The Interlake region was well represented on the U17 boys box lacrosse team at the 2025 Jeux du Canada Games, with three coaches and two players contributing to a strong showing in St. John’s.
From the Interlake, manager Cruz Jimenez (Selkirk) and coaches Josh Poponick (Selkirk) and Tyndall Fontaine (Sagkeeng First Nation) joined goaltender Mason Grant (Selkirk) and defender Brody Desjardins (Selkirk) as part of Team Manitoba’s roster.
The squad finished with a 5-2 record — tied for the second-best overall mark at the Games — and capped off the week with a dramatic 7-6 overtime victory over Team Quebec in the fifth-place match at Paradise Double Ice Complex.
Along the way, Manitoba thrilled fans with overtime wins against Saskatchewan and Quebec in the consolation and fifth-place matches.
As one of three Pool B teams that reached the quarterfinals, Manitoba came close to knocking off the eventual silver medallists, British Columbia, holding them scoreless through 37 minutes before falling in the quarterfinal.
Their trip to the Games was the culmination of a nearly two-year process that began with an identification camp in November 2023. Staff eventually narrowed the roster down to 36 players, then finalized the group of 18 in September 2024.
The team held practices, workouts and competed in pre-tournament events such as the Lobster Trap in Halifax and the Prairie Cup in Brandon.
For the Interlake contingent, the strong result reflected not only the players’ talent but also the commitment that carried the group through a demanding schedule.
“For a lot of these kids, it was the biggest tournament of their life and I’d say all of them took it very, very seriously,” said Jimenez. “They are all driven to want to continue to play at a high level, so I think this tournament was kind of a taste test for a lot of those guys and all of them handled it very, very well.”
The lengthy lead-up to St. John’s also helped build connections among players, ones that will last years beyond their trip to the Games.
“I think the biggest thing is a lot of these guys are going to have bonds for the rest of their life,” said Jimenez. “They’re very close, can joke around with each other, but at the same time keep it serious and know that they had goals they were working towards.”
One of those goals was leaving the program in a better place than they found it.
At these Games, all five Pool A teams had automatic quarterfinal berths, while Manitoba had to earn their place by finishing top three in Pool B.
With their fifth-place finish, Manitoba secured promotion to Pool A for the 2029 Games, where they will be guaranteed a quarterfinal spot.
By then, the roster will look completely different, with current players ageing out. Many could be playing junior or college/university lacrosse by then, after gaining exposure in St. John’s.
“We kind of stressed all year, ‘focus on your grades, focus on your grades. If you turn heads here, it’ll only make it easier,’” said Jimenez. “I’m just hoping that a lot of these guys get picked up for post-secondary education because a lot of them are doing really well in school, so that makes it easier for scholarship opportunities. There is junior in other provinces, and it’ll kind of help for post-secondary education.”
More than half the members of the 2022 Manitoba roster have gone on to do just that.
