The time is right for a major shift in systems for the Okotoks Ladies Raiders.
Coming off its best season in four years and with a young core to build around, the 2024 regular season in the Alberta Major Female division of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League will see the institution of offensive and defensive lines for the first time.
“We’re running a defence and offence system this year instead of the modified three people changing one way and two the other,” said Raiders head coach Don Turner. “That’s a big change and they wouldn’t have seen it because you can’t run offence, defence in minor lacrosse.
“Now we have the benefit of being able to focus on each player’s job on the floor, they don’t have to learn all of our offensive sets, don’t have to learn everything on the defensive side. Situationally, its much simpler for everybody.”
The Raiders enjoyed a four-win improvement year over year in 2023, posting an 8-8 record for their best finish since 2019.
“The biggest change was the change of commitment,” he said. “When you go to a younger age group, they don’t have their own cars, they can’t just scatter so we had a captive audience and a group of first- and second-year players that was probably 90 per cent with a couple of veteran leaders that really brought everyone together.”
Captain Brooklyn Generoux is back for her fifth season with the team.
“She’s been with us since day one, through the COVID times, it was a little bit rough,” he said. “She’s really stuck with it and been a vocal leader on the floor and in the room, she’s taking over the role where we don’t have to ask them to be introspective in the room after a game.
“The kids look up to her and she’s kind of coaching on the fly, introduced new drills to players that may not have seen it.”
Okotoks had a strong draft with upwards of eight rookies expected to step into the team and make an impact. Okotokian Brooklynn Carson was selected first overall by the hometown squad after showing well as an affiliate player last summer.
Cameron De Paiva is back after a team-leading 30-goal and 43-point campaign and will anchor the right side of the attack.
Returning goalie Scarlett Kovatch and rookie netminder Monet Lavoie will look to make a positive impression on the last line of defence.
“Our goal is to improve on last year, but we don’t measure by wins and losses, we measure by development and improvement,” the coach added.
The Raiders open the 2024 campaign at home on April 27, a 3 p.m. start versus the Rockyview Silvertips.
“To play one of the better teams in the league, we’re going to quickly figure out where we’re at,” Turner said. “With all of the practices we’ve done, the things we’ve tried to teach the kids, the different systems, they’re really going to illustrate that for us.
“They’re aggressive, they’re quick, they’re very organized moving up the floor so we’re going to have to be equally organized. I think it’s a great thing, we’re going to grade our success based on effort and keeping to the system.”
The Ladies Raiders will be collecting bottles as a fundraiser for equipment prior to the home opener with a trailer set up in the parking lot adjacent to the Murray Arena and Okotoks Curling Club.
For more information, visit rockymountainlax.com/junior-ladies.
