New West athletes represented China, Germany and Canada at the recent World Box Lacrosse Championships.
Held in Utica, New York from Sept. 20 to 29, the men’s competition featured teams from 28 countries.
On the men’s side, Canada won gold after defeating USA 13-7 in the finals. Josh Byrne, who grew up playing lacrosse in New Westminster, was on the Team Canada roster and racked up more than 25 points in the tournament.
Ben Stewart and Keegan Melenychuk, who grew up playing lacrosse together in the New West, also played in the tournament. Stewart played for Team China while Melenychuk was a goalie for Team Germany.
“They grew up playing together in the New West minor lacrosse association, but each have familial roots in other countries, and those countries came calling,” said Rob Stewart (Ben’s father) in an email to the Record.
According to Stewart, Germany went into the tournament ranked 10th in the world by World Lacrosse, the governing body. Backstopped by Melenychuk and his goaltending partner, Germany posted a solid 4-3 overall record and maintained its10th-place world ranking.
Melenychuk, a former New Westminster Jr. A Salmonbellie, thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play for Team Germany.
"This has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life,” he said in a statement to the Record. “I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new teammates and coaches and being on this journey with them."
While China was not expected to do very well, Stewart said the team got stronger and more inspired as the tournament programs. After kicking off the tournament with a lop-sided loss to Ireland, China went on to beat countries that were ranked higher.
Ben Stewart was the leading scorer for Team China, scoring almost half of the team’s goals.
“Playing at the World Box Lacrosse Championships has been an amazing experience for both myself and China Lacrosse,” he said in a statement to the Record. “It was my first international lacrosse tournament, and the first time China has ever appeared at the WBLC.”
Stewart said his favourite moment of the tournament was when China notched its first-ever box lacrosse win. He said China played Poland and battled back and forth before scoring the winning goal with two seconds left to play.
“It is also inspiring to see how many nations are attending this tournament. During the opening ceremonies, with all the teams and athletes gathered together, we were able to appreciate the impact that our sport has on a global scale,” he said. “Lacrosse, which has been predominantly played in Canada, has spread around the world, and it is exciting to watch this growth first-hand. It is incredible to see how many athletes share a love for our sport and how they continue to fuel its development."
This year’s event also marked the inaugural women’s World Box Lacrosse Championships. Ten women’s teams competed – with the United States beating Canada 10-7 in the final to capture the first-ever world women’s box lacrosse championship.
Here’s the final placements in the men’s and women’s championships:
Men’s:
1st – Canada; 2nd – United States; 3rd– Haudenosaunee; 4th – England; 5th – Israel; 6th – Czechia; 7th – Ireland; 8th – Japan; 9th – Finland; 10th – Germany; 11th – Australia; 12th – Netherlands; 13th – Italy; 14th – U.S. Virgin Islands; 15th – China; 16th – Slovakia; 17th – Poland; 18th – Scotland; 19th – Austria; 20th – Chinese Taipei; 21st – Hong Kong, China; 22nd – Jamaica; 23rd – Greece; 24th – Switzerland; 25th – Puerto Rico; 26th – Mexico; 27th – Belgium; and 28th – Hungary.
Women’s
1st – United States; 2nd – Canada; 3rd – Haudenosaunee; 4th – Australia; 5th – England; 6th – Germany; 7th – Netherlands; 8th – Ireland; 9th – Hong Kong, China; and 10th – Finland.
Did we miss you? If you have New West lacrosse connections and played at the championships, let us know so we can add you to the story. Email [email protected].
