Team Canada recently announced their 23-man roster for the 2025 World Lacrosse U20 Championships. The 2025 team will look to become the first Canadian squad to win gold in this event.
The tournament begins August 16, in Jeju Island, Korea, and the full roster can be found below.
The gap has progressively gotten closer in both field and box lacrosse between Canada and the USA, but Canada has yet to break through in the Men’s U20. Team Canada suffered a one-goal defeat in 2016 and the 2022 team lost by just two goals. After knocking on the door for more than a decade, Team Canada will look to get it done this year.
Last week, we broke down the American roster for the world championships, and today we will do the same for Canada. From major themes to positions of strength, let’s get right into it.
Relying on Chemistry
The first thing that stuck out to me were the obvious clusters of chemistry around the team. Chris Rathwell and Max Frattaroli are two likely candidates to play attack for the Canadians, and they spent this summer playing alongside each other for the Kitchener-Waterloo Jr. A program.
The same is true for Lucas Littlejohn, Luke Robinson, and Jack Oldman, who are all playing for the Whitby Warriors this summer and are in the middle of the OJLL Finals right now.Â
Out west, goaltender Grayson Manning and Greyson Thompson are both playing for the Victoria Shamrocks. In Ontario, Wyatt Wiggins and Sam Trumble played on the same defence this summer for the Peterborough Lakers.
The Canadian lacrosse community is small, but that helps in a short tournament. Whether on the field or off, the Canadians will rely on this pre-built chemistry to come together quickly and make their previous connections an asset.
Manning Blazing the Trail
The presumptive starter between the pipes is the Victoria native Manning. He plays his college lacrosse for Denver where he stopped 53% of the shots he saw in seven games this year. He is also a talented box goaltender who is leading the Shamrocks right now in the BCJALL finals.
If he starts, Manning will become the first BC goaltender to start for Canada in a men’s field competition since the 2003 U-19 World games. That year, Alexander Peaty took the net for the Canadians in a losing effort in Baltimore.
Since then, the starting goaltender has been Ontario based at the Senior Men’s level, with Chris Sanderson, Dillon Ward, and Brett Dobson sharing the mantle. At the U-19/U20 level, the jobs were held by Caleb Creasor (2022), Kyle Hebert (2016), Brennan Donville (2012), and a Dallas, Texas native named Remington Steele in 2008 who had family ties to Canada.
In short, Manning is the first west-coaster to take the reins in some time, and will need to play well against an American team that enters as the presumptive favourites in the tournament. But after a year of seasoning in the NCAA, Manning has the resume needed to thrive.
Strength in the Rope
In the modern field game, no position is more important than Short Stick Defensive Midfield. That’s a good thing if you’re a Team Canada fan, as that is a position of strength, depth, and experience on this team.
Reece Diciccio started every game for the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays this past season, coming away with an impressive 10 CTO’s on the year, while Trumble added six more to go along with 17 loose balls. Hayden Hiltz was named the best defender in Jr. A lacrosse last year and took that confidence with him to Marquette, he played in eight games for the Golden Eagles, adding 2 goals and 3 assists from his SSDM spot.
If there is a position of relative weakness on the USA roster, it’s in the offensive midfield. Canada will need the three aforementioned players to give them big minutes and to guard the ball well. If they can, the upset could be in the works for Canada.
Attack
It’s difficult to project positions on offence, especially considering the similarity of the skillsets for most Canadian players. Like most Canadian teams, this group will have to figure out who is going to play behind the net, as there doesn’t seem to be a natural X attackman.
One thing we do likely know is that Lucas Littlejohn will be on attack. The OJLL’s leading scorer this summer by a mile, Littlejohn is coming off a 40 goal season for the Richmond Spiders. He is the most accomplished player on the Canadian roster and seems to be a lock for the right-handed attack spot.
My guess is that the left-handed spot will be filled by Frattaroli, who was injured for part of the season but managed to still score 17 goals in six games for the Vermont Catamounts. A lefty shooter, Frattaroli gives Canada scoring threats on both wings.
The third spot will likely go to Jared Maznik or Brendan Marino, with most of the other offensive players on the roster being listed as midfielders by their colleges. But any way you slice it, the attack will be lethal for Canada
Lucas Littlejohn – Whitby / Richmond
Littlejohn is a Minto Cup Champion from 2022 and his career has basically ascended since then, including leading the Spiders in scoring during their program-record run to the quarterfinals. He is most known for his lightning quick release, as evidenced by his four goals against UNC in less than a second.
Max Frattaroli – Tecumseh / Vermont
Frattaroli followed up his big college year by scoring 21 goals and 44 assists for KW this summer. He is a lefty shooter who can really score, and will need to do it in bunches for the Canadians.
Jared Maznik – Delta / Harvard
Maznik didn’t see game action for Harvard in 2025, but he is coming fresh off a big summer for the Delta Islanders. With 41 goals and 22 assists this summer, he finished second in goals in the BCJALL and fifth in overall points. He is a big righty with good burst, and will be one of the dodging options for Team Canada.
Brendan Marino – Otonabee / Stony Brook
A CAA All-Rookie team member, Marino had 20 goals and 4 assists in just 9 starts for the Seawolves this year. Another lefty option beside Frattaroli, Marino did not appear to play box this summer. He previously competed for the Peterborough Lakers.
Midfield
Aside from the four players listed above, that leaves six offensive midfielders on the roster, with at least one of them likely to pull double duty on defence. That’s a good thing for the Canadians, because they have options in this regard. Luke Robinson, Sawyer English and David Peterkin all play out the back door in the summer, so they should all be comfortable getting back in on defence. Against an American team that has a lot of natural attackmen, that could be important.
Another obvious headliner here is Justin Tavares. The son of the legendary John Tavares (the lacrosse one) and cousin of the legendary John Tavares (the hockey one), Justin is on the younger side for this tournament. But despite not yet beginning his college career, Tavares led the OJLL in goals with 52 this summer for Mimico, and will bring that confidence into the tournament.
If there seems to be one guiding theme throughout this group, it’s athleticism. This Canadian midfield can really move, a great asset in the often sluggish international rules.
Chris Rathwell – Elora / Lehigh
Rathwell is a righty that had a nice year for the Mountain Hawks, finishing with 6 goals and 9 assists in the midfield. He will be called upon to initiate and distribute the ball, which is always the most difficult aspect for Team Canada. After scoring 29 goals and 40 assists for KW this summer, Rathwell will look to show he’s up to the challenge.
Luke Robinson – Whitby / Cornell
Already a national champion in 2025, Robinson will go for the world title next week in Korea. The speedy lefty was knocking on the door for playing time this year for the Big Red and has looked good in a transition role for Whitby this summer. With 5 goals and 6 assists in 9 games during the regular season, he has added 3 goals and 3 assists in the playoffs. Another lefty, he will be another guy asked to draw slides.
Justin Tavares – Mimico / Denver
The New England Midfielder of the Year at Deerfield, Tavares made the jump from defence to offence this summer and paid it off for Mimico. His 52 regular season goals was the most in the country this year, and he was one of just two players to eclipse 100 points in Ontario. The tournament will be a significant jump in competition for the quick lefty, but he showed this year he can handle an increased workload. He is one of several Team Canada members either at Denver or on the way this fall.
Sawyer English – Burlington / Brown
The youngest of the English brothers, Sawyer will take his talents to Rhode Island this fall for Coach Torpey. He played on both sides of the ball for the Blaze this summer, finishing with 7 goals and 24 assists. Much like his brothers, English is a burner who gives more athleticism in the midfield.
David Peterkin – Lindsay / Hobart
A future NLL defender, Peterkin has already played three seasons of college lacrosse. That should allow him to be both a leader and a key contributor for this group. He had 21 goals and 17 assists this year for the Statesmen while shooting 34% on the year. He is a do-it-all candidate for the Canadians.
Grayson Thompson – Victoria / Yale
Another lefty scorer, Thompson is having a nice summer for the Shamrocks after appearing in two games for the Yale Bulldogs. He had 5 goals and 17 assists for the Shamrocks in the playoffs as of this writing and has been crucial in their run to the BCJALL finals. He will look to make a name for himself on a bigger stage in Korea.
Defensive Midfield
I chose to list both the LSM’s and the SSDM’s together in this section, in part to reiterate just how much of a strength this position is. All five of the players in this section have already played college lacrosse, with all of them logging big minutes for strong programs.
Wyatt Wiggins (Havard) and Logan Fletcher (RIT) were both regular contributors on their college teams this spring, with Fletcher earning Honourable Mention All-America honours. Meanwhile, Trumble, Dicicco and Hiltz are all game wreckers in the middle of the field along with being elite box players.
The defensive midfield is arguably the most important position in the game today, and Canada will need to flex some muscle in this area.
Logan Fletcher – Oakville / RIT
A 2024 All-American, Fletcher had 30 CTO’s and 54 loosies this spring for the Tigers. He played his box lacrosse for St. Catharines this summer, but will forego the Minto in a hunt for a world title.
Sam Trumble – Peterborough / Denver
An elite box player like many of his teammates, Trumble was excellent this summer for the Lakers. At Denver, he had 17 loosies and 6 CTO’s, both very impressive for a short stick. The tallest of the three short-stick defenders, Trumble will be tasked with handling the bigger midfielders on the opposition, which promises to be a fun battle to watch.
Wyatt Wiggins – Peterborough / Harvard
The second Harvard player on the roster, Wiggins was a big part of a Crimson defence that carried that team to the NCAA quarterfinals. He brings some sandpaper to this Canadian defence as well, he finished with 64 PIM’s this year for the Lakers in addition to 2 goals and 4 assists. In a tournament where the extra-curricular battle can play an impact, Wiggins will bring some classic Canadian toughness.
Hayden Hiltz – Burlington / Marquette
He missed some games for Marquette, but still had 2 goals and 3 assists in 8 games despite playing on the defensive side of the ball. He was a 2023 Minto Cup Champion with the blaze and was the 2024 DPOY in the OJLL, so he brings a healthy resume with him overseas.
Reece Dicicco – Guelph / Johns Hopkins
With 10 CTO’s and 14 loose balls for the Blue Jays this year, he was a rare bright spot in an otherwise difficult year for Hopkins. The brother of San Diego Seals defender Trent, he had 17 points between the regular season and playoffs for KW this summer.
Defence
This is likely the most unknown group, with some players looking to establish themselves on the biggest stages. Sorenson is the lone high schooler of the pack and will head to Hopkins this fall, while Tucker played regularly for Robert Morris this year.
Fraser put up incredible numbers for Jacksonville and could be an LSM candidate as well, while Olson will look to take the step following his first year at St. Joseph’s.
The task they have ahead of them is certainly significant, with USA bringing established star Owen Duffy among others at attack. It’s not immediately clear who will take on the biggest matchups just yet, but whoever it is will have their work cut out.
Zack Tucker – Whitby / Robert Morris
Tucker made six starts this year for Robert Morris, finishing with 5 CTO’s and 9 loose balls.
Parker Sorenson – Maple Ridge / Hopkins
A right-handed defender with a serious resume at Culver, he will need to adjust quickly to the step-up in competition. He played this summer for the New Westminster Salmonbellies, adding 3 goals and 2 assists in 7 games.
Lucas Fraser – Burlington / Jacksonville
With 25 CT’s and 43 loose balls, he was one of the most productive defenders in America last year. That trend continued in box this year, with 10 goals and 5 assists for the Burlington Blaze. In a format where turnovers are costly, having an agent of chaos out there could be a huge help to the Canadians.
Jack Olson – Maple Ridge / St. Joseph’s
Olson is the lone Coquitlam Adanac to opt-in to the roster after playing his first season this year at St. Joseph’s. He didn’t see game action, but clearly came recommended by now former Head Coach Taylor Wray. Olson is another big option down low for Team Canada.
Specialists
Another group with its work cut out, they will go up against a loaded American unit that includes first-team All-American Brady Wambach and two proven goaltenders. Oldman can do it all and Manning will hope to show he’s the next in the long red line of Canadian goaltenders.
But make no mistake, any hope of an upset will rely on strong performances from these guys.
Jack Oldman – Whitby / Ohio State
Quietly having an incredible year for the Warriors, Oldman is on the same path walked by Jake Withers and Justin Inacio. He won 49.4% of his draws as a sophomore for Ohio State this year and has been dominant at the faceoff in the box. But he can play as well, scoring 60 points this year for the Warriors.
Grayson Manning – Victoria / Denver
Manning played in 7 games for the Pioneers and started three of those, finishing with a 54% save percentage. With a 5.89 GAA this summer for Victoria, he’s a beast in the box as well.
Cam Sterritt – Brampton / Providence
Rainen O’Kurley – Victoria / UMass Lowell
Roster sizes dictate that one of these goaltenders will be a third-string, who is only eligible in emergency injury situations. Neither goalie competed regularly for their college program in 2025, but both have bright futures and will need to be ready when called upon.
Check back next week for a full tournament preview. The tournament begins August 16th!
Can you comment on any notable omissions from the Canadian Roster?