OTTAWA - The Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) and Dean French, Team Canada Chairman, are proud to announce Canada's roster for the upcoming Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) U19 Men's Lacrosse World Championship taking place July 7-16, 2016 in Coquitlam, B.C.
"We knew choosing these 24 young men was going to be a challenge. It took a lot of deliberation and careful discussion about the things we thought our team needed to compete for a world championship," said Team Canada head coach Taylor Wray (Edmonton, AB; Saint Josephs University). "In the end, we tried to select the best team possible. This process is very different from simply choosing an all-star team. There are certainly all-star caliber players that were not selected and that speaks to the depth of talent our country has been able to produce."
As Dave Huntley, CLA Director of Men's Field Program explained, the process of selecting the team began over a year ago.
"We started with the over 200 tryout applications, and through our selection camp and exhibition game versus Team USA, it was clear to us that the grassroots programs in Canada are producing not just talented athletes, but terrific young people. Our staff is very fortunate to have had so many good choices available to them as they assembled this team."
The following 24 players - including one each from nearby Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam - have been named to Team Canada. Players on the final roster come from three provinces: Ontario (19), B.C. (4) and Alberta (1).
Name / Position / Minor Association / Junior Team
Caelahn Bullen / Goal / Calgary, Alta. / Calgary (ALA)
Kyle Hebert / Goal / Burlington, Ont. / Oakville (OLA)
Drake Porter / Goal / Aurora, Ont. / Newmarket (OLA)
Mathieu Boissonneault / Defense / Whitby, Ont. / Whitby (OLA)
Jeffrey Henrick / Defense / Orangeville, Ont. / Orangeville (OLA)
Kyle Kolwich / Defense / Oakville, Ont. / Oakville (OLA)
Ryland Rees / Defense / Port Coquitlam, B.C. / Port Coquitlam (BCLA)
Robert Stovel / Defense / Fergus, Ont. / Toronto (OLA)
Jackson Suboch / Defense / Mimico, Ont. / Mimico (OLA)
Riley Curtis / Midfield / Brampton, Ont. / Brampton (OLA)
Jonathan Donville / Midfield / Oakville, Ont. / Mimico (OLA)
Dalton Follows Midfield / Oakville, Ont. / Oakville (OLA)
Mackenzie Iaccoca / Midfield / Guelph, Ont. / Guelph (OLA)
Justin Inacio / Face-Off and Midfield / Oakville, Ont. / Burlington (OLA)
Matthew Kim / Face-Off and Midfield / Oakville, Ont. / Oakville (OLA)
Marshall King / Midfield / Victoria, B.C. / Victoria (BCLA)
John Wagner / Midfield / St. Davids, Ont. / Niagara (OLA)
Tre LeClaire / Midfield / Surrey, B.C./ Delta (BCLA)
Clarke Petterson / Midfield / Mimico, Ont. / Brampton (OLA)
Ben French / Attack / Brampton, Ont. / Oakville (OLA)
Ryan Lanchbury / Attack / Burlington, Ont. / Burlington (OLA)
Thomas Semple / Attack / Coquitlam, B.C. / Coquitlam (BCLA)
Jeff Teat / Attack / Brampton, Ont. / Brampton (OLA)
Ethan Walker / Attack / Peterborough, Ont. / Peterborough (OLA)
"I want to congratulate the players on the final roster," Wray said.. "It is a tremendous honor and major accomplishment. There is no greater achievement in sports than to be able to represent your country at international competition. With the team now selected, we've taken the first step and the journey to achieve our goal of winning a world championship can begin."
This group of young men from across the country will proudly wear the maple leaf as they take the field this summer in hopes of continuing the international success that their Team Canada counterparts have had in recent years. In 2015, Team Canada claimed gold at both the U19 Women's World Championship and the Men's World Indoor Lacrosse Championship.
The USA has dominated the U19 Men's World Championship since its inception in 1988, claiming the gold medal in each of the seven events. Team Canada, which has remained competitive taking home a total of six silver medals, will look to unseat the American's atop the podium in 2016. Canada will compete against a large contingent of teams, including newcomers Taiwan, Hong Kong, Colombia, Ireland, and Israel, along with mainstays USA, the Iroquois, Finland, Australia, England, and Germany.
"This is an important achievement in each of these athlete's careers. We know they are grateful for the support and leadership of their families, communities and teammates" commented Dave Huntley. "We are confident they will represent Canada well, on and off the field, when we compete for a World Championship in Coquitlam this July."
