Hard to believe it has already been four years, but Canada is looking to stand atop the medal podium yet again. No, we’re not talking Vancouver 2010. We’ve got our eyes fixed on the World Lacrosse Championships. This is one battle that will be decided on the field.
Toronto Rock players Stephen Hoar, Phil Sanderson, Tyler Codron, Garrett Billings, and Joel Dalgarno have been invited to the 2010 Team Canada selection camp taking place this weekend from Friday, October 9 till Monday, October 12 at St. Michael’s College School in Toronto.
The five Rock members are amongst a list of 59 men vying for 23 spots on the final national roster. The team will compete in the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships in Manchester, England from July 14 to July 24, 2010.
Having already tasted Gold with Team Canada in 2006, Hoar heads into tryouts with some stiff competition.
“It will be really tough,” said Hoar. “There are four or five guys competing for my position. They are all great players that will compete hard.”
The selection camp will be a chance for the other Rock invitees to make their first appearance on Team Canada.
“A proven winner at all levels of lacrosse” according to Rock head coach Troy Cordingley, Sanderson made his professional field lacrosse debut in May with the Major League Lacrosse Toronto Nationals. As a member of the championship summer team, Sanderson traded his box short stick for the field game’s more traditional defensive long-pole.
Western Canada is represented by Billings and Dalgarno, two of the newest Rock additions. Both drafted in the first round of the National Lacrosse League 2009 Entry Draft at the beginning of September, the B.C. pair bring with them field experience from the University of Virginia and Ohio State University, respectively.
Codron, a Port Coquitlam, B.C. native, will be sidelined at tryouts due to injury. While playing football with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, Codron tore his ACL and will undergo surgery this month. The Rock picked-up the young defender with the second overall pick in the Portland LumberJax’s dispersal draft this off-season.
National tryouts will feature some other NLL familiar faces like Brodie Merrill, John Grant Jr. and Mark Steenhuis, and will be ripe with the fresh talent of youngsters Bobby Snider, Brock Sorensen and Jamie Lincoln. No matter the outcome of the selection camp, Team Canada looks to defend their title in England in the summer of 2010.
“I think it should be a close group of guys, like in ’06,” adds Hoar. “It will again be about the ‘team’ and not about any of the individual players.”
The Team Canada selection camp at St. Michael’s College School is open to the public and free of charge. Come out Saturday, October 10 and cheer on your Rock players as they work for their spot on Canada’s team. The first Red vs. White scrimmage is from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and scrimmage two will be played from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m.
For more information on the Team Canada selection camp visit their website at www.teamcanadlacrosse.com
