Cooper Anderson and his Claremont Secondary School Field Lacrosse teammates have been chasing the Denver Shootout Championship for four years. (Photo submitted/Cooper Anderson)

By Nick Nielsen

Raiders goalie prospect

Raiders’ Anderson wins major high school lacrosse tournament

Jun 20, 2025 | 2:41 PM

Raiders’ prospective goaltender Cooper Anderson is finding success this off-season on the lacrosse field. As he finishes his Grade 12 year with tests and final assignments, the 18-year-old goaltender is also a midfielder for his Claremont Secondary School’s field lacrosse team, and they just took home a championship they’ve been chasing for 10 years.

The tournament, the Denver Shootout, started in 2004 and ever since, lacrosse teams from across Canada and the US compete every year to be the champion.

Since starting his high school lacrosse career four years ago, this was the tournament that Anderson was always looking forward to the most.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to go to it for four years in a row now, and this year being my last year. We do a couple tournaments throughout the year and then it always ends with us going to Denver, and I think we’ve been going to it for like 20 years now. In Grade 9, as soon as you start go into the lacrosse program, you kind of understand what’s to come at the end of the year and that the goal is to win the Denver Shootout Championship.”

In Anderson’s lacrosse career, his team was ousted in the tournament early in the first two years, but year three saw Claremont make it to the finals before they ‘got waxed’ in the final game.

Title on the line

Championship weekend looming as Predators seek third straight title

3h ago

Former Ice Wolf, Mustang

Schneider named head coach of Kindersley Klippers

15h ago

Landfill decommissioning

Landfill decommissioning work continues in Melfort

16h ago

This year was different. In the first three round robin games, Anderson’s team outscored their opponents 33-4, including opening the tournament with a 13-0 shutout.

That took them into the semifinal where they won 7-3, and that brought them to the final against Team 91 CO Vipers but there some theatrics were needed to get the win.

“We were up 4-1 going into half, and they scored six straight to make it 7-4 to go into the fourth quarter and we’re like ‘oh man, this is going to be a climb here’. So with three minutes left in fourth quarter, we got one goal on a transition ball from the defensive end to our offensive end and we end up getting a fast break goal, and then we won the face off, went down, scored again. Then with 30 seconds left I was on there and kind of made like a dodge over the top and I drew the second guy so one of my teammates was wide open. I hit him in the middle and we tied it up.”

Ultimately, the quick comeback would result in an 8-7 win for Anderson and his team from Claremont, giving the Claremont Secondary School their second championship at the Denver Shootout in 10 years.

While winning the championship was a big point of pride for his school, winning this year meant even more to Anderson and the crew that he played with.

In his four year high school career, he played with the same group other than the Grade 11 goalie they brought to this year’s tournament, so finally getting to hold the championship meant a lot to Anderson and his teammates. Both losing in the finals last year and winning the championship this year involved a few tears.

“The celebration was the thing ’cause like, everyone knows this is what you’ve been working for four years, this is all you think about from September and waiting for it to come in June. So when we were able to win, I threw my helmet in the air and in a nanosecond I was jumping around hugging everybody and then we’re getting off the field and I’m starting to shed a tear. This is insane, this is what we’ve been working for. And we actually did it.”

On the ice, Anderson didn’t have the year he was hoping for. He started last year as the backup goaltender for the Raiders, but was sent down in November where he found a starting gig with the Fernie Ghostriders of the KIJHL. With that experience, the now 18-year-old goaltender is hoping to contend for a spot with the Raiders this year to try and fill the spot left by Max Hildebrand’s departure.

“It was obviously a step down, but for me personally, it was what I needed. Just because it was a new environment where I got to play a lot more than what I was going to or what I had been. I think everyone knows for any player in any sport, actually playing is one of the most beneficial ways to get better, and there’s only so much you can do in practice to get better.”

Anderson has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Raiders in a backup goaltending position. With another 15 starts to his name, including seven in a row, he’s hoping to contend for a full-time spot with the Raiders this coming season.