Junior A lacrosse season gets underway in Nanaimo

NANAIMO — Over the next four weeks all of Nanaimo's Junior and Senior lacrosse teams get back to work.

This weekend it's the Junior A Timbermen who launch their season with an island rivalry game against the Victoria Shamrocks on Friday.

The game at Frank Crane Arena is not just the opener for the island teams, it's the first game on the BCJALL schedule this season.

Nanaimo is looking for a massive turnaround in 2017 after finishing in last place with a 2-19 campaign a year ago.

Dave Bremner has taken over the reigns as the club's new coach and general manger, taking over the GM's role from Jon Nicholson.

Both Tyson Leies and Brad Dougan spent time behind the Timbermen bench last season.

Systems and team chemistry will take time to build but Bremner says the players are buying in to the core values of the program right away.

"The players have been working extremely hard on their conditioning. We really want to play up-tempo lacrosse this year, and push the pace. Guys are vying for spots on the team still so that's a good thing. The competition has been really fierce," said Bremner.

For opening weekend the Timbermen will have about eleven regulars according to Bremner.

Other teams are in the same boat with many veterans away at college playing field lacrosse.

Unfortunately the two seasons overlap by a few weeks.

In that time before the full roster is here Bremner hopes Nanaimo can hover around the .500 mark.

The team will have some key returning defenders in the mix right off the bat with the likes of Chase Anderson, Liam Young, and Daryl DeFreitas.

It's likely the offense will have to come more by committee. 

The Timbermen will play their first two games before most teams have even played one.

After Friday's home opener against the Shamrocks the Tmen will travel to Coquitlam to take on the defending Minto Cup champions on Sunday.