Kanehsata’kehró:non ball at LAXNAI
Utica, New York, was the place to be last weekend, as laxers from across Turtle Island showed up to compete at LAXNAI – the 2024 North American Invitational lacrosse tournament.
The October 17-20 event attracted a host of Kanehsata’kehró:non in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, with Ava Weriasanoron Gabriel’s team – Skywomen Ascend – going undefeated and taking home the gold after beating BP Lawyers in the finals.
While that game saw a tight first period, which finished in a 1-1 tie, Skywomen Ascend went on a tear in the second, scoring four in a row for a 5-1 victory; only two periods are played in each game.
“It felt good to win,” Gabriel said. “I feel over the last couple months falling behind in second and third had been tough, so picking up a tournament win felt good.”
Gabriel scored two goals in the tournament with one assist for a top-20 finish on the leaderboard.
One highlight of the tournament was the chance for Gabriel to go up against a former coach, Selena Beauvais, who played with Identity Lacrosse.
“It was nice to be playing on the same floor as someone from back home. I’ve never had the chance to play Selena or even with her,” said Gabriel.
Skywomen Ascend took that match 5-1.
“Playing against a lot of my teammates over the past years and being able to finally play against Ava, it was truly so much fun,” said Beauvais. “I only played once this year in the States, so I’ve been missing lacrosse. I love the game and hope to play more.”
Beauvais had a strong tournament, scoring three goals on top of three assists. Her assists were missing from her official stats, but she still finished 11th overall on the leaderboard.
Her team had a decent showing as well, finishing in fifth place out of eight, with a 5-3 victory over Tri-City in their last game of the tournament. Beauvais scored what turned out to be the game-winning fourth goal in that matchup.
“Overall, it was a great tournament, great atmosphere, and I love how our game is growing!” Beauvais said.
Gabriel’s brother, Logan Gabriel, played U18 lacrosse with ECE Select, with a fourth-place finish after a 9-3 loss in the bronze-medal match against Loggers LC.
Meanwhile, Owen Rice, Vincent Cree, and Kyle Atkwiroton Canatonquin competed in the crowded men’s division, which included 30 teams.
Rice played on the roster of Club24HEAT, which earned a bronze-medal finish in a close 5-4 finish over the Seneca Marksmen.
“Owen had a great time with a very good roster,” said Rice’s dad, David Rice, who made it out to Utica for the tournament.
“The outcome wasn’t what they were hoping for, but considering the team was short-benched, they fought hard to get the bronze medal.”
Owen had seven goals and two assists at the tournament, putting him 13th on the men’s leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Cree’s Wolfpack team secured a sixth-place finish after falling to the Akwesasne Bucks 9-6 in a battle for fifth place.
“It was an amazing tournament. I’m really happy about my team’s performance,” Cree said. “We had some really tight games, some tough losses, but it’s all good.”
He said he’s expecting his team to move up a bracket next year for play that will be even more competitive. No matter the bracket, LAXNAI offers a unique experience for lacrosse players to connect.
“It’s always fun to play the game with and against some friends,” Cree said.
Canatonquin, who played on Team Greece, also had a good experience.
“It was great! I missed playing lacrosse and felt good to be back on the floor,” said Canatonquin, who’s been away from the game since 2015.
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He coached the U11 Kanesatake Warriors team this past summer and started training again himself ahead of a tryout held by the Ottawa Black Bears, a National Lacrosse League (NLL) team looking for more free agents to join their camp.
Another player who tried out for the team invited Canatonquin to join the Team Greece roster and take part in competitive lacrosse again for the first time in years.
“A moment that stuck out for me was the minute I stepped out on the floor and started warming up for the game, all those old feelings of pre-game jitters and excitement started to come back again,” said Canatonquin. “To me, I felt like a part of my life was missing since being away from the game.”
Team Greece faced tough competition but managed to steal a 6-5 win over Akwesasne A1A. “The game was really close and could have gone either way. Also, during the handshake line, I realized one of my former teammates was on that team, so it was cool to catch up a little bit with him,” he said.
Although Kanesatake had a strong contingent at this year’s LAXNAI, Beauvais urges community members who have never participated to think about joining a squad for next year’s event.
“If you’re second guessing about trying it out, just do it,” she said. “I promise you’re going to grow to love the game! It’s medicine.”
