The Delta Islanders trio of Brody Harris, Haiden Dickson and Brendan Szabo helped Canada capture gold at the 2018 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Championship in Saskatoon.
Canada capped a perfect run in the three-team tournament with a 15-10 win over Iroquois in Sunday night’s final played at Sasktel Centre. All three boys had major roles in Canada’ triumph.
Harris’ terrific performance in net not only earned him player-of-the-game honours but locked up a spot on the All-Tournament Team as well. He finished the night with 59 stops and a superb save percentage of .855 as Canada was actually outshot 69-45.
Making those numbers even more impressive were the quality of scoring chances he faced — not only stopping original shots but showcasing his quickness on rebounds as well.
Canada’s transition game produced a whopping 10 goals from defenders on the night including a hat trick from Szabo. Among them was a key momentum-changing tally after he took an outlet pass from Harris. Canada would go on to score four unanswered goals and never looked back.
Szabo finished the tournament with nine points, including four goals.
Dickson capped an outstanding championship with a pair in the final, including one in spectacular fashion as he soared through the air. His hat trick in Friday’s 16-7 win over the United Stated earned him player-of-the-game honours.
The tournament featured a round-robin format with the top two advancing the the final. Canada opened its schedule with a 26-9 win over Iroquois.
All three Delta players were named to the team from a selection process that began with a player pool of 40 identified two months ago. The roster was finalized in late July based on performance and player availability since junior “A” playoffs were ongoing across the country.
Nanaimo’s Thomas Vasen was the only other B.C. player on the Canadian roster.
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Harris was one of just two returning players from the 2016 tournament when he helped Canada West finish fourth in Six Nations.
