YORKTON – When the Summer Olympics arrive in 2028 so will the return of lacrosse – last played in 1908.
In Los Angeles though it will be the latest variant of lacrosse – 6v6 a version basically created as way to attract Olympic interest and acceptance.
As a step in preparation for the spotlight of the Olympics the 6v6 version was highlighted in October at the World Lacrosse Super Sixes – Canada tourney held in Oshawa.
A familiar name on Team Canada for Saskatchewan lacrosse fans was the Rush’s Jake Boudreau.
“It was a great honour to represent Canada,” Boudreau told Yorkton This Week in a recent interview.
The 6v6 experience was a learning curve from Boudreau who plays transition with the Rush, as he said the game plays more like field lacrosse.
“I would actually say it skews more towards field lacrosse. It is six-on-six which is similar to box, but a lot of the intricacies are more like field,” he said.
That meant having to-relearn some things on the fly with Team Canada.
“For me, I haven’t put cleats on since I left college,” said Boudreau who was drafted 7th overall in the first round of the 2021 NLL draft by the Rush. “It was the end of the tournament for me before I felt comfortable.”
In the end the tournament was hugely successful for Canada as both the Canadian Men’s and Women’s National Teams claimed gold at the Oshawa Civic Centre.
In the Men’s Division, Canada defeated the United States 16–12 in the final to capture gold, and on the women’s side, Canada Red also won gold, defeating Australia 14–11 in the final.
Boudreau said he recognized the event in Oshawa was part of the process of putting together a roster for LA in 2028, in this case a sort of feeling out process to see who clicks with who with an eye toward the Olympics.
For Boudreau it was also a solid opportunity to stay in shape ahead of the upcoming National Lacrosse League season with the Rush.
Coming off the final’s loss to Buffalo in the spring the Rush are looking to take a final step to a championship, although the preseason has been a tad shaky admitted Boudreau, including a 17-10 loss to Toronto.
“It was a reality check,” said Boudreau, who said the team must get back to work moving forward. “. . . For sure we know we can do it. It’s pretty well the same team (as the championship final roster). We just need to get our feet under us and start the grind again.”
So what does Boudreau think the Rush need to do to win it all this season?
“We just need to get a little bit better in all aspects of the game,” he said, adding that was the thing about the veteran Bandits. “. . . They had something for everything.”
As for his own look in the lacrosse mirror Boudreau said it’s all about taking another personal step forward as a player.
“I want to get a little bit better,” he said, adding he believes he has gotten incrementally better through his first three NLL seasons, so he now needs to follow that same pattern.
The Rush season starts Dec. 6, with the Battle of the Prairies as the team hosts the Calgary Roughnecks.
