Scouts expected to attend tournament

Besides some bragging rights and prize money, younger players at this year's Iroquois Nations Cup Tournament will once again be out to impress for perhaps a more important reason.
This year's event, expected to attract eight teams from Ontario, Quebec and the state of New York, will be staged Sept. 18 to 21 at the A'nowara'ko:was Arena in Akwesasne, Ont.
Talent seekers not only from the professional National Lacrosse League, but also from American universities, who offer athletic scholarships, usually attend the all-Aboriginal tournament. Thus, younger performers in the tournament have added incentive to play well.
"This is their big opportunity," said tournament director Mike Mitchell, who lately has taken a preference to using his Iroquois name Kanentakeron. "They try to make the most of it."
The tournament usually features numerous Aboriginal players who already toil in the NLL. Teams rosters also include players that usually suit up for squads at the Senior A, Senior B or junior levels.
Since summer box lacrosse leagues are over by September, the majority of those that compete in those circuits are available to represent their communities in the Iroquois Nations Cup tournament. And for those that do also play in the NLL, there's no worry about possible conflicts as the pro league usually does not begin its season until December.
Akwesasne and Six Nations, a pair of lacrosse hotbed communities, are both expected to have two entries each in the tournament.
"I don't know if there's any other tournament like it," Kanentakeron said. "For the younger players it's a chance to play with and against the pros and the older guys. And it's a big cultural event as well as a big lacrosse tournament."
Kanentakeron is anticipating capacity crowds upwards of 3,000 people for some of the tournament matches.
And he believes participants take this event extremely serious because they are representing their community.
"I think it's more serious (than other leagues they play in)," he said.
A team from Six Nations won last year's championship final.
As for this year, squads will be playing for a share of the $10,000 in prize money up for grabs.
The winning team will take home half of the purse - $5,000. And the other club that also advances to the championship final will win $2,500.
Meanwhile, the two teams that end up losing their semi-final matches will also be presented with $1,250 each.
As a result, four of the participating clubs will win back more than double their team registration fee of $500.
The Iroquois Nations Cup Tournament was originally held in the 1960s and '70s and organized by legendary lacrosse player Ross Powless.
Kanentakeron revived the event in 1997 in Akwesasne. The second running of the revived tourney was staged in 1999 in Ohsweken. Since then the event has been held annually.
Akwesasne has also played host to the revived tournament in 2000, '01, '04 and '06.
The current plan is to stage the annual tournament in Akwesasne in even number years.
And in odd number years the event will be rotated among the communities of Six Nations, Kahnawake, Onondaga and the Senecas at Cattaraugas.