Possible Clues:

• Sport played with sticks
• The Cherokee deemed it good training for war
• A pass in the French game
• Canada's national game
• Supreme leader protected by doctor in sport
• Team game using netted sticks
• It's a game when several across entries have letters missing at either end!
• Aggressor calculatingly holding back game
• Sol cares about this sport
• Half-century for opener as score changes game