Several Cochrane lacrosse players will be competing on national stages on four different teams, each chasing a championship in their respective divisions.
Wyatt Viste and the Calgary Raiders captured the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL) Junior A title and will represent Alberta at the Minto Cup, Aug. 16–24 in St. Catharines, Ont.
The Raiders went 13-2 in the regular season and return to the tournament with a roster that has remained almost unchanged since last year’s run, when the young squad placed last. This time, the 18-year-old assistant captain says expectations are higher.
“Last year it was almost just an honour to get there,” said Viste, who earned his 'A' this season and came up through the Rocky View Rage minor system. “This year we’re trying to win.”
Viste has been playing lacrosse since age four, starting with the Rage before moving on to the Junior B Silvertips for one season, before being recruited by the Raiders.
Now in his second full season with the club, he has earned multiple RMLL Player of the Week honours and expects defending champion Coquitlam to be the toughest opponent.
“They’ve got the core of their team back,” he said. “But we’ve watched film, we’ve studied them. I think we’ve got a good shot.”
He says there has been no better experience than playing at the national championship at this point in his lacrosse career.
"The talent that's there, the atmosphere — everything. I remember my first game last year, playing in front of more fans than ever before. The pro scouts are there, the fans are watching you — it's definitely a really cool atmosphere to play in."
The tournament format sees each of the four teams play each other once in a round robin. The top team advances directly to the finals, while second and third play off for the other spot.
Tyler Auger, also a Rage alumnus, will take the floor with the Calgary Shamrocks at the Founders Cup, the Junior B national championship, Aug. 18–24 in Calgary. Drafted fourth overall by the Shamrocks in 2023, Auger says hosting the event is a chance to showcase Alberta talent.
“It’s a huge honour,” said the 18-year-old forward. “We want to grow the game and promote it as much as we can.”
Auger first picked up a lacrosse stick in 2016 as an off-season alternative to spring hockey and hasn’t looked back. He says the Shamrocks have built strong chemistry both on and off the floor.
“We’ve really grown together this summer,” he said. “Even outside of lacrosse we do things as a team, and that translates into our success in games.”
The Shamrocks open against Saskatchewan on Monday and will also face Ontario, B.C., New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in round-robin play.
Auger and Viste continue to promote the sport here in Cochrane with “Try Lacrosse” events for young players, something Auger calls one of the most rewarding parts of being in the sport.
“I like seeing kids find a love for the game,” he said. “It’s about growing the sport where we can.”
Meanwhile, Cochrane's Kaylee McKay is backstopping Alberta's U22 women's lacrosse team and Hannah Dicks and Tessa Bates are on the floor at nationals underway in Halifax. Alberta is in the hunt for a three-peat at nationals.
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And two younger Cochrane players are among those making their own mark.
Cooper Schmidt, 12, and Jaxon Bolibruck, 11, have been selected to represent the Jr. Roughnecks at the upcoming Jr. NLL Tournament in Oakville, Ont., which features top youth players from across North America competing under the banners of National Lacrosse League teams.
Earlier this year, Cooper and Jaxon tried out for the Jr. Roughnecks, earning their spots on the final roster after a highly competitive process against players from across Alberta.
Both played this past season with the Rocky View Rage U13A team and are proud to represent their province and community on a national stage.
We’ll be catching up with the pair upon their return.