Eagles stay confident despite losses

The Kanehsatake Eagles had a challenging weekend and are riding a four-game losing streak, yet confidence remains high in the Senior C lacrosse team, as it gears up for the final regular season jamboree before the playoffs.

Due to injury and scheduling conflicts, the team played with a significantly reduced roster. The Eagles travelled to Gatineau on June 20 with only 11 players, well below their 18-player lineup. The short bench added to the difficulty of the league’s jamboree format, where teams play two games in a single day.

The first game was against the West Bay Bombers, who were also shorthanded with just 10 players. The contest appeared headed toward a lopsided win after the Eagles fell behind 7-2 by the end of the first period.

Yet, the Eagles nearly mounted an impressive comeback.

They scored five goals in the second period to tie the game at 7-7 and forced overtime.

The comeback fell short, however, as the West Bay Bombers scored in overtime, ending the game 8-7.

The second game was against the Kahnawake Sturgeon Bellies, who had a full roster of players. Despite being outnumbered, the Eagles kept the game competitive before ending in a 6-3 loss for the team.

Kyle Atkwiroton Canatonquin, the Eagles’ team organizer, said that despite the results being disappointing, it was still exciting to play against familiar teams.

“It was fun,” said Canatonquin. “We’re all friends with those guys. There was still competition, but we were just joking around on the floor. They’re both clean teams, and we’re very evenly-matched.”

This weekend’s losses added to the Eagles’ current losing streak, but Canatonquin said none of the defeats have been one-sided, and he believes the team is close to turning things around.

“I know our team is good, we’re competitive, but we just can’t find a win right now,” said Canatonquin. “I know we can still come out with a couple of wins before the season’s done.”

The challenges of Senior C lacrosse have also contributed to the team’s struggles. Regular practices are difficult to organize as players try to balance lacrosse with careers, families, and other responsibilities.

“It’s tough because we’re all older now. We aren’t young anymore, so doing things like playing two games in one day is tough,” said Canatonquin.

Canatonquin added that without regular practices, much of the team’s chemistry is built during the games.

“We had a lot of chances on net,” said Canatonquin. “We felt like we’re building chemistry, we believe we’re a playoff team.”

The final regular-season jamboree takes place this weekend, with games against the Boisbriand Bulls and Kahnawake Sturgeon Bellies. After that, playoffs begin, with every team in the league qualifying. Scores during the regular-season jamborees determine playoff matchups, with the lowest-scoring team being matched against the highest-scoring team.

“What matters is what we do in the playoffs,” said Canatonquin. “We’re still optimistic. We’re still out there trying to get our wins.”

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Fern Marmont, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter