Raiders Win First-Ever Minto Cup for Alberta

Shawn Slaght

I've been a professional journalist since 2005 and I've covered sports across Saskatchewan and Alberta including World Cup Alpine Skiing, national and world curling championships and junior hockey. I've been covering lacrosse and the Saskatchewan Rush since 2017.

August 24, 2026

The Raiders Lacrosse Club made history by winning the first-ever Minto Cup for Alberta.

In the 23 years that Alberta teams have been competing at the Minto Cup, the championship had always gone to teams from B.C. or Ontario.

That changed on Sunday night in Calgary, as the Raiders defeated the Victoria Shamrocks 9-6 in Game 3 of the Minto Cup final.

Dylan Belliveau was awarded the Jim McConaghy Memorial Award as the series MVP.

Nathan Whittom was outstanding in goal for the Raiders, stopping 30 of 36 shots to lead the team to its first championship.

Belliveau led the Raiders in Game 3 with a goal and four assists for five points. Meanwhile, Wyatt Viste and Cole Morris had two goals and an assist each.

For the Shamrocks, six different players found the back of the net. Jett Klassen, Ryan Lowe and Marcelo Carreiro each had a goal and an assist, while Greysen Thompson finished with three assists.

Greysen Beggs struggled early, allowing four goals on 11 shots in the first 11:22 before being pulled for Angus Snow. Credit to Snow, who stopped 33 of 38 shots, including all 14 he faced in the third period, to keep Victoria in the game.

First Period

The Raiders got off to a quick start with a five-goal run.

Luke McNamara opened the scoring 3:25 into the game, followed by Morris in transition just over a minute later.

On the power play, Viste scored at the 8:11 mark to put the Raiders up 3-0. Morris then added his second of the period 27 seconds later, ending Beggs’ night in goal.

Belliveau made it 5-0 on the power play at 11:30.

Victoria finally got on the board after going scoreless for 12:12 when Klassen found the back of the net.

However, Carson Mann scored for the Raiders with 6:52 left to make it 6-1 after the first period.

Second Period

Victoria narrowed the lead early in the second period with a two-goal run.

Evan McDougall scored on the power play 1:20 into the period, and Jaden Roach scored shorthanded at 6:48 to make it a three-goal game.

Cash Frijters and Benjamin Pousak scored to restore the Raiders’ five-goal lead.

Viste rounded out the second-period scoring with 43 seconds on the clock as the Raiders took a 9-3 lead into the third period.

Third Period

The Raiders held off a late charge by the Shamrocks in the third period to bring home Alberta’s first-ever Minto Cup.

Lowe opened the scoring at the 10:23 mark, followed by Parson Shahi just over two minutes later to make it a four-goal game.

Carreiro scored with 6:41 left in the game, but a late charge by the Shamrocks wasn’t enough. The Raiders held on for the 9-6 win in Game 3 to win the first-ever Minto Cup for a team outside B.C. or Ontario.