"This is the tournament you want to win. This is the big one."
Noah Stott might well be in his first year with the Sudbury Rockhounds, but he has already garnered a very solid grasp of the importance of the OLA (Ontario Lacrosse Association) Provincial Championships.
Count the Sudbury U13 Rockhounds among the teams in the 16-team "B" division grouping who believe they have a legitimate chance to make some noise this coming weekend in Whitby.
Winning three straight tournaments while posting a 14-0 record can give a team a little bit of confidence, apparently.
"Because we are getting into more intense games, you feel a bit of pressure," noted 12 year old speedster Jarrett Marshall. "But as a team, I feel that we can handle it. We're going to do everything we can to win it all."
The grade seven student at St Benedict Catholic Secondary School made to leap to rep lacrosse in his very first year in the sport (2022), making his fourth consecutive trip to provincials this summer.
"I learned really quick that I could use my speed to my advantage," said Marshall. "And I started with a team that was ranked pretty highly, so I knew that I had a team to back me up in case I made a mistake."
On a squad that is well recognized for the depth they possess, across the roster, in terms of scoring ability, Marshall has seen his game blossom over time.
"Personally, I like passing, but I found this year, I've started to shoot the ball a little more," he said. "I'm trying to be more aggressive with my shot - and more deceptive."
Still, with the likes of Oliver Brunetti and Kaesen Adair and a slew of other gifted scorers at his disposal, there are going to be times when Marshall will shine as the slick set-up man.
"As a passer, I want to put it on their stick side, to where they are going, making it easy for them to pick up the pass and go from there," he explained.
A complete newcomer to the sport, Noah Stott is taking this all in.
Coming from a hockey background can make things a little tricky, especially early in the year when the sports overlap.
"We're allowed to cross-check the man with the ball (in lacrosse) - and I got the cross-checking pretty quickly," said the young man who has two sisters, including a twin. "But then I had a hockey tournament the next weekend and I was cross-checking people and I had to be reminded that this was hockey, not lacrosse."
No surprise that the contact of the sport appeals to the very solidly built customer. Truth is, like in any other sport, you try and play to your strengths.
"I do like all the running," said Stott, with a smile. "I am not a very fast runner, but I still like to run. But Jarrett is way faster than me."
In the end, vets and first-timers alike understand the demands of the provincial playdowns.
"Our breakout needs to be on point - and we need to set even more picks and do the "V" cuts - but I think we're going to do well," said Stott.
The U13 Rockhounds open play with a pair of games on Friday versus the NOTL (Niagara-on-the-Lake) Thunderhawks and Centre Wellington Riverhawks and close out pool play Saturday afternoon with a match-up against the Wallaceburg Griffins. The top two teams in each of the four pools will advance to quarter-final play.
The balance of the team roster: Grayson Colton, Rohan Saidi-Smith, Wyatt Williams, Arlo Owl-McGregor, Oliver Clarke, Carter Kuczma, Clark Montgomery, Cedric Poulin, Merrick Charbonneau, Daxton Wabano, Fisher Lemieux, Karson Ferguson and Laughlin Hagen.
