A busy summer playing both versions of lacrosse is nothing new to Dan McDermott and this year he will be doing it wearing Canadian colours.
Coming off an outstanding sophomore season at the New York Institute of Technology, where McDermott earned All-American honours, the Richmond native will soon be joining Team Canada in preparation for the U19 World Field Lacrosse Championships, scheduled for next month in Finland.
The standout defender earned his national team roster spot at the final selection camp, staged last November in Oshawa, ON. He was initially scouted as a member of Team B.C. at last summer's U19 Nationals where he helped the host province earn silver and was named to the tournament all-star team.
Instead of catching up with his family and friends after returning from New York two weeks ago, McDermott jumped right into the box lacrosse season as a member of the Delta Junior "A" Islanders. He is playing seven games this month which will make him eligible for the playoffs.
The Islanders currently sit in second place with a 7-3-1 record and are ranked fourth in the nation.
"Right now, with the team we got, we are almost guaranteed a playoff spot," he explained following his team's 9-8 win over Port Coquitlam last week. "I will be back from Finland on July 22 which is just in time for the second round of the playoffs. I'll get some time off later in August but that's about it (before I go back to New York)."
"When I'm not training with these guys, I'm working out with my personal trainer to get ready."
McDermott's scholarship to NYIT, a NCAA Division Two school where he is studying business management, was an opportunity that he wasn't even actively pursuing. The McNair graduate was attending a camp with the Burnaby Mountain Selects program in August of 2010 where his play got the attention of a NYIT representative. He first needed to write his SATs to be eligible to attend an American school and ended up missing the fall season. That didn't stop him from making an impact as a freshman the following spring as he flourished in the school's detailed program.
"I love it," said McDermott of the experience. "The lacrosse calibre is completely different from what is is here. My own work ethic (has helped my success) but a lot of the credit should to the coaches who have taught me how to play and train the right way."
McDermott is scheduled to join Team Canada back east for a week long training camp at the end of the month. The team will then participate at a tournament in Washington DC from July 1-3 before leaving for Finland July 7.
