High School. Sacred Heart would remain victorious as they beat the Lions 10-3 to bring home their second consecutive Spring Thaw trophy.
There is no doubt Sacred Heart has a strong field lacrosse team. As they start this year on the same foot that they did last year, it is clear that this team will once again be an exciting one to watch with their high-scoring offense and strong goaltending. The Huskies are certainly the team to beat in the NCSSAA top division this year as they look to make back-to-back OFSSA appearances.