After delivering a sa国际传媒 Intermediate Lacrosse League championship last season, the Victoria Shamrocks will begin defence of their title today at 1:30 p.m. against the visiting Port Coquitlam Saints at The Q Centre in Colwood.
The Intermediate Shamrocks then travel to Burnaby on Sunday at 2 p.m.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited, coming off a championship run, I鈥檓 definitely excited to get the year going,鈥� said Clark Pickup, one of nine returnees back for 2016. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to be a good team again this year. It鈥檒l be fast-paced and we鈥檙e starting to learn the system now. Once the season starts, we鈥檒l be ready to go.
鈥淲e should have good leadership,鈥� added Pickup, who was there when the Shamrocks defeated New Westminster 14-7 in the provincial final last year. 鈥淧oCo will be good and I think Nanaimo might be a strong team this year.
鈥淎 quick start would be a key because every team is figuring out its way so, hopefully, we鈥檒l be able to pull some wins out of our pockets the first couple of weeks,鈥� added the 17-year-old.
Leading the team off the floor will be general manager Wade Murray and head coach Tim Dennett, who will be assisted by Mike Pires, Lewis Ratcliff, Josh Fagan and Matt Roik.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e got a great group of rookie kids. There鈥檚 a lot of talent there. From two years ago, when we started coaching, I don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e had top-of-the-line talent, but we have that 8-out-of-10 talent, where we have more depth,鈥� said Dennett, who is also the manager for the Junior Shamrocks team, which begins play next weekend.
鈥淭his is the first time in both Intermediate and Junior where we are 25 strong on our roster and I鈥檓 excited about that. These are kids who want to be a part of it, want to be Shamrocks. It鈥檚 neat to grow with them.
鈥淲e demand a lot from them, practicing twice a week and play every Saturday and Sunday, so they give up a lot of personal time and I think they will bond quickly.鈥�
Joining Pickup as returnees are Jake Campbell, Brian Robb, Nick Murray, Ben Preston, Tyler Glanfield, Garrett Wicks, Teagan Knoles and goalie Darian Claxton.
鈥淲e carry an on-floor and off-floor leadership group,鈥� said Dennett. 鈥淲e travel by ferry and we have to move a lot of bags and we rely on those kids. We rely on a group to show these kids around 鈥� that鈥檚 where that leadership comes from.鈥�
On the floor, Dennett believes this group will be talented offensively, but will also be sound defensively.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got some big, fast kids back there and this is the first time they go as offence and defence, not up and down the floor,鈥� Dennett said of the age group. 鈥淐lark is super fit and he鈥檚 a really good leader. He played with the Juniors in their exhibition game on Wednesday and he played like a stud, pushing guys around.鈥�
Dennett expects Coquitlam and New West to be strong again, along with Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge.
The top eight teams make the playoffs.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be pushing the envelope and hopefully in that top four,鈥� said Dennett.
