SALI tournament draws thousands

The Sisters Annual Lacrosse Invitational (SALI) Tournament held Friday through Sunday, May 10-12, drew 78 teams from all over the Northwest, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.

Ten fields were needed for the 120-plus games that were played over the weekend by players 5 years of age through high school.

Last year 52 teams attended the SALI tourney, so this year's event marked significant growth.

Coach Bill Rexford stated, "This year's tournament was our biggest, and the best we've had yet. It was smoother and better run and much more enjoyable."

One of the unexpected highlights of the tournament was the masters' game, where coaches from the High Desert played a game against the coaches outside of the High Desert.

"All of the players were in the stands and yelling out tips to all the coaches," said Rexford. "It really showed the camaraderie of the sport. It showed how much the coaches love the game and want to pass that on to the kids. It was one of the big highlights of the tournament."

Rexford told The Nugget that the reason the tournament was so successful and ran so smoothly was due to countless hours of help from the Outlaws parents, the Sisters School District, Sisters Park & Recreation District, and all the Outlaws athletes, many of which weren't even on the lacrosse team. All these many hands working together made the tournament a huge success.

SALI has significant economic impact in Sisters, with nearly 6,000 attendees infusing a minimum of $300,000 into the local economy through meals, lodging and shopping.

The boys high school varsity lacrosse team finished the tourney 2-2 with games against Marist, two teams from Reno, and a team from Monoque, Nevada.

"These guys played the best lacrosse they've ever played," Rexford said. "They never stop trying to get better, and they continue to work on their game. The seniors led the way, and these are games we will never forget."