The NC production was broadcast on NLL and TSN.
Broadcasting pro and beloved Niagara College professor, Peter ‘Dutch’ Vandenberg, is behind yet another student-and-alumni-led sport production in Niagara.
This August, the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines is playing host to the Minto Cup, the premier championship for Junior A Lacrosse in Canada, with teams from Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia vying for the coveted title of national champions.
The competition is the perfect training ground for NC students ready to take their shot and make a play in the broadcast world.
“This event has been on my bucket list for a while, and I am so incredibly proud of the product we delivered,” said Vandenberg. “Lacrosse Canada used the words ‘Phenomenal’ about our production excellence and I could not agree more. Projects like this mean so much to me and our program. Having the crew engage and deliver at the highest level is so inspiring to watch and be a part of.”
The 24-person crew behind the livestream on the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and The Sport Network (TSN) includes second-and-third-year students in NC’s Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program, led by fellow alum and seasoned pros.
Vandenberg’s crew approached the high-energy sport – with quick transitions and fast breaks – with a fully-equipped production set-up. This included the mobile broadcasting truck, 14 cameras – both traditional and robotic – penalty box cameras, FX mics, eight channels of replay, and graphics. The NC-team is also producing the in-house jumbotron feed.
“I’m not sure I could possibly say enough about the team Dutch has put together of Niagara College students,” said Dan Pilon from the Minto Cup Committee. “What an incredible collaboration: a local institution in NC, a historical team with deep local connection to athletics, and both national and international exposure through partnerships with Lacrosse Canada, National Lacrosse League, TSN and more.”
The power of NC’s BRTF alumni community was in full force at the Minto Cup.
The NC broadcasting team on the field at Meridian Centre for the 2025 Minto Cup.
2022 BRTF alum Mason Lau-Daisley directed the production. Lau-Daisley works as a freelance live multi-camera director.
On LinkedIn, Lau-Daisley said of the experience:
“There is no greater feeling than being able to come back and work a Niagara College production, let alone being asked to direct and produce the show too! Big thank you to the greatest of mentors, Peter “Dutch” VandenBerg, for having me out this week. I am a proud NC grad and I bleed blue.”
Sierra Maurice (2025) from Thorold is a Deliverables Assistant at Scott Brothers Entertainment. She had never seen a lacrosse game but did her homework to be able to capture key moments as a game camera operator.
“The ball is your north star as a game cam operator, so it can’t leave your sight,” she said.
In preparation, Maurice watched NLL games, taking note of the field of play, how far and fast players throw the ball, stoppages of play and player behaviour.
Dutch Vandenberg and Mason Lau-Daisley.
“I’m definitely a lacrosse fan now,” said Maurice, who was happy to be back with her alma mater.
“I will celebrate this program whenever I can. The opportunities it gave me in college and now beyond my time at NC are immeasurable… Being able to see new BRTF students value the experience and opportunity as well makes me excited for this new generation of TV professionals.”
The all-star alumni team included Liam Armstrong (2023) as replay coordinator, Luke Blanchette (2025) on video, Sierra Maurice (2025) on game cam, Jon Mwami is as lead audio mixer, and Zoe Smith (2025) as graphics operator. Abby Filipov (2024), Harry Lengyel (2024), Tyler Hendriks (2024) also filled in after their full workday at Dome Productions.
“Having our current students work alongside industry grads is truly priceless and the hallmark of experiential learning here at NC,” said Vandenberg. “We all mentor each other and this was an amazing example of NC pride.”
Program Advisory Committee (PAC) member Andrew Stoakley, who works as the Lead Audio mixer for the Blue Jays.
“Andrew is a big supporter of the program and our communities,” said Vandenberg, who added that television instructor Dave Lostracco was integral as a production and camera advisor.
