Peterborough Women’s Lakers are joining Ontario lacrosse league
Team will be holding series of fundraisers to cover costs of uniforms, league and game-day fees
Victoria Clark and Chelsea Campbell want women to have the same opportunity as men to play Major Series Lacrosse.
The duo landed a franchise for the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s Women’s Major Series Lacrosse league (WMSL), which is expanding from nine to 11 teams in 2024.
The expansion Peterborough Women’s Lakers and Kingston Cannons will join the Akwesasne Outlaws, Arthur Aces, Grand River Attack, Hamilton Beagles, London Thrashers, Mimico Mountaineers, Mississauga Badgers, Niagara Turtle Islanders and the defending champion Whitby Rush.
There was a Peterborough team when the league was founded more than a decade ago but there hasn’t been one for some time, said Clark. For all those women who played in the Peterborough Minor Lacrosse Association or the field game with the Kawartha Lacrosse Club and later played at U.S. or Canadian universities, there was nowhere for them to play box lacrosse as adults, said Clark.
“Chelsea and I both played lacrosse growing up, both box lacrosse and field in the city, and, when we finished U17, there was nowhere to play box lacrosse,” said Clark, 23. “We went our separate ways for a little bit and, in the last few years, Peterborough has brought back their U22 box lacrosse team. We got together and decided Peterborough women need to be able to continue to play box lacrosse, especially seeing as there is now a Team Canada for box lacrosse and there will be the worlds this fall.”
Clark was invited to join the London team last year and got an introduction to the league. She felt there were enough women in Peterborough to floor a competitive team. Campbell, 23, played for Peterborough’s U22 team two years ago but had aged out.
“With Peterborough being a lacrosse town, we thought we’d take it upon ourselves to provide opportunities for those girls (graduating from U22) and even those women who haven’t played in a little while and want to get back into it,” Clark said. “We want to provide an opportunity for women to play one day, hopefully, at the same level as the men. As a lacrosse community, we have definitely taken the right steps in order to help women compete at that level and continue to play lacrosse.”
Teams gather at one or two locations on five Saturdays to play two regular-season games at each leading up to a championship weekend. The season starts June 8 in Whitby, followed by June 22 in Mimico at Port Credit Arena, July 6 in Peterborough (arena to be confirmed) and Arthur, July 20 in Kingston and Grand River and July 27 in Mississauga. The championship weekend will be held Aug. 16 to 18 in St. Catharines.
The Lakers will be coached by Chelsea’s father, Chad Campbell, with assistant coach Samantha Pickett and will begin training April 20 at a location to be confirmed. Players can register through a link on their Instagram page @PtboLakersWMSL.
“We’re definitely going to be able to compete. We have a lot of skill, talent and experience on the team,” said Clark.
The team is also holding a series of fundraisers to cover the costs of
‘‘ We have a lot of skill, talent and experience on the team.
VICTORIA CLARK HELPED LAND FRANCHISE FOR PETERBOROUGH
uniforms, league and game-day fees and to limit expenses for players. The first fundraiser is a golf tournament April 27 at Keystone Links. The team-scramble format has a 10 a.m. shotgun start. The cost is $95 per person, which includes 18 holes of golf, a cart and a hamburger and pop for lunch. A post-tournament social is also in the works.
They are looking for hole sponsors at $150 per hole and donations for raffle prizes, as well. To register, sponsor or donate, email ptbolakerswmsl@gmail.com. Include the names of your foursome and they will respond.
They are also looking for $300 practice-jersey sponsors.