Big opportunities for Kanesatake lacrosse

Two coaches and a player from the Kanehsatake Warriors will be making their way to the Maritimes in the month of August.

Kyle Atkwiroton Canatonquin has been named the head coach for Team Quebec’s U15 team heading to the Minor Box Lacrosse Nationals in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while Selena Beauvais has been named an assistant coach for Team Quebec U17 squad at the Canada Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, with Skanaie:’a Serena Ionescu in net for the team.

Canatonquin said he’s happy to get the opportunity to be head coach at Nationals because of a missed opportunity in his youth.

He had tried out for and made Team Quebec for the Nationals but had to miss what he called a “major” practice.

“It was the night of my prom,” said Canatonquin.

“Then the coach cut me, so I never actually got to go to Nationals.”

This past season was his third coaching in the Warriors’ association, with this being his first chance to coach at a countrywide level.

He said he had been speaking to Lacrosse Quebec, after they had noticed last year’s strong performance during the season and at provincials by the U11 Warriors, so he knew he was in the mix for a spot on the coaching staff.

“I had a good feeling I would be named maybe assistant or offensive or defensive coordinator. I didn’t think I would be named head coach, so that was a surprise to me,” said Canatonquin.

With a young team and other first-time coaches, Canatonquin is going into the tournament with an open mind, results-wise.

“I don’t feel like the stakes are really high,” said Canatonquin.

“We know the game of lacrosse, we know what we’ve been showing the kids, so I don’t really feel any pressure.”

That being said, he thinks the team he and the rest of the coaching staff put together could have a strong showing.

“I see a very determined group, and I think we can make a big impact on Nationals this year, because in past years, Quebec hasn’t really been competitive,” said Canatonquin.

Beauvais, who is in her first year of coaching, is also not putting too much pressure on herself as an assistant coach at the Canada Games.

“I’m there to learn. It doesn’t matter about the score or how far they go, I’m there to learn while having a fun experience,” she said.

Ionescu, who had been away from organized lacrosse since the start of the pandemic before playing for the U15 Warriors this year, did not expect to be named to the team at all.

“It was shocking,” said Ionescu.

“It’s a great honour, and I’m very glad to have been picked.”

She has only had one practice so far with the team, but the goaltender can already see it is a higher calibre than anything she’s played before.

“It’s a lot faster, we’re moving a lot faster, the shots are a lot harder,” said Ionescu.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn and take things I can go back to my home team with.”

Her mother, Ami-Lee Trentin Hannaburg, said that she didn’t tell her about the scouts in the stands when they were there, to not make her daughter nervous.

“We wanted to just let her play,” said Trentin Hannaburg.

After talking about whether Ionescu could go due to other obligations during the summer - discussions Ionescu was a part of, something important to Trentin Hannaburg - it was decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“We jumped at the opportunity. We’ll always be her biggest cheerleaders,” said Trentin Hannaburg.

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