Mimico Mountaineers awarded WMSL expansion team

TORONTO, ON—Mimico Lacrosse is thrilled to announce that the club has been awarded an expansion team in the Women's Major Series Lacrosse League (WMSL). This expansion team marks an exciting milestone for the club and for women's box lacrosse in Mimico.

The Mimico Mountaineers will be one of the newest teams to join the WMSL, which is the premier women's box lacrosse league in Ontario.

The expansion team is a testament to the club’s commitment to achieving gender equity in its programming and driving change for women and girls in lacrosse. The team will be operated by the Mimico Lacrosse Club under the direction of Frank Lechowski, newly appointed Director of Women’s Box Lacrosse who will coach the team alongside Brad Hutchcraft.

“We are excited to be joining the WMSL and proud to have this team take their place in the long standing tradition of lacrosse in Mimico,” said Lechowski. "The addition of a WMSL team to the Mimico family will be an accelerator to the growth of women's box lacrosse in the community."

Originally one of the first clubs to have a women’s box lacrosse team, Mimico has been working toward rebuilding women's box lacrosse through its 3-on-3 entry level programming. This past season, fifty-four girls under 9-years-old registered to play box lacrosse in the club’s co-ed program. With registration on the rise, the club is now offering 3-on-3 just for girls.

"The OJLL and OJBLL Mountaineers play a major role in the culture of our box programs,” said Colleen Grimes, Vice President of the Mimico Lacrosse Club. “The players take an interest in the success of our minor teams and serve as role models for younger players⁠—we believe the addition of this team will help us in our efforts to provide the same opportunities and role models for girls."

The Mimico Mountaineers will join the eight existing teams in the WMSL, which includes the Arthur Aces, Grand River Attack, Hamilton Bengals, Niagara Turtle Islanders, Whitby Rush, Toronto Stars, London Thrashers and Akwesasne Outlaws. The Mississauga Badgers have also been awarded an expansion team.

“The league is excited to welcome the two new teams and the expanded opportunity they provide for more women to play high-level women’s box lacrosse.” said WMSL Commissioner John Dalgliesh.

The Mimico Mountaineers are set to begin their inaugural season in the WMSL in June 2023. 

For more information, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, @MimicoLax.

For media and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Colleen Grimes, Vice President at colleengrimes@mimicolacrosse.com.