Barry Wright
Sydney McDonald came so close to her goal of capturing gold at the Canadian Lacrosse Association Female Box Nationals in Calgary.
But in the end, she and her Team Ontario mates settled for silver after bowing 6-4 to B.C. in the title game.
Ontario had beaten Alberta and Nova Scotia twice each to reach the final.
In the championship game, Ontario battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game 2-2 late in the second period on a goal assisted by McDonald. But the team from Canada's left coast would not be denied, scoring four times in the final period for the win.
Ontario was the defending champion having won the inaugural national event last year in Whitby.
McDonald, 17, who notched a goal and three assists in seven games at the tournament, thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but did admit it took time to hit her stride.
“It took me a game or two to get into it,” she said. “But, near the end I thought I played pretty well.”
“It (the competition) was tougher,” she said. “The girls are bigger and stronger and we played with bigger nets.”
In Ontario, bigger nets are only used at the junior level, she noted.
McDonald, who plays for the Sarnia Pacers Intermediate squad, says NCAA lacrosse scouts were plentiful at the tournament, but it'll be several weeks before they decide which players to offer scholarships to.
“It was a great experience just to go there and meet a bunch of new friends,” she said.