Lacrosse season begins with younger, faster teams

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The Western Lacrosse Association started its 2002 season on May 10, which promises to provide plenty of action as their six star-studded teams chase championship dreams.

The Burnaby Lakers, Coquitlam Adanacs, Maple Ridge Burrards, New Westminster Salmonbellies, North Shore Thunder and Victoria Shamrocks will each play 20 games this year, completing regular season play by the end of July.

Reigning Mann Cup champions the Coquitlam Adanacs will have their hands full against 1999 national champions the Victoria Shamrocks, who are looking to regain the title with a roster filled with National Lacrosse League (NLL) players and many younger additions.

"With some of last year's veterans not returning, the lineup is open to the many players moving up from the Junior Shamrocks," said club president Doug Jones. "Lacrosse fans will see the new generation Shamrocks; a younger, faster team this season," he said.

Victoria, six-time Mann Cup champions, came second to Coquitlam last season, and the Adanacs ended up taking the national title, beating Brampton Ontario four games to three.

This season will also see the return of the North Shore (Vancouver) team, which moved to Kelowna two years ago. The former powerhouse team the North Shore Indians was once a First Nations-owned team, and tried to form an all-Native squad in the 1980s. It now returns to the lower mainland as the North Shore Thunder.

First Nations' drummers sporting t-shirts emblazoned with "The boys of summer play baseball; The MEN of summer play Lacrosse" loudly cheered the start of the Victoria Shamrocks' season on May 11 as they hosted Coquitlam. They signalled lacrosse season has officially begun in British Columbia.

Being Canada's official summer sport, Lacrosse has a passionate fan base, with many teams enjoying the benefits of hundreds of season-ticket holders and fans who attend every one of their team's home games.

After an evenly matched first two periods, Victoria opened the game up in the third and doubled the Adanacs by a score of 16-8. The fast-paced and hard-hitting game sent Shamrocks fans home happy and hopeful that this season might bring back the Mann Cup for its seventh stay.