Beaches Junior A Lacrosse ready for action
While the Toronto Maple Leafs work on their golf game, a group of dedicated, hard-working athletes on another Toronto sports team is preparing to turn their own luck around on the concrete at Ted Reeve Community Arena.
The Toronto Beaches Junior A Lacrosse team has had a change in management and coaching that has a number of highly experienced players coaching the team. Brodie Merrill, who has played for years in the National Lacrosse League, currently with the Philadelphia Wings, has signed on as General Manager, with fellow NLL player – and Beach resident – Ryan Cousins of the Rochester Knighthawks in the Assistant GM seat. Bruce Codd, who currently plays for the NLL’s Toronto Rock, is the head coach for this year’s Junior A team, and has been running tryouts and practices for several months.
Assistant coaching staff include Merrick Thomson, a former NLL player and NCAA men’s lacrosse champion; Ashton McLean, with NLL and World Indoor Lacrosse Championship experience; and Scott Crombie, a former assistant coach for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s lacrosse team, who also played for the four-time national champion Brock University Badgers.
Toronto Beaches management has arranged new uniforms for the team, and also has plans to invest in sprucing up Ted Reeve Arena. The games will also offer some serious action for lacrosse fans, with several drafted players from across the GTA joining the ranks on this year’s squad. Derek Downs and Jack Donnelly join the team from Mimico, while Alex Bohl of Markham will also be playing with Toronto Beaches.
The home opener is set for Sunday, May 13 at 7 p.m., against the St. Catharine’s Athletics. For the full season schedule, visit torontobeachesjralacrosse.com.
Management is also on the lookout for local bands to liven up the arena during breaks in the action. Beach bands interested in playing should send web links to music and videos to Jack Wilkinson at jackw@cltinternational.com.
Lacrosse action at the Jammer Classic
Toronto Beaches’ Malcolm Warcholak takes a shot on goal during a U-11 field lacrosse match. Toronto Beaches defeated Newmarket by a score of 5-1. The 4th Annual Jammer Classic Memorial Field Lacrosse Tournament took place April 6-8 at the Cherry Beach Fields. The Jammer Classic is played in honour of Jamieson Kuhlmann, an avid lacrosse player with the Toronto Beaches team who passed away in 2008 after a collision during a match. He was only 15 years old.
Dual golds for Beacher
Beacher and Malvern grad Andrew Beriault recently competed in the National and Provincial Indoor Archery Championships in Toronto and brought home the gold hardware in both competitions. Beriault competes in the Junior Men’s (18 to 20) Recurve/Olympic category. He scored an impressive 559 out of 600 at the Nationals. He hopes to qualify to shoot the Olympic trials in May in Montreal. Beriault is a student at OCAD, and is coached by Maciej Karlowsky, who coaches at the Toronto School of Archery and the Beaches Recreation Centre.
Did you enjoy this article? Become a Beach Metro Community News Supporter today! For 50 years, we have worked hard to be the eyes and ears in your community, inform you of upcoming events, and let you know what and who is making a difference. We cover the big stories as well as the little things that often matter the most. CLICK HERE to support your Beach Metro Community News!
