YORKTON - Three area lacrosse players are on the recently announced Saskatchewan U18 field roster.
Josh Johnson of Yorkton is one of three goaltenders on the roster while Xage Miraflor and Toby Olynyk from Sturgis have been named as midfielders.
Miraflor said it’s just great to make the roster given the talent in the province in particular in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
“There a lot of lacrosse players (there). They’re pretty descent,” he said.
Johnson responded to being asked about his selection rather succinctly.
“I’m pretty pumped,” he said.
“I’m excited about it,” offered Olynyk, adding he’s just looking forward to playing.
Johnson, 17, made the team as a netminder, a position he admitted initially he had little interest in.
“I didn’t want to play goalie . . . but my coach threw me in there,” he said. “I enjoyed it. I sort of took to it.”
It probably helped Johnson also plays goal in hockey, although there he gets to wear a lot more protective padding than when guarding a field lacrosse net.
It’s “the same hand-eye coordination,” he said, adding it helps to “not be afraid to get hit sometimes.”
So what does Miraflor, 16, feels he brings to the field?
“I’m pretty good on face-offs . . . Pretty quick and I can dodge and score,” he offered.
Asked as a face-off player what he thought of former Saskatchewan Rush fan favourite Jeremy Thompson, known for his work in the face-off circle, Miraflor said he certainly followed him, then added, “The Thompsons, they’re actually all good.”
Olynyk has been part of the Saskatchewan program for a few years, meaning he is a veteran on the squad, and with that comes some added responsibility.
“We have a young core,” he said, adding he know his role is “to make sure everybody is focused in practice, that they’re there to play lacrosse.”
As for his own contribution to the team, Johnson summed it up in one word “offence” then elaborated farther. “I can run, shoot, pass, move the ball, create space,” he added.
The team will head to Fredericton, N.B. for the national U18 championship Sept. 2-4, to compete for the First Nations Cup. The U15 Alumni Cup will be contested at the same time.
The trip east will be big for the team.
“It will be a pretty good experience,” said Miraflor.
Johnson reiterated he was “pretty pumped,” adding “I’ve never been that far from home before.”
