Following an undefeated season, Lethbridge ‘Cudas getting ready for a taste of Tier I competition

“We got to the Tier II Provincial Final three times and won it twice. The fact that we had a perfect season last year, going 24-0, we did get some pressure from the league to move up,” Pilling said, adding they took the steps necessary to make that happen and now they’re ready to go.

Lacrosse is Canada’s national summer sport and has continued to experience tremendous growth as more and more youth and adults are being attracted to the fast-paced, exciting game.

This year, the Lethbridge Lacrosse Association embarks on its 16th year of operation with a new challenge.

With the ‘Cudas moving up to Jr. B Tier I action beginning in the 2018 season, it’s a first for the LLA.

In a statement, LLA says this move creates more opportunities for player development and will see the ‘Cudas playing more competitive junior teams while travelling as far as away as Manitoba.

Pilling says as for the league structure, it is set up a little bit differently.

“There are more teams and more travel to the north of the province, and out of province as well. It’s going to be an adjustment, but we think we’re going to be OK.”

The regular season begins on Saturday, April 28, with the ‘Cudas set to travel to Calgary to take on the Shamrocks.

Between the transition, and preparing for a new season, Pilling says things are going well.

“We have a young team. We do know it’s going to be a process, but we like the kids we have coming up and we’re building with them,” Pilling said, adding they felt it was the right time to move up.

Even though it isn’t listed on RMLL’s website yet, Pilling says their roster is set and ready to go.

“We’re looking to build with these kids for the next couple of years,” he continued. “We’ve got some good midget kids coming up within the next few seasons and we like the looks of our team so far.”

The challenges of the Tier I league compared to Tier II cover a range of areas according to Pilling.

“The pace of play is a lot faster, and the competition is harder. Everything from the players, the coaches, the goaltenders, really everything is a lot different. Once you move up a level the decision making has to come faster and that’s one challenge our young kids are going to face,” Pilling stated.

Support for the ‘Cudas is growing, and Pilling says while he’s not involved with any of the corporate decisions, support in the community for the team is coming along.

The LLA say they’re very excited about the prospect of this change but need the support from the community to make this a success.

Due to the added travel and expenses being far greater than at the Tier II level, they’re looking to increase community support through sponsorships to keep costs affordable for players.

As far as expectations on the floor for this coming season, Pilling says the overarching expectation is for his team to get better every time they set foot on it.

“Whether it’s practice or games, we have to keep improving. We hope we can make the playoffs, we’re optimistic, but it is going to be a tough transition at times,” Pilling conceded.

He says ultimately, they want to impact the playoffs.

“Whether we’re in them or not, at the end of the year we’d like to factor into things, but the biggest goal is that development and continuing to get better every time we’re on the floor,” Pilling said.

The ‘Cudas full schedule for the upcoming season can be found here.

by Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

Following an undefeated season, Lethbridge ‘Cudas getting ready for a taste of Tier I competition

What's Happening