For the first time ever, a U11 field lacrosse team will represent Penticton on the provincial stage.
The U11 Penticton Heat are going to Maple Ridge this weekend for the 2022-2023 provincial championships, after posting a dominant 13-1 regular-season record.
“They really gelled, came together and pushed through to have this amazing season,” said Kate Trahan, the team’s manager.
The Heat battled teams from Kelowna and Kamloops during the season, before earning the right to represent British Columbia’s Interior on the province’s biggest junior-lacrosse stage from Feb. 3 to 5.
Penticton will be among the 17 participating teams in this weekend’s tournament, with a vast majority of those based on the Lower Mainland.
“The kids are super excited,” said Trahan. “We love lacrosse and to see kids from the Okanagan get to do something like this and represent is just awesome.”
The Heat are set to play U11 teams from Langley, Victoria, Richmond and Mission in the tournament’s preliminary round.
All medal games will be played on Sunday, Feb. 5, in Maple Ridge.
Off the field, leaders from Penticton Minor Lacrosse Association have spent the winter introducing the sport to students at Carmi and Witlse elementary schools during physical education classes.
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