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Maple Leaves in the Blue Ridge: Canadian Lacrosse Players at Mars Hill
by Alexandra Turner
Old Glory flies on the other side.
The Maple Leaf Forever
A David Hodgins shot on goal
Danny Farmer, Eric Benesch and Dave Hodgins
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This year for the Mars Hill Lions, six Canadians suit up in blue and gold to be a part of the Lacrosse team. Adorning every lacrosse player's helmet is an emblem of the American flag, but for these six Canadian transplants, there is a Canadian flag, too.
As the team sprints about the field, a Canadian maple leaf gripping a lacrosse stick can be seen tattooed on the legs or shoulder of a few of the Canadians.
The lacrosse team has the largest number of Canadians of any sports team on campus, and their presence on the field has been noticed: Danny Farmer and Dave Hodgins were both named as Pre-Season Honorable Mention All-Americans.
These six Canadians, from towns such as Bloomingdale, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta, found their way to Mars Hill College for a lot of different reasons…but for one reason in particular: Lacrosse. In Canada, colleges don't award athletic scholarships, only academic. The enticement of a lacrosse scholarship is what brought the majority of these Canadians to North Carolina.
The adjustment from Canadian lacrosse to American lacrosse can be difficult for a lot of these Northern transplants, says Danny Farmer, a sophomore midfielder for the Lions. In Canada, lacrosse is played on an indoor hockey rink, whereas in America, college lacrosse is played outdoors. Canadian lacrosse is commonly referred to as "box," and is known for being a more technical game, with smaller goals and players generally using one hand to shoot and pass. Box lacrosse is also known for being a very fast-paced, physical game where fights are common, and a 30-second shot clock urges players to shoot faster.
The Canadians use a lot of these differences between the two games to their advantage in their transition to American outdoor lacrosse. "We bring a much faster-paced offense to the game," says Danny Farmer. "Most American offense will stall the attack sometimes, but because we have a shot clock, we are used to keeping it moving quicker."
The Canadians seem to be excelling at offense for the Lions lacrosse team. As of March 27, the team was led in goals by Danny Farmer from Calgary Alberta, Canada, and not trailing too far behind was his older brother Tyler. Last year, David Hodgins, a junior attack man from Windsor Ontario, was named as the Deep South Conference Player of the Year.
Eric Benesch, a freshman from Bloomingdale, Ontario, says his most memorable lacrosse experience in the United States was when he scored his first ever American goal in the game winner against University of Tennessee.
It seems that statistically the Canadians are adjusting well to American lacrosse, When asked how they feel about moving to a different country and leaving their home of Canada, Danny Farmer replied, "I miss Canada, but I love America!"
| 2008 Canadians |
#11 Tyler Farmer / Midfielder / Calgary, Alberta
#16 Steve Succha / Midfielder / Calgary, Alberta
#17 Danny Farmer / Midfielder / Calgary, Alberta
#20 Kevin Woods / Midfielder / New Market,Ontario
#36 David Hodgins / Attack / Windsor, Ontario
#40 Eric Benesch / Midfielder / Bloomingdale, Ontario |
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