Fergus youth scores winner as Team Ontario earns gold

A local youth scored the winning goal as Team Ontario won a national lacrosse championship at the Bantam level.

Carter McKenzie of Fergus tried out for Ontario’s Bantam lacrosse team earlier this summer. He not only made the squad, he was elected captain and took his team all the way to the national finals held in New Westminster, British Columbia from Aug. 4 to 9.

The team went undefeated through preliminary play, running their record to 5-0 against teams from Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

The record put Team Ontario in the gold medal game on Aug. 9. The team fell behind by three goals in the first period and was down by one going into the third. After teammate Brett Handsor tied it up, McKenzie scored the winning goal, an unassisted tally, at the 12:18 mark of the final period.

McKenzie finished the tournament with six points, counting two goals and four assists to place eighth out of 18 on the Ontario team.