Four members of the Barrie Minor Lacrosse Association made history on Saturday by capturing the Dorothy Robertson U17 Women's Canadian Women's Box Lacrosse Championship during a tournament in western Canada.
Team Ontario, which included Barrie Bombers Ryley Black, Morgan Lowe, Leighton Therrien, and Jorja Whalen, defeated British Columbia, 5-2, to capture the national championship in Regina, Sask.
Black and Whalen were among the tournament’s top scorers, each earning a player of the game honour during the seven-game preliminary round. Therrien provided exceptional defence and was called upon in the final minutes of the gold-medal game to shut down the high-powered British Columbia offence.
Lowe posted a remarkable 0.75 goals-against average and three shutouts in her four starts, going 189 minutes and more than three straight games (versus Nova Scotia, Manitoba and New Brunswick) without allowing a goal. Her goaltending partner, Chloe Chalmers of Gloucester, also posted a shutout. Together they led Team Ontario to a 1.75 goals-against average, which is believed to be a record for nationals.
For Black, Lowe and Whalen, it was a second trip to the podium. Along with Bomber Willow Davidson, the three girls won the U15 National Championship last year in Langley, B.C.
Bombers Mia Craftchick (U22) and Kaelyn Drennan (U13) will also be returning with medals, as their teams captured silver for Ontario in the U22 and U13 age groups.
