The junior Timbermen have a better idea, now, what it takes to win, and they know the process starts now.
The Nanaimo Timbermen junior A lacrosse team held its training camp Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
“It’s looking good,” said Brad Dougan, the team’s new coach. “The guys were out working hard.”
The city’s B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League club is putting its pieces back together after a tough go of things last season. After talking Minto Cup last spring, the team won just three games, blew up the roster at the trade deadline and fired the entire coaching staff at year’s end.
“Definitely the guys that are second years that were rookies last year, I think it was quite the eye-opener to some of them and a lot of them came to camp [this year] in very good shape,” said Dougan.
He said the group also seems to be coachable, as he didn’t hear any complaints no matter how hard he pushed the pace. Dougan said the coaching staff is going to continue to demand a strong work ethic.
“We’re trying to get guys to buy into that and pound that into them,” he said.
Three guys who were traded away at the deadline last year – offensive players Mitch Parker and Corey Shires and goaltender Pete Dubenski – have all been returned to the Timbermen as the future considerations of those transactions. All three were standouts at this past weekend’s training camp, and newcomer Brady Jorgensen, a left-side offensive player, also looks ready to contribute.
“We’ve brought some guys in and our offence is definitely very talented. We’re not going to have a problem putting the ball in the net. And then we have, I think, one of the best goalies in the league,” said Dougan. “It’s just the defence we’re going to have to work on and that’s what I’ve got to do the next month before we get going in the season is implement a good defensive system that will work.”
GAME ON … The team plays its first exhibition game on Wednesday (April 17) against the Victoria Shamrocks at Fuller Lake Arena in Chemainus. Game time is 8 p.m. … For information about season tickets, please click here.
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