Curve Lake First Nation lacrosse goalie helps Canada win gold medal at international tourney

By Sam Laskaris

CURVE LAKE FIRST NATION – As it turned out, Deacan Knott’s lacrosse season ended on a much more positive note than he originally thought it would.

Knott, 19, toiled for the Peterborough Lakers, a Junior A squad that competes in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL).

The Lakers’ 2022 campaign came to an end in mid-July when they were downed 3-1 by Toronto Beaches in a best-of-five OJLL quarter-final series.

After stepping off the floor from a series-ending loss, Knott checked his phone and saw that he was being invited to represent Canada at the International Indoor Junior Lacrosse (IIJL) world championship in Winnipeg.

That six-team event concluded Aug. 14.

Knott played an instrumental role helping Canada win the gold medal at that tournament. He played three out of his team’s four games in the tourney and backstopped Canada to a 16-9 victory over the Haudenosaunee Nationals in the championship final.

Knott explained why he suited up for the Canadian squad instead of the Haudenosaunee one.

“I never got an offer from the Indigenous team,” he said.

Besides helping his team capture the gold medal, Knott also was singled out as being the top goaltender in the tournament.

Canadian head coach Gavin Prout was pleased to have Knott on his club.

“It’s always nice to have an all-star goalie,” Prout said. “Having a strong goalie also steadies your defence and gives you a chance to win every game.”

Australia, Israel, Poland and the United States also competed in the IIJL tournament.

Knott and his Canadian teammates defeated the U.S. 17-12 in their first match.

Knott was then given the night off as Canada convincingly defeated Australia 30-5 in its next outing.

But he was back between the pipes for Canada’s next match, a 20-9 win over Israel in a tournament semi-final contest.

Knott then shone in the final as the Haudenosaunee entry outshot Canada 55-51 in the game.

“It was pretty exciting,” Knott said of the tournament. “It was my first time representing Canada.”

Knott knew his team would be a pre-tournament favourite.

“We did have high expectations,” he said. “We had a Zoom call before we flew [to Winnipeg] and I didn’t really know anyone on the team.”

Knott is hoping his performance at the IIJL tournament translates into bigger and better things for him. He would love to be chosen in next month’s National Lacrosse League (NLL) Entry Draft.

“I’m hoping it helps quite a bit,” Knott said of his efforts at the world tourney.

Knott spent this past winter toiling for the Oshawa Outlaws in the Arena Lacrosse League, a circuit that is considered a developmental loop for the NLL.

Knott, who works as a plumber for a Curve Lake First Nation business, said if he doesn’t get drafted or sign on with a squad in the professional NLL, he would return to hone his skills with the Outlaws again during their 2023 campaign.

Knott also has one season of junior eligibility remaining and also plans to play for the Lakers next year.