British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League: 2023 regular season schedule
Adam Bland, Victoria Shamrocks (Photo: Dave Fryer)
The British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League has officially released their 2023 regular season schedule.
Their season starts on May 3 at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre when the PoCo Saints, who recently picked first in the BCJALL Entry Draft, host the Burnaby Lakers. The regular season runs until July 9, coming to a conclusion at the historic Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminster.
Click here to see the league’s full 84-game schedule. Last year, each BCJALL team played a shortened 14-game schedule during a season that included the World Lacrosse U21 Men’s Championship. Team Canada included a handful of BCJALL players. With no international interruptions this summer, all teams will play a more traditional 21-game schedule.
Queens Park Arena, New Westminster, British Columbia (Photo: Sherri Thomson)
Last year, the Victoria Shamrocks topped the regular season standings (11-3) and then also represented BC at the Minto Cup after beating the Lakers, Coquitlam Adanacs and Langley Thunder during the playoffs. The Lax Mag ranked the Shamrocks #2 heading into the 2022 Minto Cup, but Victoria ended up finishing fourth after failing to win a game at the national tournament.
While the Shamrocks do lose notable graduating names like Patrick Dodds (Panther City Lacrosse Club), Casey Wilson (University of Denver), Denton MacDonald (Bellarmine University) and late-season OJLL acquisition Trent DiCicco (Ohio State University), Victoria should return top players like goalie Adam Bland (Calgary Roughnecks), Noah Manning (University of Denver), Kyle Pepper (St. Bonaventure University), Aidan Solomon (Vancouver Warriors) and Cameron Lumb (San Diego Seals).
Victoria Shamrocks’ supporters (Photo: Jordan Leigh/Vancouver Warriors)
The Shamrocks traded Jordan Neary, who plays rugby at the University of Calgary, to the Okotoks Raiders earlier this week. “Jordan is an elite multi-sport athlete,” said Raiders GM Andrew McBride. “We look forward to Jordan bringing his Minto Cup experience from last season and solidifying our back end for the 2023 season.”
The BCJALL recently posted a pre-season ranking based on votes from the league’s general managers. Here’s how GMs have ordered the BCJALL a little over a month before their season starts (2022 regular season record):
1. Coquitlam Adanacs (9-5)
2. Victoria Shamrocks (11-3)
3. Delta Islanders (4-10)
4. Langley Thunder (10-4)
5. Nanaimo Timbermen (10-4)
6. Burnaby Lakers (7-7)
7. New Westminster Salmonbellies (4-10)
8. Port Coquitlam Saints (1-13)
Over the last seven completed Junior A seasons, the province of British Columbia has been represented by either the Adanacs or Shamrocks at the Minto Cup. Coquitlam were national champions in 2010, 2016 and 2018. The last BCJALL champ not named the Adanacs were the Lakers in 2005, which capped off a run of five Minto wins over eight incredible seasons.
The Ontario Junior Lacrosse League released their schedule earlier this month. The Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League does have a 2023 schedule posted, but notes that it is a “Schedule in Progress”.
Mark Matthews & Matt Beers, 2010 Minto Cup (Photo: Ward Laforme Jr.)