Cole Pickup is set to play his rookie season in the Western Lacrosse Association this season with the Victoria Shamrocks.
The former Victoria Grizzlies star in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League was the Shamrocks鈥� first-round selection in the 2018 WLA draft but could not play due to NCAA hockey commitments with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Now the six-foot, left-handed shooter 鈥� who was named to the sa国际传媒 Junior A all-star team three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016 鈥� is ready to return to the floor.
The Shamrocks also announced the return of veterans Matt Yager, Jesse King, Ben McCullough, Tyler Burton and Tyson Gibson for the 2019 WLA season.
Yager enters his 10th season with Victoria and second as captain.
Former Ohio State Buckeyes field lacrosse standout King, a Victoria native and six-season veteran, accumulated 93 points last season in 17 regular-season games.
McCullough is a tough defender who has been with the Shamrocks since 2011. Gibson is an offensive threat who had 47 points last regular season before exploding for 33 points in 10 playoff games. Faceoff specialist Burton, also an NLL pro with the Calgary Roughnecks, returns to the Shamrocks after taking a year off from WLA play.
鈥淵ager, King and McCullough are three key veteran players for us and part of our leadership group,鈥� said Shamrocks GM Chris Welch.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to bring Burton back into the mix, as well as a strong second-year player in Tyson Gibson, who is showing everyone he is a future superstar in the game. Pickup will be making his long-awaited debut as an official Senior A Shamrock, and all these things are just building the excitement and anticipation.鈥�
The Shamrocks open the season May 24 at The Q Centre with the Island derby matchup against the Nanaimo Timbermen.
