Corey Small鈥檚 dedication to the sport of lacrosse is indisputable.
Having just ended his winter season with the National Lacrosse League鈥檚 Vancouver Stealth, the lethal left-handed sniper wasted little time joining his Victoria Shamrocks teammates for the Western Lacrosse Association campaign.
It begins Friday night at 7:30 at The Q Centre as Small and his green and white teammates entertain the Langley Thunder in their league and home opener.
Small has been out to all the Monday and Wednesday training sessions, running the floor, but staying away from contact until recently.
鈥淚t comes with the role of being the captain, but for me I鈥檓 also passionate about this game,鈥� he said of participating with the Shamrocks while still involved in the Stealth鈥檚 season. 鈥淚 love this team. I鈥檓 really close with the Stealth in the winter, but when that season ends, I鈥檓 just eager to get back here with my teammates and friends in Victoria.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to take time off if I don鈥檛 need it. If I was nursing injuries, maybe, but I feel pretty healthy.鈥�
There鈥檚 also a desire to keep a good thing going. Small is coming off a phenomenal 111-point campaign with the Stealth.
鈥淚鈥檝e been playing pretty well of late, and I don鈥檛 want to take too much time off and have to work real hard at getting back to a top level,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 easy to slide in from one season to the next and, hopefully, I can carry some of the success over.鈥�
Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes is counting on it.
Heyes, like every other coach in the WLA, will make do with makeshift rosters for the first few weeks of the season as players recover from the winter season or continue to participate in the NLL playoffs. Chris Wardle is in the latter boat in Colorado with the Mammoth, as is goalie Aaron Bold with the defending champion Saskatchewan Rush.
Ditto for third-string Georgia Swarm goalie, Adam Shute, who will eventually head back to Victoria. Tyler Burton remains injured, as is Jesse King, who badly damaged his knee with the Shamrocks last season and missed the entire NLL season. Vets Jeff Shattler and Cory Conway are not back.
Draft pick Evan Messenger 鈥� who was signed this week along with fellow selections Matt Hamilton, Dallas Wade and Cody Nass 鈥� will likely miss the opener due to a rolled ankle in playoffs with the Stealth. Sniper Rhys Duch is recovering from the Stealth season, but expected to play.
鈥淚 think most teams will be in that same boat, with kids just getting back from school and other guys still in pro-league commitments. It鈥檒l be a little bit of patchwork, but we should have a full senior lineup, that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking at. We鈥檒l have the option of looking at a couple of juniors, if we want,鈥� said Heyes, who knows the importance of getting off to a strong start, especially at home.
鈥淵ou want to get those wins under your belt, as does everyone else. But you want to have those games kind of in the bank. I鈥檝e said it even when I played: It comes down to a few factors and it鈥檚 [a] clich茅, but your best players have to be your best players and your goaltending has to be right there," said Heyes, who will go with Cody Hagedorn in net, with Senior B goaltender Cody Cook on hand.
鈥淭he team play might not be there yet because you have a disjointed lineup. But the competitiveness will be there, for sure, and energy will be there,鈥� said Heyes, whose team is coming off a 14-4 regular-season last year that ended in a six-game series loss in the league championship to Maple Ridge.
鈥淥ur expectations are [that] we want to be back to the Mann Cup, but so does every other team in Major League Series or the WLA. I want us to develop during the season. We鈥檝e got lots of young kids on the team, so I want to develop a style of play that plays to all these kids鈥� strengths.鈥�
So Heyes, veteran assistant coach Art Webster (who will look after the defence), and new assistants John Hamilton and Mike Simpson will focus on a strong start. Hamilton will coach from the press box and Simpson will look after the offence.
Veterans Greg and Jon Harnett, Ben McCullough, Matt Yager, Ethan Garland, Paul Brebber and Josh Fagan are also back. And as with Bold, the Shamrocks have brought back Steve Priolo from their Mann Cup run two years ago. Towering Mike Triolo is here as well as Sheldon Burns, Casey Jackson and Alberta recruits Jake Archdekin and Tristan Rai.
鈥淲e have the same expectations every year. We don鈥檛 come into a season without planning to be in the Mann Cup,鈥� Small said.
CLOVER POINTS: A pre-game tailgate party begins at 5:30 p.m. outside The Q Centre. 鈥� Should the Shamrocks bring in juniors, look for Cole Pickup or Braylon Lumb to be called up.
