Nanaimo looks to win the 2022 WLA championship on the heels of their first playoff series win since rejoining the WLA in 2005. (Gary Johansen)

By Dan Marshall

Making History

Nanaimo Timbermen full of confidence heading into the WLA Finals

Aug 21, 2022 | 6:07 AM

NANAIMO — The Senior A Timbermen are ready to show why they’re one of the Western Lacrosse Association’s hottest teams.

Prior to a game one loss by a 12-4 score to Langley on Friday, Aug. 19, the team had won seven straight games including a four-game semi-final sweep against Coquitlam.

Veteran sniper Jon Phillips led the club in regular season scoring with 65 points and said it’s a proud moment to be a Timbermen player and the team is ready to perform at home Sunday night.

“The last few seasons we were knocking of the door of getting through to the second round. Now we’re here but this isn’t the end goal. It’s getting to the Mann Cup and then eventually winning the Mann Cup.”

Game two of the series with Langley is Sunday, Aug. 21 at Frank Crane Arena.

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Nanaimo went 1-2 in the three head to head games with Langley, but won the last meeting 12-9 back on July 13.

Langley is powered by two of the league’s top forwards in Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie, something which Nanaimo’s Adam Wiedemann sees as a big challenge.

Wiedemann was a co-winner of the WLA’s Top Defensive Player award this season.

“They’re going to get their points but we need to contain them as much as possible. But we need to play our game and not play into their hands too much.”

Wiedemann is a leader in Nanaimo’s transition game and Phillips was the top goal scorer for the Timbermen in the opening round of the post season.

Other key performers include goaltender Devlin Shanahan who has been a stalwart in the playoffs.

He has a 4-0 record and leads the league with a 7.23 goals against average and .845 save percentage.

Zach Manns is the Tmen points leader with 17 against Coquitlam and he also had a team high 13 assists.

Wiedemann said the Timbermen have their sights set on a B.C. title and a Mann Cup championship but the team is taking a day by day approach.

“We keep our goals very short, but we know it’s okay to have a really big goal at the end of it all. We take all these little steps to get to this end goal every game.”

The series will continue on Tuesday Aug. 23 in Langley and Thursday Aug. 24 at Frank Crane Arena.

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