Four Westlock Lacrosse players are heading to Brandon, Manitoba, in July to compete in the 2025 Prairie Cup.
The Alberta Lacrosse Association hosts a Prairie Cup once a year that involves players from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are six different teams that range from U13 to U17 with each having a mixed and girls-only team involved.
Over 300 talented athletes tried out to be a part of the Prairie Cup tournament but very few made the team. This includes Westlock Rock players, skilled U13’s Sophie Iverson and Tanner Schram, U15 powerhouse Hudson Klein and U17 star Annabelle Iverson. Coach Dan Iverson will be accompanying Sophie and Annabelle to lead the U17 girls' team.
Tanner Schram is a U11 player who joined the U13 league due to his advanced skills. His young age means that his biggest challenge will be facing the more developed players, “I’m playing against the bigger kids because I’m a small kid and I’m just a first year, so I think it’ll be like a tough competition but I'll just try my best.”
Schram’s hard work and talent led him to be accepted into the Calgary Roughnecks junior program. A prestigious program that involves testing your skill set, coachability, athleticism and knowledge of the sport. He will also be attending a sports academy in Spruce Grove for grade six where he can focus on his love of lacrosse and continue to improve.
Sophie Iverson will be making her debut in what is her third year playing lacrosse. She is known for her power plays and penalty kills due to her fast running and her ability to deliver hits on the go.
After watching her sister, Annabelle Iverson, in her games, she decided to pick up the stick. This was the first time she had ever tried out for a selective team, “I thought that would be something really cool for me to do and I played on a girls' team before, we went to the tournament and that was a lot of fun, hanging out with all the girls in the hotel and I just really loved the girls so I thought maybe it’ll be fun.”
The tryout phase was simple but filled with kids competing for the same outcome. Sophie said that kids from Alberta's north and south leagues were in attendance, with one practice and one scrimmage being the deciding factor for her place on the team.
Sophie will continue to play lacrosse with the hopes of making it to the juniors. She also enjoys baking and thinks opening her own cafe or bakery could be part of her future.
Annabelle Iverson, who is in her fourth year of lacrosse, will be attending for her second year in a row, having been a key player in Alberta’s victory last year when she scored the last goal of the last game.
She was hit with a sense of relief upon finding out she made the team, “I had a lot of fun last year on the team and I just really hoped that I could get to do it all over again.” She hopes to bring Team Alberta to victory for a back-to-back win.
Annabelle’s love of the sport stemmed from her dad, Dan Iverson, who played throughout college and encouraged her to get involved with the sport. She is also a competitive ski racer, but when she decided to try out for lacrosse, it captured her heart.
“As a ski racer, it’s a very solitary sport, you have a team, but it’s more like your own. I fell in love with the feeling of working together and going out on the floor, it’s just they’re [the team] there for you.”
She dreams of making it to the 2028 Lacrosse Olympics team and winning gold for Canada. But when it comes to her future, working in an industry filled with action and helping people is where she wants to go, either dedicating herself to being a paramedic or hitting the skies as a helicopter pilot for search and rescue.
For these talented athletes, this is more than just a sport, it is a passion and a big part of their future. These future stars take every opportunity to hone their skills. “I take every chance to try out for every team just to get more time on the floor. I’ll take every chance to practice with other teams, and affiliate as much as possible just to get more reps in so I can become the best I can be," says Annabelle.
These brilliant players will face off against other incredible, hardworking competitors in July, hoping to bring the Prairie Cup back home to Alberta.
