Cambridge's Carter Whissell didn't carry any expectations into the U19 Team Ontario field lacrosse tryouts earlier this year.
As a 16-year-old, he was hoping to use the time to put himself on the radar and soak up as much as he could from other top players and coaches.
So, when he was leaving practice with the Jr. C Wilmot Wild recently and received a phone call from his father that he'd made the team, he was equal parts excited and surprised.
"I was very excited, this is something I’ve been working towards for a while," Whissell said.
"I was surprised as I'm a minor who's only 16, so I went into tryouts without high expectations. I just gave it my all and wanted to get the experience."
Whissell's love of lacrosse was born at a young age.
His parents signed him up to play when he was four and he's been hooked ever since, playing both box and field lacrosse.
Whissell played box lacrosse last season in the Cambridge Minor Lacrosse system and was a call-up for the Jr. B Highlanders this year.
Field lacrosse is played outside on a 110-yard long by 60-yard wide grass surface and sees 10 players on the field.
The combination of speed and the athletic ability required to excel is what keeps Whissell coming back every season.
"I love the physicality and skill that it takes to play this sport," he said.
"I like the team strategy part of the game, you can be an individual player but you need to play within a system."
Whissell believes Team Ontario is getting a "gritty" midfielder who can play on both sides of the ball, as a shutdown defender and someone who can score.
Now that his box lacrosse season has come to an end, he's turning his focus to training with Team Ontario in preparation for the First Nations Cup national tournament being held in Calgary at the end of August.
From there, he'll head to Maryland in October for the Brogden Cup to compete against top prospects from the United States.
As for his long term goals in the sport, they're lofty but ones he has no doubt are attainable.
"For box lacrosse, I want to play Junior A and try to make the National Lacrosse League," Whissell said.
"In field lacrosse, I'm trying to get an NCAA scholarship so I can continue playing at a higher level while getting a good education."