The 2012 Adrenaline Challenge has come to a close, but WOW, what a weekend! Coaches, parents and players were screaming wildly. Cheering (and whistles) could be heard over the entire 18-field territory on another beautiful day of lax action from Del Mar, California. The LA Lazers came through on top in the Adrenaline Elite Division after a close game in the semi against Fog City, beating the kids from Nor Cal 9-7. In the Semi on the other side of the bracket were the Arizona Burn and the Mavericks Blue Elite.
 

           The Mavs pulled it off in a tight 6-5 win. In the final however, Mavericks LC were straight up out of gas, getting run up and down the turf by Lazers midfielders Zach Henkaus (2012), Chris O’Brien (2012), Zach Fixen (2012) and Graham Francis (2102). They could not withstand the depth of the Lazers bench and had a difficult time finding the goal, as Lazers goalie, Zach Goodman (2012) was unconscious.
 

***CORRECTION***
           QC did come out on top, however the game winner came from Chris Summers (2013), not Jack Yeatman.  In the Warrior Elite Division QC beat out the Sniper crew in a hard fought goal from Chris in overtime.  Sorry Chris, we apologize for the confusion and we are sorry for not giving you appropiate credit.  Congratulations to the entire QC squad on a great win.
 

           In the younger groups, RC Silver won out in the Maverick Middle School Division beating Team Talon. Not to be outdone, the Powerade Groms Division was as lively as ever. These little tykes huck the ball with all their might, putting everything they’ve got into it! In the end it was the RC Groms who came out on top in the 4 team round robin. The RC Starz wrapped up the Reebok Middle School Division beating the LA Lazers team and the Mustangs from Alberta, Canada (that’s right, Canada) came out on top in the West Side Lax Middle School Division. Starz Programs took home the hardware in 6 of the 7 divisions.
 

And speaking of Canada, eh…
           Canadians had a strong presence over the weekend fielding 9 teams is 5 separate divisions. While watching theses young teams from the north, the Box skills were very evident. They all have good hands, tricky stick skills and toughness. They could play keep away for hours inside a phone booth. Running back and forth, making those longer passes and using the field to their advantage is something that will come with time. The teams here or at least a majority of the players in this tournament are not as exposed to the more aggressive nature of Box Lacrosse, so seeing the two skill sets come together make for spirited match-ups. Vancouver Island Sea Spray, club has some deep talent and they did well, led by Jordan Cunnigham (2012), Ryan Fedrigo (2012), and Cole Matterson (2012). Another team from Canada, Burnaby Mountain Junior Elite were no push over’s, the strong Reece Callies (2013) and Kyran Clarke (2013) made good showings. One of the more anticipated events of the weekend was the All Star Game, featuring some of the best talent seen at the tournament. The teams were comprised of players that have not made a commitment to a university.
 

           Players were split up and given another chance to compete, in what essentially is a separate event to show off their skills to a packed and interested crowd. Standouts were easy to come by, as ability and athleticism was overflowing. Goals were big and so was the contact. QC Select Elite B player Austin Ekeroth (2013), endured a vicious hit coming across the middle, checked out after being tended to.
 

           Tyler Proctor a (2012) goalie from Coronado High School had a great game, making crucial saves against some tough shots and showed speed by running the ball out to open outlets.   An attackman who made an impression was Matt O’Niell (2012), from Seattle Starz Elite and Issaqua High School in Washington. Matt exhibited strength and accuracy as he held ground and score some great goals while finding open players and stacked up some assists. Canadians All Stars were Spencer Bromley (Burnaby Mountain 2012), Jake Cullen (VI Sea Spray, 2013), Aaron Madaisky (Burnaby Mountain, 2013), Spencer Bromley (Burnaby Mountain, 2013), Chris Kasper (VI Sea Spray, 2012), Chase Olckle (VI Sea Spray, 2014), and Mitchell Mcdole (Burnaby Mountain, 2014). It was a memorable weekend for the entire west coast lacrosse community. The game is growing and the competition is getting solid. Looking forward to lots more this coming spring!