Three members of the Trent Excalibur women’s lacrosse program will represent Canada at the 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo, Japan, from July 24 – August 2, showcasing the talent of Trent’s varsity program on one of the sport’s biggest international stages. 

Student-athletes Maddy Baxter and Maggie Cuddy have earned spots on Team Canada’s roster, while Trent Excalibur head coach Jocelyne Lemay will serve as Team Canada’s manager. Together, the trio will pursue a podium finish as part of the team ranked second in the world, competing against the best women's lacrosse players in other countries. 

For Trent Athletics, having three representatives at the World Championship is a reflection of a program that continues to attract and develop student-athletes competing at the highest level. 

“This is an incredible moment for our championship program," said Nathan McFadden, director of Athletics and Recreation at Trent University. "To have two student-athletes and our head coach representing Canada at this international tournament playing against the best teams and players in the world speaks to the level of high-performance players and standard of excellence within Trent Excalibur women's lacrosse. We're extremely proud of Maddy, Maggie, and Jocelyne.

"Their determination, passion, and professionalism have been instrumental in shaping our program, and we know they will represent both Canada and Trent with tremendous pride while serving as outstanding global ambassadors for our university.” 

Entering her second year in the Nursing program at Trent, Baxter (Whitby, ON) has already established herself as one of Canada's premier lacrosse players. She helped Canada defend its gold-medal standard at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, captured a silver medal at the 2022 World Championship after recording 15 points (nine goals, six assists) and previously represented Canada at the 2019 U19 World Cup. In 2025 she was named the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Rookie of the Year after helping the team earn an OUA Gold Medal. 

"It's taken a lot of dedication, training, and commitment. I am excited to see all that hard work come together and get back on the field with my teammates," said Baxter. "My experience at Trent has played a big role in preparing me for this opportunity. Competing at a high level, learning from great coaches and being surrounded by supportive teammates have helped me grow both as an athlete and as a person. It's also pretty special to represent Team Canada alongside my head coach and a teammate from Trent. Having familiar faces by my side makes the experience even more special." 

Cuddy (Brooklin, ON) has also already established herself with Canada's national team program. In 2024, she helped Team Canada reach the gold medal game at the World Lacrosse U20 Championship in Hong Kong before representing Canada again at the 2025 World Lacrosse Super Sixes. Cuddy will begin her first season with the Trent Excalibur this fall as she starts her Master of Health Care Management at Trent University. 

Trent Excalibur head coach Jocelyne Lemay will serve as Team Canada's manager throughout the championship bringing extensive international experience to the role. Lemay helped Canada capture the 2019 World Championship title as a player and, after taking over the Excalibur program in 2024, she guided the team to the 2025 OUA Championship and has continued to establish the program as one of Canada's premier university lacrosse teams. 

The trio's presence at the World Championship highlights the growing reputation of Trent Excalibur as a destination for student-athletes aspiring to compete at the highest levels of sport. Whether developing Canadian national team talent or attracting internationally accomplished athletes to campus, Trent continues to provide an environment where academic success and athletic excellence go hand in hand. 

Team Canada opens the championship on Saturday, July 25, at 5:30 a.m. (EST) against fourth-ranked Australia. Follow live updates on the World Lacrosse website.