For the first time since 2014, the 麻豆精选 Raiders are Rowcliff Cup champions.
After seven long years and a coupled cancelled seasons, the Raiders are back on top as they beat the Kamloops Rattlers in the best-of-three series 2-1.
鈥淚t feels great, especially being my first year full-time playing with the team,鈥� said team captain Andrew Garant. 鈥溌槎咕� has had such great opportunities to win this cup in the past and it was nice after seven long years of not winning to bring one back to 麻豆精选.鈥�
The Raiders dominated all season long, including a perfect 8-0 regular season. In those eight games, they had a goal differential of +64 (101 goals for, 37 goals against). They lost their first game in the final series when Kamloops won game two.
鈥淜amloops gave us a little bit of a run in the finals,鈥� said Garant. 鈥淚t was a little bit of a wake-up call. We needed to turn it up an extra notch so when it came down to game three, that鈥檚 exactly what we did.鈥�
And that is what they did, beating Kamloops 16-9 in game three to win the Rowcliff Cup. Garant, who was the league鈥檚 leading scorer, but didn鈥檛 score in a game for the first time all season in game two against Kamloops.
He was back to his usual self in game three.
On top of winning the championship, Garant dominated the Thompson-Okanagan Senior Lacrosse League. In 11 games (regular season and playoffs), he collected 96 points.
鈥淚 had a really good year,鈥� said Garant. 鈥淚鈥檝e been fortunate enough to play with some really good players on this 麻豆精选 team.鈥�
He also told Capital News during the season how excited he was back to be playing lacrosse again after it was shut down like most sports during the pandemic.
鈥淚 was hungry and I wanted to score goals,鈥� said Garant. 鈥淚 wanted to lead in goals, assist and points so those were personal goals that I had on myself that was nice to achieve.鈥�
Halfway through the season, captain Sean Blake gave the captaincy to Garant, who鈥檚 already looking forward to next year.
鈥淚鈥檒l be back,鈥� said Garant. 鈥淚鈥檓 ready to stay here long-term and I told our general manager this trophy is going to stay here for five, ten years now.鈥�
While he wants to help his team succeed, it鈥檚 bigger than that for Garant. He wants local junior and minor lacrosse to see this and grow the game.
鈥淚 want 麻豆精选 minor to see this and the junior team to see that we play good lacrosse and it鈥檚 fun to win and to put in a little bit of hard work isn鈥檛 a bad thing either,鈥� said Garant. 鈥淚 want to grow the sport, not only in 麻豆精选 but in the Okanagan.鈥�
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