TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 8/1/13
Courtesy of Minnesota Elite Girls Blog
Below is a blog entry by Minnesota Elite’s Lydia Sutton, a rising senior at The Blake School (MN) who was a member of Tam Canada, which claimed the silver medal at the recent World Cup in Oshawa, Canada.
July 22: Update from Lydia Sutton after returning home from the FIL Women’s Lacrosse World Cup, where she was on the Silver Medal Canadian Team.
What are some of your favorite memories from your World Cup experience?
Sutton:“By far, my favorite memory from the World Cup was winning the silver medal. It wasn’t the best feeling to lose, but it was such a great feeling knowing that we had made history. Another one of my favorite memories from the World Cup has to be all of our team bonding events. As a team, we hung out together a lot and played games that we made up – it was such a blast.”
How would you describe your Team Canada teammates?
Sutton: “My teammates are a different group of girls, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I really enjoy every girl on the team and I think each one brought their own special character to the team. All the girls are very fun and outgoing and everyone got along with each other so well.
Canada lost the previous 3 semi-final World Cup games. This year they beat Australia to advance to the Championship game – what was it like to win that game?
Sutton: “It was a pretty great feeling to beat Australia twice in the World Cup. Australia is always such a strong team and Team Canada has never before beaten them. To win that semifinal game, that felt great! I haven’t played in any of the past World Cups, but for those that did, I could feel the energy coming from the defeats in the last World Cups. Knowing how big of an accomplishment it was for them made me feel the same way.”
What players made a difference for you in this tournament?
Sutton: “All of the older girls were so helpful throughout the 3 weeks in Canada. I always had someone looking out for me, I always knew they had my back.”
There were 19 teams and 342 players in this World Cup. Which teams did you connect with?
Sutton: “It was so fun to meet so many girls from around the world, and interacting with them every day. We LOVED the Netherlands team! They were always wondering how we did and who’s to play next. They were a great group of girls and I am so glad I got to meet all of them.”
Did you have any fans from Minnesota cheering you on?
Sutton: “The Lakers team from MN was in Oshawa for a tournament and some of the girls that I know on that team were in the stands for a couple of games. My parents were there and were my biggest fans and supporters. I had a lot of friends, family, and MN Elite teammates keeping updated on the games and watching the online streaming of my games. I knew there were lots of people cheering for Team Canada.”
What piece of advice would you give young lacrosse players who aspire to play in the World Cup?
Sutton: “It might sound like a broken record, but just keep on practicing. The more you practice the better you will be, especially the basic fundamentals like stick-work. Work hard and follow your dreams!”
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