The defence never rests. At least it won鈥檛 for the Victoria Shamrocks.
The Western Lacrosse Association club has added three stoppers ahead of tonight鈥檚 game against the Coquitlam Adanacs at The Q Centre in Colwood.
They are defensive specialists Ryan Dilks, Dan McRae and Steve Priolo.
Dilks returns from the NLL champion Edmonton Rush and McRae from taking 2014 off due to work commitments. Priolo will join Dilks on the Canadian roster for the 2015 world box lacrosse championship in September at Syracuse and Buffalo in New York state. The 26-year-old from St. Catharines, Ont., is a CLA transfer from Ontario鈥檚 Brooklin Redmen and physically imposing at six-foot-five and 235 pounds. Priolo, who plays pro for the Buffalo Bandits, is one of three finalists for the NLL defender of the year award.
鈥淸Priolo] is one of the toughest players in the game,鈥� said Shamrocks GM Chris Welch.
鈥淗e does it all. He is fast, athletic and tough.鈥�
The two-time WLA champion Shamrocks felt that was an area that needed improving after losing the last two years to the Ontario champion Six Nations Chiefs in the Mann Cup national Senior A finals.
鈥淲e fell short of our goal [the national title] and felt we needed to shore up in all areas,鈥� said Welch.
Especially the back end, which this week鈥檚 moves address.
Victoria is 4-2 and on a four-game winning streak after two shock losses to the Island-rival Nanaimo Timbermen to start the season. Coquitlam is 3-2 and also on a winning run, of three games, following two defeats to open the season. It鈥檚 been a season like that, as the Timbermen have lost five straight games following their pair of opening upset victories against Victoria.
鈥淐oquitlam is similar to Nanaimo. It鈥檚 a very young team on the rebuild,鈥� noted Welch.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a youthful team on a three-game winning run that is feeling pretty good about itself.鈥�
The goaltending of Dan Lewis, a rising player in the crease, has been crucial for the Adanacs.
鈥淟ewis has put that team on his back,鈥� said Welch.
BOXLA BITES: Tonight is Alumni Night and fans can meet old-school Shamrock greats at a tailgate party and beer garden beginning at 6 p.m. . . . The Shamrocks travel to Maple Ridge on Sunday (6:45 p.m.) to meet the Burrards.
