Nova Scotia lacrosse team wins international tournament in Czech Republic

A Nova Scotia lacrosse team has won the championship of an international men's tournament in the Czech Republic — a first for the team after 13 years.

The Nova Scotia Privateers placed first in the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament, defeating the host team 11-10 in the final match on Saturday.

"We are over the moon," Rod Humphreys, the team's coach and general manager, said Sunday from Radotín, just outside of Prague.

"It feels great because it's the culmination of a lot of work."

The memorial tournament is organized annually by the Custodes Radotín lacrosse club, in memory of former player Aleš Hřebeský. He was killed by a drunk driver in 1993.

It's considered "the most prestigious box lacrosse event in Europe," according to its website.

Massive win for the <a href="https://twitter.com/PrivateersLC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrivateersLC</a> at the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament, taking how the Championship Trophy with a crazy 11-10 win over the host LCC Custodes!!<br><br>More to follow…. <a href="https://t.co/stOGfBvvsA">pic.twitter.com/stOGfBvvsA</a>

Twenty-four teams representing 16 countries participated, including Canada, Finland, Israel, Germany, the U.S., Slovakia and Scotland.

The Privateers have been participating in the tournament since 2008. The team finished second in 2018, but this is their first championship.

"[I'm] still trying to find the words for it. It really doesn't even feel real, right?" said KJ MacNeil, one of the team's captains, who has been participating in the tournament for eight years.

"We've been coming here for so long and come close a couple of times, but to finally come across the finish line was surreal. There was a fireworks display at the end and it felt like they were celebrating us."