It's game on already for the Junior A Timbermen lacrosse team with the Senior A and Senior B squads opening their campaigns just after the May long weekend. (Gary Johansen)

By Dan Marshall

Starting Up

Nanaimo box lacrosse season getting underway for three Timbermen teams

May 18, 2024 | 5:51 AM

NANAIMO — The long wait for the local box lacrosse season is over.

The 1-0 Junior A Timbermen are playing their home opener on Saturday, May 18 while the WLA Tmen open on the road on Saturday, May 25 and the Hazelwood Senior B Timbermen start on Wednesday, May 22.

Junior A coach Simon Stocks said it was important to get a season opening 8-4 win in Delta.

“Any time it’s an early season game they’re not going to go exactly like you’d expect them. Getting a win in our first game, especially on the road, is going to be very helpful down the line. But it also showed us we have many things to work on.”

The Juniors have a flurry of games coming up with Burnaby at home May 18, Langley on the road May 19 and then a trip to Victoria on May 21.

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In the lead up to those games the Timbermen made four roster acquisitions.

Connor Murphy, Nicholas Luitwieler and Jimmy Murphy joined the squad from the Okotoks Junior Raiders.

Blake Maracle was added from the Gloucester Griffins.

The WLA Timbermen will once again be on the hunt for Nanaimo’s first Mann Cup championship since 1960.

With several high profile players like 2023 co-MVP Zach Manns and top defender award winner Adam Wiedemann, the Senior A’s should be a contending team.

Chris Bowman who is president of both the WLA and BCJALL Timbermen has big aspirations for the club.

“It’s time to take that next step. I think we’ve got the team to do it. These guys they know it’s time to kick the door down and push our way through all the way to that western final. We should have some announcements in the coming days of some pretty exciting pieces we’ve added to push us a little bit further.”

The Hazelwood Senior B Timbermen are back for a second straight year after a brief hiatus from the WCSLA.

With the Presidents Cup national Senior B Championship in Ladner this year, two BC will have two entries.

The Senior B’s will be looking to get back to the cup for the first time since they hosted in 2018.

Veteran player and team co-organizer Doug Langlois says their community support has been amazing.

“Hazelwood Construction Services stepped up in a big way to be the title sponsor for the season. On top of that we’ve had over 30 other local companies provide some form of sponsorship.”

The Timbermen have a large core of returning players but also have a couple of key additions, with more to come.

“Newcomers include goalie Pete Dubenski, who previously played for us in 2018 but spent the last three seasons with the Victoria Shamrocks in the WLA,” Langlois said.

“Grady Holmes is an American left handed offensive player, who played for the Windsor Clippers last summer. He’s expected to step in and play an important role right away. Plus we’ll have a few graduates from the Junior A program.”

The majority of games for all three Timbermen teams will be played at Frank Crane Arena this year with other contests scheduled for the Nanaimo Ice Centre.

You can check each team’s website for full schedule details.

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