Local lacrosse scene now includes rep, inter-city teams

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

Over the past eight years, the West Island Lacrosse Association (WILA) has worked doggedly yet with little notice to develop a program that offers area athletes another option.

As a result, lacrosse has managed to take its place among the big three spring/summer sports of soccer, baseball, and football, and this year will prove no different. In fact, WILA has even decided to expand its brand, offering elite players at the peewee, bantam and midget levels a chance to play for rep or inter-city teams.

“The idea behind organizing the three rep teams came from the Quebec Lacrosse Federation,” said WILA president Bruce McCullogh. “Every year the association likes to put together provincial teams at the peewee, bantam and midget levels, so what they’re looking to do this year is have a regional league made up of three teams, including West Island, Kahnawake and Sherbrooke. Those three teams will play in a league among themselves, and the best players at all levels will be chosen to play for provincial teams that would go to the Canadian championships.”

McCullogh said the midget West Island club would be called the Shamrocks, but the peewee and bantam squads have yet to choose team names. Each side will play out of the Dorval Arena, and could also include players from the St. Lazare/Île Perrot-based Far West Lacrosse Association.

As far as the WILA house league is concerned, McCullogh admitted registration is a bit behind what it was last year.

“We’re not finished with our registration though,” he said. “Last year we had around 175 kids, and we haven’t reached that number yet. I’m confident we’ll get close to it, though.”

He added that, as of now, enough players have registered to form one novice, two peewee, two bantam and three midget teams, while an intermediate team is still in the works. All these teams will play a nine-week schedule that will be integrated to include teams from the Far West association.

If you’d like to register your child to play lacrosse this spring and summer, there is still time. You can call McCullogh at 514-626-2446.