Woman’s Super Sixes international lacrosse tournament coming to Oshawa October 7

Oshawa will host the women’s World Lacrosse Super Sixes, starting October 7 at Civic Stadium.

Super Sixes is a brand new variation on field lacrosse, with six players a side on the field versus ten in the traditional game – similar to what Rugy 7s is to the Rugby Union game.

The sport was first contested at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama with Canada winning gold. Brooklyn Walker Welch of Courtice, who stars with the University of North Carolina in the NCAA, will return from that tournament, along with other stars such as Dana Dobbie, Megan Kinna and goaltender Laura Spence.

Jordan Dean, an Oshawa Blue Knights grad who was on Canada’s U19 World Championship roster in the traditional field game, is also on the squad. Dean plays in the NCAA for UMass-Amherst.

Shawn Williams, the head coach of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs of the NLL, will take the helm of the Canadian team, helped by assistants Jessica Markew (Oshawa), Katie Ranger (Whitby) and Ashley Bull (Langley, B.C.)

Canada will be up against the USA and Haudenosaunee in a double round-robin, with India, Haiti and Kenya squaring off in a second pool. The top two teams face off in a final for the event on October 9 at noon.

All games will be broadcast by Lacrosse Sports Network and admission throughout the weekend will be free to spectators.

Super Sixes continues a set of World Lacrosse events started in 2021 that saw five tournaments featuring the newest brand of the sport. Sixteen men’s and women’s teams competed in Sixes at The World Games this past summer, with Canada sweeping the gold medal in the men’s and women’s competitions.

This year’s competition is the inaugural Sixes tournament to be hosted by Canada Lacrosse each fall, as World Lacrosse looks to expand the Sixes’ discipline with an upcoming Sixes Series that will feature more of the top teams in the world competing against each other in sanctioned tournaments.

Major differences players will find in World Lacrosse Sixes include:

• 30 second shot clock
• Four 8-minute quarters
• Goalies initiate play after goals are scored; draws / faceoffs occur only at the start of each quarter
• Field size is 70×36 meters (regular field lacrosse is played on a standardized 100 metre x 55 metre field)
• Flow of the game emphasizes tempo, with fewer stoppages in play
• Everyone plays both sides of the field (defense/offensive) and substitutions are made on the fly
• Rosters are comprised of 12 players, which leads to more playing time and more touches on the ball
• In the women’s game, defensive players cannot be penalized for entering the shooting lane of an offensive player; offensive players will be penalized for taking a shot without regard for other players

Meanwhile, the men’s national field team will be in action the week following the Oshawa Sixes event at the Fall Classic in Sparks, Maryland as Canada and USA will go head to head for the first time since the 2023 World Championships.

The event will feature Team Canada men vs the USA men’s team on Friday night, along with both country’s U20 Women’s field teams squaring off. Two powerhouse NCAA programs will also be joining the action on Saturday night, as Penn State (men’s) will take on both the USA and Canada. Meanwhile on the women’s side, the reigning NCAA champion Northwestern Wildcats will also compete against Canada and the USA.

The roster is made up of U25 athletes who are looking to make their mark on the international game, along with many familiar faces from the U20 Worlds and the Men’s World Championship rosters. Players such as, Dyson Williams (Oshawa), Michael Grace (Burlington), Justin Inacio (Oakville), Patrick Shoemay, Casey Wilson, Cam Wyers and Caleb Creasor all return from the World Championship roster. Defender Owen Grant also will have the opportunity to represent the red and white after an injury held him from competing in San Diego.

Other local athletes on the roster include Cam English (Burlington), Jack Follows and Matt Wright (Oakville), Graydon Hogg (Oshawa) and Jack Oldman (Whitby).

Canada kicks off the event against the U.S. October 13.