Cassidy Eckert is following in her father's footsteps as a Team Canada lacrosse goalie.
"I don't think there was anything else but the camp tryouts on my mind ever since the first application forms came out. I had cried a numerous amount of times prior to the tryout just because I wanted to make the team so bad. I never thought that Team Canada would even be a possibility until a few years ago, until my dad said that I could be good, which he was fine with, or great. And I knew that in order to be the best goalie I could be and to make Team Canada I would have to be great," Cassidy remembered.
"Being a goalie in a tryout is a little different because instead of competing against five to eight girls, I'm competing against one or two. So the pressure to perform better feels stronger."
When Cassidy opened up the email with the final roster, she had an overpowering sense of relief that all of the sacrifices she had made were paying off. When Cassidy was younger, she was faced with a tough decision—to pursue lacrosse or basketball. She ended up choose basketball, but missed lacrosse too much. She returned to lacrosse with a new intensity.
"I always say that what I enjoy about lacrosse has changed over time. When I first started, I enjoyed not running and loved all the attention of the team running to me after the game. But now I would say I enjoy having one of roles on the team that has such a large influence of the game. I am lucky enough to enjoy the rush of stopping a lacrosse ball and having the ability to make a huge impact on the result of the game," shared Cassidy.
A passion for being the last line of defence runs in Cassidy's family. Along with her father who played goalie, Cassidy's cousin was also a box lacrosse goalie. However, it was field lacrosse that Cassidy was drawn to. Over the years, Cassidy has played with Team Ontario three times, winning the Brogden Cup as well as a National Championship in 2018. She plays for the Hill Academy and was a captain of the Oakville Lady Hawks for the past two years.
"My favourite lacrosse player is my dad," Cassidy said. "He was my first, and to this day probably the best, goalie coach I've ever had, and his opinions mean more to me than anyone else. He is the lacrosse player who gives me pointers that might not only help me stop the ball, but also give me confidence to just play the way I can."
While Cassidy's favourite lacrosse player is her father, she will be on the field at the 2019 Women's Lacrosse U19 World Championship wearing number 35 for Kyle Miller. Miller was a Team Canada goalie who won gold in 2006. Cassidy explained that "he had his shin bone replaced as he was suffering to osteosarcoma cancer, but that did not stop him from playing the game he loved."
"Even when Kyle passed away, people still remember him for the kind of player and teammate he was. Not for the illness he had," Cassidy said. "Wearing number 35 is a reminder that I need to play for more than just myself, but also for my team and for people who can't."
About the Canadian Lacrosse Association
Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 85,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. The CLA's mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - New Balance Athletics, Warrior Sports, NormaTec Recovery Systems, Canadian Red Cross, Westjet, RockTape, OPRO and Baron Rings - as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation. For more information on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
For more information, please contact:
Victoria Klassen
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Canadian Lacrosse Association
Phone: 613-260-2028 ext. 302
Email: victoria@lacrosse.ca