The Victoria Junior Shamrocks torqued up their Island derby opening-round playoff semifinal series against the Nanaimo Junior Timbermen, beginning today at 7 p.m. at The Q Centre, with a potentially trajectory-altering late season trade.
The Junior Shamrocks went all in on their bid for the Minto Cup national championship with a blockbuster deal with the Burnaby Junior Lakers that netted sa国际传媒 Junior A Lacrosse League scoring champion Marcus Klarich, who had 114 points and a leading 64 assists, and league second-leading points-scorer Thomas Vela, who had 91 points and a league-leading 54 goals.
Vela and Klarich are already pros in the National Lacrosse League with the Rochester Knighthawks and Vancouver Warriors, respectively.
“These are blue-chip additions who really strengthen our team,” said Junior Shamrocks vice-president Rod Wood.
The defending BCJALL-champion Baby Rocks had to give up a bundle of Midget draft picks to get Vela and Klarich, sending Victoria’s first-round selections in 2024 and 2026, second-round pick in 2025 and third rounders in 2024 and 2026 to Burnaby, which placed fifth and missed the playoffs this year at 9-12.
That sets up a corker of a series for Victoria, second in the regular season at 15-6, against the Timbermen, who placed third at 14-7.
“Nanaimo is a very good club that is tenacious and plays with a lot of heart,” said Wood.
“And the Timbermen always feel like they have a lot to prove every time they play Victoria.”
Game 2 is Friday in Nanaimo at 7 p.m. and Game 3 on Sunday at 5 p.m. at The Q Centre. If required, Game 4 would be July 18 in Nanaimo and Game 5 on July 21 at The Q Centre.
The regular-season champion Coquitlam Adanacs (18-3) meet the fourth-place Port Coquitlam Saints (10-10-1) in the other best-of-five semifinal series.
The Lakers, New Westminster Junior Salmonbellies, Delta Islanders and Langley Junior Thunder placed fifth through eighth and will miss the post-season.
The semifinal winners will advance to the best-of-seven league final, with the winner of that to advance to the 2023 Minto Cup national Junior A championship tournament next month in Edmonton.
