SIX NATIONS — As lacrosse try outs begin at varying levels, youth players have been given an opportunity to reignite their stick skills with a tournament held by the Dreamcatcher Foundation in collaboration with the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena and ILA Sports.
“Dreamcatcher is proud to bring back our 3-on-3 Lacrosse Tournament and Skills Competition.
Our one-day tournament will be held on Family Day, February 20 at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena,” reads the Dreamcatcher Facebook page announcement, posted in January.
Since the initial post, the tournament has garnered four full divisions for a full day of games. With four divisions of five teams, the 3-on-3 is expected to help the youth playing within U9, U11, U13, and U15, prepare for the coming season.
“We wanted to do something for the kids down here and around the community,” said Josh Powless for Dreamcatcher. “Lacrosse season is coming up and we thought ‘what better way to get the lacrosse families together than to have it on Family Day?’”
With the focus on stick skills as Powless explained, the games will be 20 minutes with two courts playing at the same time. The tournament will also incorporate a Skills Competition from 12 p.m., to 1 p.m., during a pause in games midday.
“It’ll help the kids with the upcoming season too; get their sticks going and get some running in,” he said.
The tournament, as Powless explained, will be no contact which was an “easy decision.”
“We want this tournament to be friendly. Players were still asked to wear full equipment because we don’t want anyone to get hurt ahead of the season,” said Powless.
For the first half of the day, Rink 1 and 2 will see games as follows:
U9 – Rink 1: Da Boyz versus Fuse LC #1, Rink 2: Little Big Boys versus Fuse #2 at 8:30 a.m.
U11 – Rink 1: Red Wolves versus River Kings, Rink 2: Fuse LC versus Lightsabers at 8:55 a.m.
U13 – Rink 1: Young Warriors versus Fuse LC, Rink 2: Sting versus The Happy Gang at 9:20 a.m.
U15 – Rink 1: Fuse #1 versus Jr. Rez Dogz, Rink 2: Fuse LC #2 versus Mohawk Militia at 9:45 a.m.
U9 – Rink 1: RCI Woodpeckers versus Fuse LC #2, Rink 2: Da Boyz versus Little Big Boys at 10:10 a.m.
U11 – Rink 1: SN Sting versus Red Wolves, Rink 2: River Kings versus Fuse LC at 10:35 a.m.
U13 – Rink 1: Duncan Henry versus Sting, Rink 2: The Happy Gang versus Young Warriors at 11:00 a.m.
U15 – Rink 1: Team Real Tree versus Mohawk Militia, Rink 2: Fuse LC #1 versus Fuse LC # 2 at 11:25 a.m.
With the Skills Competition in between; for the second half of the day, Rink 1 and 2 will see games as follows:
U9 – Rink 1: Little Big Boys versus Fuse LC #1, Rink 2: Da Boyz versus RCI Woodpeckers at 1:00 p.m.
U11 – Rink 1: SN Sting versus Fuse LC, Rink 2: Lightsabers versus River Kings at 1:25 p.m.
U13 – Rink 1: The Happy Gang versus Fuse LC, Rink 2: Duncan Henry versus Young Warriors at 1:50 p.m.
U15 – Rink 1: Fuse LC #2 versus Jr. Rez Dogz, Rink 2: Fuse LC #1 versus Team Real Tree at 2:15 p.m.
U9 – Rink 1: Fuse LC #2 versus Da Boyz, Rink 2: Fuse LC #1 versus RCI Wood-peckers at 2:40 p.m.
U11 – Rink 1: Red Wolves versus Lightsabers, Rink 2: SN Sting versus River Kings at 3:05 p.m.
U13 – Rink 1: Sting versus Young Warriors, Rink 2: Fuse LC versus Duncan Henry at 3:30 p.m.
U15 – Rink 1: Mohawk Militia versus Fuse LC #1, Rink 2: Team Real Tree versus Jr. Rez Dogs at 3:55 p.m.
U9 – Rink 1: RCI Woodpeckers versus Little Big Boys, Rink 2: Fuse LC #1 versus Fuse LC #2 at 4:20 p.m.
U11 – Rink 1: Fuse LC versus Red Wolves, Rink 2: SN Sting versus Lightsabers at 4:45 p.m.
U13 – Rink 1: Duncan Henry versus The Happy Gang, Rink 2: Fuse LC versus Sting at 5:10 p.m.
U15 – Rink 1: Fuse LC #1 versus Team Real Tree, Rink 2: Jr. Rez Dogz versus Mohawk Militia at 5:35 p.m.
Finals will follow between 6:00 p.m., and 6:25 p.m., for advancing teams com-prised of first and second place in their respective divisions.
With free admission, donations will be accepted at the event along with the op-portunity for Six Nations Minor Lacrosse Association registration.