BRAGA, Portugal - It took a couple of generations, but Golden Hawks lacrosse player Sophia Storer will be a part of sporting history in Portugal this summer.

Before playing her third season as a defender on the Golden Hawks women's lacrosse team, the 20-year-old sociology major from Kitchener, Ont., will don the red and green of the Portuguese national team as the program makes its global debut at the European Women's Lacrosse Championships (WELC) from July 10-20.

"It's surreal to be here in Portugal with the opportunity to play for the national team," said Storer via a video call from Braga. "It's a privilege to be selected for this tournament. I'm immensely grateful for the experience of representing the country of my heritage."

With the sport still very new in the country, Portugal Lacrosse moved into stages of development for the women's program to gain interest and knowledge about lacrosse.

Also due to the more recent development of the women's program, the team can carry eight "heritage players" on its roster for this year's championships - meaning players without their Portuguese citizenship but with proof of heritage (grandparents or parents born in the country) can participate. 

Storer's heritage comes from her maternal grandparents being born in Portugal. 

"It's great that a group of girls from all over the world can come together and play the sport we all love because we have one thing in common: our Portuguese history," Storer said.

"One of my minor lacrosse coaches happened to be coaching the Portuguese team and reached out to my coaches at Laurier who told me about the opportunity. Then my parents and (Laurier co-head coach) Tamara (Grant) encouraged me to pursue the opportunity. 

"At first, I had no clue about the depth of what I would be getting to do and represent. There were a few different tournaments that were used as tryouts; two in Portugal and the United States. You could pick which ones you could make, or even just one. So I tried out during the Lisboa Cup," Storer said.

The tournament, which was held in late June, saw the team place fifth, winning three of its five games. That, in itself, was a big accomplishment since the team had never won a game before. 

During that time, the coaching staff saw enough to invite Storer to play for Team Portugal in the WELC. 

"It was rewarding to accept my spot on the team," said Storer, adding that playing for Portugal has further encouraged her family to obtain Portuguese citizenship. "I'm looking forward to representing the country of my heritage and making an impact on lacrosse in Portugal."

The national team will host 18 other countries in Braga, a city with a population of about 194,000 located in the northwestern part of the country, and 3.5 hours from the country's capital, Lisbon.

Teams are divided into four divisions, with Portugal seeded with Czechia, Ireland, Norway, and Austria. 

Storer and her teammates take to the field for their opener on July 10 against the Norwegians. They will play three additional round-robin games with the tournament final scheduled for July 20.

Click here to view the entire competition schedule