Lacrosse fans starved for action are in for a feast on Saturday (Aug. 7).
The Western Lacrosse Association is gathering 100 of the best graduating junior players and young stars from the senior loop for a unique series of scrimmages at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex in Coquitlam.
The WLA Xtreme Future Stars event will not only give the players a chance at game action after the cancellation of two consecutive regular seasons in the BC Junior A Lacrosse League and the WLA because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will also provide fans a bit of a preview of the kind of action they’ll be able to see in 2022, said WLA commissioner Paul Dal Monte.
The day-long event kicks off with a junior showcase at 10 a.m., where 46 graduating players from the BCJALL will be divided into two teams for a scrimmage consisting of three 20-minute periods, with a five-minute break between each. One team will be coached by Coquitlam Adanacs’ bench boss Pat Coyle, while the other will be guided by Rob Williams of the Maple Ridge Burrards.
In the afternoon, beginning at 12:30 p.m., 54 young WLA stars born between 1997 and ’99 will be divided into three teams to play three 40-minute scrimmages. The teams will be coached by several WLA coaches, including Coyle, Williams, as well as Rod Jensen of the Langley Thunder and Mike Simpson of the Victoria Shamrocks.
Some of the local players participating include Adanacs’ defenders Reid Bowering and Trevor Gallant, along with transition player Sam Andalis, as well as former Jr. Adanacs’ star Ethan Ticehurst, who now plays for the Nanaimo Timbermen and was selected 20th overall in the 2020 National Lacrosse League draft by the Calgary Roughnecks.
A limited number of fans will be able to watch the action live in the building with a $5 pass that’s good all day. The pass also provides access to live webcasts of all the games.
For more information, as well as a complete schedule and rosters of all participating players, go to https://www.wlalacrosse.com/page/futurestars.
