The Junior A Timbermen were the class of the BC Junior A Lacrosse league this past season.
The Tmen won the regular season title with a 6-2 record and took the Island playoff championship 2-1 over the Victoria Shamrocks, winning both games in Nanaimo while dropping a season-closing contest in Victoria.
Junior A general manager and assistant coach Bruce Lesperance said 2021 was the team’s most successful campaign dating back to the beginning of the franchise in 2005.
“This has been a long time coming and a lot of work has been put in. There’s not enough that can be said about the effort these guys put in from front to back.”
Ryan Sheridan led Nanaimo in scoring with 28 points in the regular season while goal Justin Geddie had an 8.56 goals against average, ranking him fourth in the league.
After missing all of 2020 due to COVID-19, the BCJALL put together a shortened showcase season beginning in July through early August..
However, the Minto Cup national championship was cancelled for the second year in a row.
Lesperance is optimistic the Timbermen can utilize the experience from 2021 to be a championship team in 2022.
“I think what they took out of this is it doesn’t matter what’s on the line if you put your heart into it and you put in the full effort you will succeed. There isn’t anything unachievable.”
Geddie, forward Arthur Miller and defender Evan Soucy have been chosen to represent Team Canada West at the 2021 Indoor Lacrosse World Championship August 12-14 in Manitoba.