The Surrey Rebels have returned from provincial championships with hard-won hardware, following a season rife with challenges.
The bronze medal is a milestone for the Rebels, as it is the first time the female peewee team has earned a medal in a provincial tournament, according to team manager Karen Piper.
From the beginning of the season, the Rebels faced trials.
A peewee team is typically made up of 11- and 12-year-old players, but, due to low registration this year, the team had to bring five players up from the novice level (ages 9 and 10) to compete. On top of that challenge, three of their 15 players were playing lacrosse for their first season.
But still, the girls persisted.
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Throughout the season, which runs April to June, the team had one practice and two or three games per week. There were a few occasions where they played games with a short bench when schedule conflicts or injuries prevented the girls from playing.
For some of those games, the Rebels only had about half their bench, with just six runners and a goalie available. Each player had to pull their weight, and then some.
But those challenges didn’t stop them from putting in a strong performance. The Surrey Rebels knocked out the Port Coquitlam Saints and the Burnaby Lakers in round-robin play to earn their ticket to the provincial championships, which took place in Nanaimo from July 11 to 14.
They then battled their way to the bronze medal game, where they took the Coquitlam Adanacs 12–8.
“We are so proud of our girls on how hard and well they played together as a team,” said Piper.
“Their sportsmanship, generosity, and determination did not go unnoticed.”
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