Cudas enjoying the role of provincial hosts

With an assortment of familiar faces in the bleachers, three Lethbridge lacrosse teams are going for a provincial title on home soil.

Day 1 of the The Alberta Lacrosse Association Minor Box Lacrosse Provincial Championships — hosted by the Lethbridge Lacrosse Association — fired up Friday at four venues across Lethbridge with action continuing until Sunday.

For the Lethbridge Barracudas peewee B duo of Jayden Schwindt and Isaac Alexander — both 12 — playing the role of host to a stable of 41 teams across Alberta agreed with both of them from a geographical standpoint.

“It’s nice to not have to stay in a hotel,” said Schwindt, whose peewee Cudas team isn’t the only Lethbridge representative going for a provincial crown this weekend with local teams also competing in the bantam B and a midget B divisions.

Alexander agreed with his teammate’s perspective of home floor advantage this weekend.

“It’s exciting because we don’t have to go very far, not as far as if it was in Medicine Hat or Edmonton.”

Further proof of the Cudas excitment to be provincial hosts was never more evident than when the event kicked off Friday after the opening ceremonies Thursday night at the University of Lethbridge gymnasium.

“You should have seen the kids when they first got here this morning,” said peewee B Barracudas assistant coach Bryan Alexander. “The were pumped. They were ready to go. It was a great feeling, a good atmosphere. They’re having a good time. It’s hard out on the floor, but they’re having a great time.

“We even had a barbeque down at Henderson Lake from noon until four for everybody in town. Families from out of town were coming down.”

The Barracudas are 0-2 after the first day of competition following losses to the St. Albert Rams and the Calgary Sabrecats.

As they look for their first wins of the weekend with games today at 1 p.m. at 5:30 p.m. — both games at the Adams Ice Centre — both Schwindt and Alexander looking forward to going for those wins in front of their hometown crowd.

“I like it, it really motivates me to play better,” said Schwindt. Ditto, said Alexander. “If everybody is there I think I have to do better.”

The Barracudas midget B team plays two games today at Henderson Arena, the first at noon and the second at 8 p.m.

The Cudas bantam B team’s first game today is 11 a.m. at the Adams Ice Centre and at 6 p.m at Henderson Arena.