The goalie and the team in front of her were as good as gold can be.
 
Sooke resident Maren McKeown's work between the pipes helped Team BC bring home the gold medal from the women's U19 national field lacrosse championship.
 
McKeown started playing field lacrosse eight years ago and has been a member of Team BC for the past four years.
 
"I found out in April that I'd be going to the tournament, and was pretty excited about going to Montreal for the first time. We came close with a bronze medal last year, so the team was determined, and worked hard to come together to win the gold this year. I know this group really well. We're a close-knit team with great team spirit and we have two great coaches who also coach our club teams, so they know us really well," McKeown said.
 
Team BC dominated from start to finish, outscoring opponents 115-19 during the five games in the tournament, which took place 1 to 3 Aug 2023 in St. Eustache, Quebec.
 
Team BC doubled Ontario 18-6 in the opening game, upped the ante against Alberta 22-10, and defeated Manitoba 26-0 in the round-robin competition before beating Quebec 29-1 in the semi-finals.
 
They took on Manitoba again in the gold medal game, coming away with a 21-5 victory.
 
McKeown also plays goal in hockey, rugby, and basketball.
 
"I love hockey, but lacrosse is definitely my favourite," she noted.
 
McKeown is currently waiting to hear back on a number of scholarship applications she's made to U.S. universities and colleges after graduating from Royal Bay Secondary School in June.
 
"I want to pursue a degree in fine arts and I'm leaning toward graphic design,&qmp; she said.
 
Rick Stiebel.