After a successful regular season that saw them only lose one game and earn first place in the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League, the Standing Buffalo Fighting Sioux set their sights on securing a provincial title and making history.
As the top team in the league, the Fighting Sioux earned hosting duties and a bye to the provincial final, where they faced five-time defending champions, the Saskatoon Brewers. In the regular season, the two teams had met twice with the Fighting Sioux coming out on top in close games and that followed through to the playoffs.
In front of a home crowd of nearly 350 spectators, the Fighting Sioux had the additional support of family and friends cheering them on through the final.
According to Russ Matthews, director of the entire Standing Buffalo Fighting Sioux lacrosse program, the success of his team this season and the history of the Brewers led to both teams approaching the championship with a great deal of respect for one another and what each could accomplish.
Game One of the series took place on July 26, with the Fighting Sioux winning 16-13. They followed that up in Game Two on July 27 with a 17-11 victory to claim the title and secure their place in history. Not only for winning their first provincial championship but becoming the first reserve-based team in Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba to claim a senior provincial lacrosse title.
The win was more than just an example of their skillset; it also represented their unity.
“There is a real brotherhood connection with Standing Buffalo,” said Matthews. “Players have each other’s backs, they look out for each other on the floor, off the floor. We’ve all become brothers for life and this championship sort of seals that.”
Even with the hours spent training together, that connection and coming to the point of achieving provincial success was not done in a single season.
Thirteen of the team’s members have played together since they started lacrosse in school in 2009, creating a unique bond that aided them through the final.
“We put so much time in and a majority of us worked for 18 years to get this title, so it didn’t happen overnight for us. The players and everyone embraced and just felt a love for one another and a real respect for everybody involved,” shared Matthews.
And it is a bond that they look to pass on to the upcoming generation of Standing Buffalo lacrosse players.
Fighting Sioux player, Keanu Noon, currently coaches his child’s team, while others have begun casually introducing the sport to their kids as early as two-years-old.
In addition to passing on a legacy of familial connection, the Fighting Sioux hope to continue breaking barriers in sport and paving a way for their children’s generation by overcoming external factors that continue to impact current team members.
Winning the provincial title was symbolic of the team working to overcome barriers to participate, marginalization and generational trauma, added Matthews.
“We like to say, ‘it’s not the victory that counts, but the magnificence of the struggle’…all of those struggles, all of those barriers are what make the victory so important to us.”