Several Orillia field lacrosse players are set to represent Ontario on the international stage this summer.
Eight members of the Orillia Lady Kings U15 team will play for Team Ontario. Lady Kings head coach Doug Noganosh says it’s a dream come true for the players, who have been working their way up to this level since they were five years old.
“For the size of Orillia compared to the Oshawas, Oakvilles and Haltons, I think we’ve made out really well,” he said. “This is helping grow girls’ field lacrosse here in Orillia.”
Seven of the eight players are Marchmont Public School students and have been selected to participate in the Ontario Summer Games in Mississauga in July.
Ava Rouse, 14, who plays defence, has been chosen to play for Team Ontario’s select U15 team.
“I started lacrosse two years ago,” she said. “I started behind a lot of the other girls, but this shows that I’ve worked really hard for it.”
With Team Ontario, Rouse hopes to grow as a player. Her long-term goal is to play Division 1 NCAA lacrosse in the United States.
Midfielder Evynn Stanford is a Grade 7 student at Shanty Bay Public School. She says making Team Ontario’s select team is a “big deal” for her.
“This is my first time trying out,” she said. “I’m hoping to excel and learn more about lacrosse.”
Stanford has her eyes on playing Division 1 for Ohio State someday.
Jessica Noganosh, 14, who plays defence, says making the provincial select team means a lot after she was cut during her first tryout last year.
“I realized how much harder I wanted to work,” she said. “I’m super happy to be on the team this year.”
She hopes to become a better team player with Team Ontario. Her ultimate goal is to play for as long as she can and compete at the college or university level.
Joining her is her sister, Rayne Noganosh, 12, who will play defence for the U13 team and expects to frequently get called up to the U15 select team.
“It’s really important to me because it’s my first year trying out for Team Ontario,” she said. “Especially as a U13 player, this is a really important opportunity for me.”
She says playing against older and more experienced players makes her feel excited for her future in the sport. She hopes to keep up with the high competition this year and stand out as a team player. One day, she wants to play for Stetson University.
The U15 select team is set to compete in a Towson, Md., tournament this summer.
Midfield attacker Jadyn Maracle, 14, has been selected for the Team Ontario U15 girls’ team.
“Last year, I got cut from the team after the third tryout,” she said. “I realized how hard I had to work to be in the position I’m in now.”
Maracle hopes to play Division 1 lacrosse someday for either Boston College or the University of North Carolina.
Joining Maracle is attacker and midfielder Ryley Black, 14. Aside from the Orillia Lady Kings, Black plays with the Barrie Bombers box lacrosse team. She is one of just four players in the province to be selected to both the field and box lacrosse squads for Team Ontario.
“I got cut in the second tryout last year,” she said. “It gave me a lot of fuel to show how much harder I needed to work and how much of an improvement I needed to make for the next year.”
Her future goal is to play Division 1 lacrosse for either Maryland or Duke.
Makenna Maracle, 14, who is a midfielder and plays defence, was cut during the first tryout last year.
“I tried really hard to make it this year,” she said. “It’s a good feeling to actually do it.”
Maracle hopes to “make it far” with field lacrosse and someday land with the University of North Carolina.
Goaltender Ali Rolston will join her Marchmont Public School classmates on Team Ontario’s U15 team this summer.
The U15 team is set to compete in a Towson, Md., tournament during the 2022 World Lacrosse Womans Championships later this summer. They will also play in the Fall Premier Showcase in Bel Air, Md., in October and the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Debut recruiting tournament in Dallas, Texas, in November.
