No doubt there will be some confusion when the Victoria Shamrocks open play on the 2017 Western Lacrosse Association season, what with Steve Priolo and Mike Triolo on the roster it should be a conversation maker for fans.
You might as well just call them the Twin Towers as Priolo stands six-foot-five and 235 pounds and Triolo at six-foot-eight, 245.
Locals are aware of defender Priolo鈥檚 accomplishments as a rugged member of the Shamrocks鈥� 2015 Mann Cup-champion team. Triolo is lesser known, heading west after playing with Oshawa in the Arena Lacrosse League.
He comes highly touted, however, and there shouldn鈥檛 be too much confusion.
鈥淚 played with Priolo back in Brooklin, too. It was the same thing. It鈥檚 always Pre and Tree. We鈥檒l know who you鈥檙e taking to,鈥� said Triolo, who racked up 30 goals and 39 assists in 14 games playing winter lacrosse with Oshawa where he was captain of the Outlaws, who won a championship. He flourished there under coach Steve McCarthy.
鈥淚 got to show my offensive talents and I showed I can lead a team as well, so I鈥檓 happy with how it all went,鈥� said the 25-year-old Toronto product, who in the summer has suited up with Brooklin and Cobourg in Major Series Lacrosse.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been a guy who can play both ends and I鈥檓 there for the team, so wherever they want me,鈥� he said of his latest stop.
鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to come out here so bad,鈥� he added of venturing west. 鈥淵ou hear the stories about coming out, having a good time and you have a chance to play great lacrosse. I had a sniff with Rochester before the [NLL] season started. I talked to Dan Dawson there about my plans to come out. He said, 鈥楬onestly, if you don鈥檛 try to go to Victoria, then you鈥檙e an idiot.鈥� I listened to him. I gave [Shamrocks GM] Chris Welch an email and he said he would love to have me.鈥�
Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes is also glad to have the righty.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a big kid. You put a No. 6 on him and he might be a Dan Dawson,鈥� chuckled Heyes. 鈥淗e approached us. I was able to catch some of his games on-line and he looked good.
鈥淪o far, he鈥檚 a real good kid and a real good fit. He鈥檚 a kid who is unknown. He鈥檚 played some senior out east and sometimes you get a lot out of guys when they come to a different organization.
鈥淗e鈥檚 coming to a team that builds that culture, grows those guys and they become guys who want to be here. It鈥檚 worked pretty well in the past 鈥� look at a guy like Smallsy [Corey Small] and [Tyler] Burton. This kid could be another one of those guys fitting right in.鈥�
Triolo gives Heyes another right-handed option up front, but he can also play defence and is another faceoff man, who will likely be used while Burton nurses an injury.
鈥淚 think he鈥檒l soak it up,鈥� Heyes said of Triolo. 鈥淲e鈥檒l have a different right-handed offence this year. Everybody might think they can just shut down [Rhys] Duch and that鈥檚 it. Hopefully, between him and [draft picks Cody] Nass and Matt Hamilton, and whoever comes through on that side, we鈥檒l have that balance. Triolo鈥檚 a big guy, who should be freeing up Mr. Duch for a few shots.鈥�
And Triolo knows that will be a part of his role.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 be this big and not be [physical],鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have to use my size to get guys open and myself open, too. That鈥檚 the way the game is played now so you have to use it.鈥�
As for goals, Triolo said: 鈥淭eam-wise, we鈥檙e running for a Mann [Cup], and for myself, I want to be a part of it. I want to do everything I can for them. I want to show that they didn鈥檛 make a mistake bringing me out here.鈥�
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