Brandon lacrosse duo heading to Canada Games

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This article was published 24/04/2025 (393 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cash Zdan and Vaughn McLeod share a lot of interests.

The two have been friends for as long as they can remember.

Both are Grade 9 students at Vincent Massey High School in Brandon.

Both are very competitive.

And both love lacrosse.

It’s a good thing they enjoy also each other’s company because they’ll be spending a lot of time together this summer, as the pair made Manitoba’s Canada Summer Games lacrosse team.

“He’s been my best friend since I was younger, so it’s always been a dream to play one of these top national events with a friend like him and now I get to live it. I’m super excited. There isn’t anyone else I’d rather go with,” said McLeod.

“We played hockey together since Timbits. We’ve basically known each other our whole lives.”

The pair share a lot in common when it comes to a shared interest in the sport, but their styles of play are a slight contrast.

Zdan, a long and lean forward who will mostly play defence for Team Toba this summer, leans into the physical side of the game. He stands a full head (or helmet) above most of his teammates and uses his length to create separation, often-times by any means necessary.

“I can see the floor a lot better. I’m also able to get my stick over opponents. On defence I’m able to use it to help control the floor,” said Zdan.

“I like the intensity of the sport. It has a lot of roughness. There’s guys being thrown around the floor the whole time. It’s super competitive.”

He also doesn’t mind being tough to play against.

“I like to get under their skin. In the third period you can usually get away with that extra little jab,” said Zdan.

“I try my best to block a shot, do whatever I can to move my team forward.”

McLeod meanwhile is a little shorter — although not short on size. His game is based on his hands and ability to control the ball while reading the play. The two are very good friends, and like most teenage teammates, they like to have fun at each other’s expense.

“He’s great. I love getting free rides from his dad,” Zdan said with a laugh. “He’s one of my favourite to play defence against. If I get the chance to break his arm a bit, even better.”

Zdan is coming off a season with the freshman basketball team at Vincent Massey and will move to Winnipeg after the Canada Day long weekend in preparation for the Canada Games. He’ll live with relatives for the summer months while he trains five days per week.

Meanwhile, McLeod comes to the game by way of hockey, coming off a successful season with the U15 AAA Wheat Kings.

McLeod’s stick-handling skills in hockey translate to box lacrosse, whereas the shorter but equally powerful player focuses on vision and his ability to control and move the ball with precision.

“Ball movement, dodges, teamwork, I feel like those are things that I’ve gained and contributed to my game that has helped a lot,” said McLeod.

“People say practice makes perfect, so I like to just work on the basics as much as I can. I’ll just grab the stick, go outside and play pass, and that has helped my hockey skills and lacrosse skills in a major way.”

The two have been involved in the re-birth of lacrosse in Brandon since the Wheat City lacrosse program was born by Cash’s father Marty Zdan.

This summer’s Canada Games experience will be the highest level of national competition either have seen, not just in lacrosse, but any sport.

That and a first-time trip to the games’ host city of St. John’s, N.L. will be a welcomed experience, but they’re more excited to see where the sport goes and their futures in it more so than sightseeing.

“Just learning from how those other teams play. Team Ontario is so good. They all play together every day, so if you watch them you’ll learn a lot,” said Zdan. “I’m also really looking forward to training, getting better and playing with a great group of guys all summer.”

“Just the opportunity to watch some of these great teams and players and see how they do things,” McLeod added. “There’s nothing like being able to watch it in person. I’ve learned a lot the last three years having the chance to watch that live in person and it’s really helped my game a lot.”

While this summer presents a great opportunity to further their opportunities in the sport, both aren’t thinking short-term.

Zdan hopes to get a scholarship or play junior if finding a spot at the college or university level doesn’t work out. In his mind, all options are open for now, noting “I gotta lotta time to see where the game takes me.”

For now, the goal is simple to keep playing at the highest level.

For Zdan, thanks to his passion and height, that shouldn’t be a challenge.

McLeod’s future in the sport is tied to his pursuits in hockey. He acknowledged how, as often the case with most developing athletes, there comes a time when one has to focus on one sport, but thankfully he’s not in the position to have to make a decision just yet.

“It’s been hard, and I know I’m coming to that age where I know I’m going to have to decide,” said McLeod.

“In hockey season I say hockey is my favourite sport. In lacrosse season I say lacrosse is my favourite sport. It’s hard to pick.”

The decision to have them on the provincial team should keep them advancing through the lacrosse ranks for the foreseeable future, and no decisions are necessary for the time being.

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com