The Prep School to D1 Lacrosse Pipeline: A Guide for Indigenous Players

For Indigenous lacrosse players in Canada, the path to Division 1 almost always runs through the United States. There is no Grade 12 in Quebec although there is in Ontario, the hotbed of lacrosse. There are limited showcases on reserves and D1 coaches are not driving to Kahnawake or Six Nations for recruiting visits. So the players who make it build their own pipeline – through prep schools, travel teams, and junior A programs that put them in front of the right eyes.

This guide is built from The Creator's Game Episode 32 with Trey Deere (Salisbury → Syracuse) and Colton Marquis (Don Bosco → Hopkins → Albany), plus insights from Episode 30 with Kaymen Diabo and our scouting guide. If you want the full breakdown in one place, subscribe to the Beyond Pryde newsletter at beyondpryde.com/contact and we will send you the D1 Pathway Checklist – timelines, school options, and recruiting tips built for Indigenous players.

Why Prep School?

For players from Quebec, CEGEP does not provide NCAA eligibility. For players from Ontario reserves, high school lacrosse may not exist at a competitive level. US prep schools solve both problems: they provide the academic credits for NCAA eligibility and they put you in front of D1 coaches who recruit from those schools annually.

Trey Deere went to Salisbury Prep in Connecticut. Colton Marquis went to Don Bosco in New Jersey. Both are now D1 players. Neither would have been recruited without the prep school step. The path is not cheap and it is not easy – Trey left home at 15 and cried when his mom drove away – but for Indigenous players with D1 aspirations, it is the most reliable route.

Choosing the Right School

Not all prep schools are equal for lacrosse. The factors that matter:

• Lacrosse program strength. Salisbury has produced D1 players for decades, including the Merrill family pipeline. Don Bosco was a football school that Colton's class helped transform into a lacrosse competitor. Research which schools are sending players to the colleges you want to attend.
• Academic fit. You are there for credits, but you are also there to learn. Trey is a sports management major at Syracuse – one of the top programs in the country. The academic foundation matters beyond eligibility.
• Cultural support. Trey was the only Indigenous student at Salisbury. He brought the Every Child Matters movement to the school and the administration embraced it. Ask how the school handles cultural identity and whether they will support initiatives that matter to you.
• Distance from home. Colton lived with his father in New York, making Don Bosco a shorter transition. Trey was 4 hours away with no family nearby. Know your own tolerance for distance and homesickness.

The Travel Team Bridge

Before prep school, both players used travel teams to build visibility. Trey's route went through Sweet Lax – the same program that Kaymen Diabo and other Kahnawake players used for exposure. Colton's first field lacrosse experience was at an Akwesasne tournament with Mikey Thompson's team. Travel teams bridge the gap between reserve lacrosse and the recruiting ecosystem. They are expensive and time-consuming, but they put you on the radar of coaches who do not know your community's name.

Beyond Pryde produces highlight reels and recruiting content for Indigenous athletes. If you need professional video to send to coaches, that is what we do. Email us at info@beyondpryde.com or reach out through our website.

The Junior A Option

Not every player needs prep school. The Orangeville Northmen pipeline – built by Nick Rose – offers another route. Playing Junior A in a lacrosse-obsessed community gives you high-level competition, fan support, and visibility without leaving the country. Both Trey and Colton played for Orangeville and credit the experience with developing their games and their maturity.

The key advantage: Junior A puts you in front of MSL and NLL scouts simultaneously. Colton is now on the Peterborough Lakers roster. The connections he made through Orangeville – including living with a billet family and building relationships with coaching staff – directly led to his senior A opportunity.

Managing the Transition

Leaving home at 15 is hard. Both players were honest about the emotional cost. Trey described quarantining with a stranger from Florida during COVID – someone he never would have met otherwise – and that forced relationship becoming a lifelong friendship. Colton talked about the culture shock of moving from Kahnawake to a New Jersey football school where nobody knew what lacrosse was.

What helped them both: technology (FaceTime with family), teammates who became brothers, and coaches who treated them like men instead of managing every minute of their day. The players who thrive at prep school are the ones who can build relationships quickly, accept discomfort as temporary, and keep their identity intact while adapting to new environments.

The D1 Lifestyle

College lacrosse at the D1 level is structured but not restrictive. Syracuse's rule: the lacrosse team is your fraternity. No joining frats. These are your brothers. Albany has similar culture rules – no drinking during the week, show up to practice ready. Both players acknowledged that college is a party environment, but the teams self-police. The players who share your goals pull you in the right direction.

Trey's advice to younger players: surround yourself with people who have the same mindset. He and Colton have different paths but the same direction. That alignment is why their friendship works and why both have reached the level they are at.

Key Takeaways

• US prep school is the most reliable D1 pathway for Indigenous Canadian players from Quebec or communities without competitive high school lacrosse.
• Research schools for lacrosse strength, academic fit, cultural support, and distance from home before committing.
• Travel teams (Sweet Lax, community tournaments) build visibility before prep school and put you on recruiting radars that your minor system cannot reach.
• Junior A programs like Orangeville offer an alternative route with MSL and NLL exposure and no border crossing required.
• Homesickness is real. Technology, teammates, and coaches who care make it manageable. Build relationships off the floor, not just through the game.
• Keep your stick in your hand. Backyard lacrosse builds the instincts that drills cannot replicate.
• Play with a clear mind. Overthinking kills performance. Fun drives excellence.

Trey Deere and Colton Marquis tell the full story on Episode 32 of The Creator's Game. Watch on YouTube, or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts at beyondpryde.com.