Lydia Sutton Playing in the Women's Lacrosse World Cup

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!

Team Canada

Lydia Sutton and Dana Dobbie

An exchange with the Netherlands team - they were always in bright orange, and they gave us these cool orange shades!

 Read a previous write-up and view more photos below:

US Lacrosse U-15 National Championships

Minnesota Elite is proud to have a U-15 team representing the Central Division at the U-15 National Championship tournament in Orlando, Florida this week.  We finished as a semifinalist in the Central Division Championships, earning a spot at this big event.

Day 1: Tour of beautiful Rollins College in Winter Park. Rollins also has a very strong women's lacrosse program, competing at the Division II level.  MN Elite Girls frequently plays against their club team RC Elite, and it's always a great competition.  Coach Dennis Short spent time with our MN Elite team, providing a campus tour and a great talk on playing lacrosse in college. 

MN Elite U-15 team at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando

Games begin!

Chalk talk with Coach Judy after the team's win over Louisville Premier in their first game of the tournament

U-15 Team at Sea World

With SHAMU at Sea world

IWLCA Capital Cup

MN Elite Girls is wrapping up the high school recruiting tournament summer season with a team of mixed ages at the IWLCA Capital Cup.  Our team is comprised of '14, '15, '16 players playing in the highest level of competition in the Open Division.  Our competition is stiff, as this is the last big tournament of the summer:

• Sky Walkers (Baltimore - and always a very strong opponent)
• RC Elite (Rollins College Elite team from Florida - another strong team for us!)
• Carolina Fever (coming out of UNC territory - enough said!)
• Ultimate (Pennsylvania's lacrosse hotbed)

Day 1 Thursday: After cancelled flights, re-routing flights, and splitting up the team, the team finally arrives in Richmond.  It doesn't take Coach Judy long to get a practice organized at Trinity Episcopal College in Richmond (Thank-you!!). Although the tournament begins tomorrow, our team starts competition on Saturday.

Day 2 Friday: Games begin tomorrow.  Another practice, getting ready for our stiff competition, as MN Elite is in the strongest competition in the Open Division.

Earlier today the team toured Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, a national liberal arts college and the alma mater of our own Coach Lori Cochran! Also on the tour was beautiful University of Richmond, a liberal arts university next door to the tournament location.

And of course - Coach Judy personally knows Carol Estes, whom the athletic park is named after at Randolph-Macon College.

MN Elite '16 players Kendall Kozikowski, Ali Barian, and Angie Bodine

The beautiful University of Richmond campus!

We could never do the tournaments that we do without great leadership - in coaching and in chaperones.  Capital Cup families and Minnesota Elite Girls give a big THANK YOU to: chaperone Mark Menzuber, Coach Linda Hokr, Coach Judy Baxter, chaperone Jessica Barian and chaperone Martha Dayton

Day 3: Saturday - 2 games today - let the games begin!

MN Elite '16 players Kelly Wolfe and Ellie Ankeny are ready for the first game - GO ELITE!

Jenny Bren, Olivia Nolan, and Collins Grant - our stars in stripes!

Day 3: Sunday
Last 2 games today, then back to Minnesota.

MN Elite Girls at Western Cup

This weekend Minnesota Elite Girls sent 3 high school teams to compete in the IWLCA Western Cup lacrosse tournament in Denver, CO.  Our '14, '15, '16 teams competed in this first-ever Western Cup tournament, IWLCA's first tournament west of the Mississippi! Our teams have come a long way in 3 years - and our strength as a lacrosse program, with talented players and strong coaches, was evident in the way we played

Group photo of MN Elite '14, '15, '16 teams

Day 1 (Thursday): Tour of University of Colorado 

U of Colorado Buffalo lacrosse commit Anna Johnson ('14) and sister Abbie ('19)

Folsom Field - U of Colorado in Boulder!

  

Day 2 (Friday): Teams practice in preparation for the games to begin tomorrow - and getting used to playing in the high altitude. Next up, a tour of University of Denver and an excellent college coach talk from the DU Pioneers coaching staff!

Tour of University of Denver

Day 3 (Saturday): Let the games begin!

MN Elite '16 players ready for their first IWLCA tournament competition!

'14 team in action

After morning games, heavy rains/wind came through - games cancelled, fields flooded, Sunday's games scrambling to find dry fields. The tournament was quick to respond and handled this sudden disaster well.

Day 4 (Sunday):

MN Elite '15 team visiting Regis University in Denver

Paintball excursion with '15 Team and a team from Chicago - FUN!

Coaches Laura, Judy, Linda, Ana, and Makenna

'14 girls showing their stuff!