LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – On Memorial Day weekend, the boys Greece Lacrosse Under 19s team successfully secured their second straight win in the annual Heritage Cup Championship.
This win highlighted the great achievements of the ever-growing sport amongst Greek-American and Greek-Canadian youth.
The Under 19s team won the Heritage Cup in both 2025 and 2026, and the Under 15s team also secured its second championship title this year, after previously winning in 2024.
Ahead of the games, on Friday afternoon, following a practice ahead of the tournament, the boys enjoyed pizzas together and had the opportunity to get to know one another, and then Fr. Anastasios Kousoulas from the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Trenton, NJ, came for a blessing.
Speaking to The National Herald, Melani Kapetanakos, who manages the boys’ youth Greece lacrosse teams expressed what this victory meant for the team, noting that its significance extended beyond the field. “It wasn’t just the win, but seeing those boys just connect year after year, and then welcoming the new players every year, and just instantly…coming together, where they meet and then they play,” Kapetanakos told TNH. “They just connect, and that cultural connection is instant, and you can see how that translates onto the field.” “They have great teamwork, they all connect with each other well and it’s just always fun to watch.”
Discussing the Heritage Cup as a whole, Kapetanakos revealed that this annual competition brings together teams from all over North America and is held somewhere different every year. This year’s competition saw players in the Youth Greece Lacrosse teams travel from places including California, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and even Canada. “Essentially, it’s everyone from wherever, around the United States,” she expressed.
When asked when the Youth Greece Lacrosse teams were established, Kapetanakos explained they began in 2022, however, “it wasn’t until 2024 that we were able to get enough kids for one team.”
“We had enough players ages 9-15 to enter a U15 (under 15) team into the Heritage cup. We won it that year,” she explained.
“Last year we had enough players for three teams – a U13, U15 and U19 team. In 2025 the U19 team brought home the championship trophy in their division.”
“This year, in 2026, we have 154 kids on our roster, 66 of whom participated in the Heritage cup on the three teams. Both the U15 and U19 teams won their divisions and the U13 team which consisted of very young kids for that division ended the weekend with a win.”
After the team was victorious, the sport then received a stronger response, with increased interest, where more people decided to sign up and now, there are around 200 players enrolled into the sport.
When asked about the inspirations to establish Greek youth lacrosse teams, Kapetanakos shared how this program was initially created to connect young athletes of Greek heritage and offer them a variety of pathways to represent Greece at an international level.
“We just kind of wanted to connect the youth, and if they want to go on and play with us and represent Greece, that’s great. If they’re doing this just to make Greek-American connections and play, that’s wonderful as well,” she said.
“Last year, the men’s team played in the European Championships in Poland…then this fall, the men’s team is going to play in the European Sixes Championships in Spain.”
“It’s great because it gives them a good experience through lacrosse, through sport, and just meeting other Greeks from Greece and other Greek-Americans.”
When asked about their longer-term aspirations for the team, Kapetanakos added: “Overall, the goal is to grow the sport of lacrosse in Greece,” as well as provide individuals with the opportunity to make “lifelong connections and friendships…that will last a lifetime.”
These connections will last a lifetime. Kapetanakos also noted how the lacrosse club season runs all summer long, and in the last few years, she’s noticed many players who met through the sport keeping relationships beyond the field, which ties into the organization’s goals of growing the sport and creating opportunities for friendships and genuine connection in sport.
With back-to-back victories in the Heritage Cup, the boys’ and girls’ Greece Lacrosse teams continue to expand their presence, grow their teams, compete across the country and globe, and connect with one another.
