Eagles come back after loss

After a loss to start the Kanehsatake Eagles’ first competitive season in 30 years, the team enjoyed a breakthrough weekend, bouncing back to earn a dominant victory in their second game.

The team lost their first match 6-3 to the Mascouche Kodiaks before responding with a strong 10-1 win over the Ottawa Black Sheep, highlighting their offensive power and chemistry as a team.

“I think everybody knows that we have a good team, a good offense,” said player Shawn Boudrias. “But I think we took the Mascouche Kodiaks a little bit lightly at the beginning.”

Boudrias explained that the Eagles struggled early against Mascouche, who went strong early in the game and forced the Eagles into playing defense.

“They started off pretty strong, and they capitalized on the goals that they needed,” said Boudrias. “Then we started rushing to try and get back into the game.”

According to Kyle Atkwiroton Canatonquin, the Eagles’ team organizer, another issue in the first game was discipline. The Eagles spent roughly 30 minutes in the penalty box during the 6-minute contest, preventing the team from settling into their game plan.

“That’s part of the reason why we lost,” said Canatonquin. “It was very undisciplined, and it was a rough game.”

Despite the disappointing result, Canatonquin said that the team regrouped before their second game and addressed the issues in the locker room.

“After the first game, we had a talk about how we’re way better than this, and we could do so much better,” said Canatonquin.

The team rallied behind those words, and the Eagles controlled possession early and tightened defense in the game against the Ottawa Black Sheep.

“Our offense took the ball, settled the game down, made plays, and scored,” said Boudrias. “Our defense was strong, bringing the ball up for offense, and our goalie was solid.”

For Boudrias, one of the standout moments in the games was when teammate Lucas Diabo scored.

“He grabbed the ball from the middle, deked three people and scored,” said Boudrias. “It was probably one of the best goals I saw.”

This weekend was also a milestone for Boudrias, a professional hockey player who was at one time drafted by the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. This was Boudrias’s third time playing an official lacrosse game.

“Everybody came up to me and said, ‘you should play lacrosse this year,’” said Boudrias. “My first couple of games were hard because I didn’t know where to go, and the play was fast. But by my third game, I played really well.”

Boudrias said the transition from hockey to lacrosse, while straightforward, still required some adjustments.

“In hockey, if you’re tired, you just stop skating and glide,” said Boudrias. “But in lacrosse, if you stop running, you’re just stuck there.”

“Every time there was a big play, you just heard all the fans screaming,” said Canatonquin.

“It’s a big community effort,” said Canatonquin.

The Eagles have several weeks before returning in June, giving the team time to build on the momentum from their win against the Ottawa Black Sheep.

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Fern Marmont, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter