Last week, the best teams from Junior A Lacrosse were in Calgary for the Minto Cup National Championships. 

Among the four teams participating were the host Calgary Mountaineers which featured Airdrie player Mike Halladay.

Mike Halladay (centre) battles against the Okotoks Raiders in the Minto Cup (Photo Courtesy: Gord Norrie)

Halladay looks back on the experience that he’s dreamed about since he was young.

“I’ve loved that tournament ever since I was a kid. Watching the teams in B.C. and Ontario play, it was an unreal experience to be able to play those guys and it was an honour to step on the field with some of the great Lacrosse players such as Jeff Teat and have the experience to be out there.”

Unfortunately, the Mountaineers didn’t advance to the playoffs of the Minto Cup losing their final game 10-6 to the Okotoks Raiders.

The Coquitlam Adanacs would capture the title in the best of five series over the Brampton Excelsiors.

For Halladay, he says playing against the strong competition from Ontario and B.C. actually gave a boost to his game.

“You start to see what other people saw when they start scoring on you and start understanding the game a little more from their point of view and seeing what is different compared to what you’ve been looking at.”

One of the best parts about playing in the tournament was being close to home as all games were held at Calgary’s Max Bell Centre.

“Everyone that you love and that you’re close to especially my grandparents, my family, they could all come to watch,” says Halladay, “They were there to experience what I’m experiencing for the first time and it was nice to have them there and have the support.”

Max Bell also played host to this year’s National Midget Championship where three local players won the Gold Medal with Team Alberta.

Halladay says it’s amazing to see that Lacrosse in Airdrie and Rocky View is taking off.

“It’s really cool to go from a town that used to not be very good and used to get pummeled in Lacrosse, to being a town that sends out some serious athletes to different parts, to schools, to play good Lacrosse and win gold medals.”

Halladay is now back at school at Greensboro College in North Carolina, where they will start their regular season in February.

READ MORE:

Local Lacrosse Players Are National Champions

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