Claire Kusler has a shiny new gold medal to add to her trophy cabinet, after contributing to Team Alberta's successful championship run at the junior women's box lacrosse championships last week in Regina, Sask.
The 2023 W.H. Croxford High School grad played defence for Alberta, who came out as the top U21 women's provincial team in the country after besting Team Ontario 8-5 in the tournament's final on Aug. 19.
The 18-year-old multi-sport athlete called the experience a 10/10.
“It was very exciting and very fun, in the sense I’ve never done something like that,” said Kusler, who for most of the summer plays for the Rockyview Silvertips junior women's team in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League. “It was amazing to have all these girls from teams I’d played against all season come together to create a team that ended up coming out on top.”
Alberta's road to the final was paved with some adversity. After winning their opening game against Manitoba, the Albertans faltered in their second match-up, losing 6-5 to Ontario.
They then beat Quebec in their third game, before losing to B.C. in the final game of the preliminary round.
But by that point of the tournament, Kusler said Alberta's players were starting to gel, and they finished the week strong by beating B.C. in the semis and then Ontario in the final.
“It felt like an off night the first time [we played B.C.],” she said, noting the team was struggling with a lot of the fundamentals.
“In that [second] game, we really focused and tried to communicate more. We focused on the little things before building up to trying the complicated plays. We stuck to what we knew, and then as the game progressed, started to get more and more confident. We came out on top because we wanted it more.”
Kusler said the final played out in a similar fashion. Alberta was able to start strong and then maintain a lead over Ontario for most of the match.
The W.H. Croxford grad and Airdrie resident attributed the championship to Alberta's players' ability to come together quickly. Despite not getting many opportunities to practice together before nationals, she said she knew many of her Alberta teammates from previous competitions, and they managed to develop the proper camaraderie when it mattered most.
Kusler also mentioned the win was historic as it marked Alberta's first time winning a national title in box lacrosse in the junior women's category.
“Seeing as it was my first time going to a national championship – for any sport – it was an incredible way to start it off,” she said.
All in all, Kusler said securing gold at nationals was a great way to cap off a strong 2023 lacrosse season. In addition to her successful trip to Saskatchewan's capital, she said her regular team – the Rockyview Silvertips – finished second at Alberta's provincial championships this summer.
Now that lacrosse is wrapped up for the year, Kusler will shift her focus to the other sport she plays competitively: ringette. A member of the Airdrie Voltage U19A team, she said she's excited to kick off her last year of minor ringette this fall.
“Tryouts are about to start in two weeks,” she said, adding she's eager to play with both new and old teammates on the Voltage this winter as the Airdrie-based squad prepares to make a run for the provincial championship in 2024.
