It will be a homecoming for several members of the junior A Nanaimo Timbermen this Sunday when they take on the Delta Islanders in a lacrosse tilt at the Island Savings Centre.
Several Cowichan Valley minor lacrosse products have cracked the Timbermen lineup this season, including Adam Golia (six goals and six assists in four games), Mathieu Jung (four goals and seven assists in six games), Tyson Black (four goals and six assists in nine games), defenders Steven Robertson (one assist in nine games) and James Taylor (one assist in four games), and goalie Kain Stewart (.741 save percentage in nine appearances).
Through nine games this season, the Timbermen are 2-6-1, good enough for fifth place in the eight-team B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League. The Islanders sit last, with one win and five losses in six games. The teams have split their two games so far this season, with Delta winning 10-5 on April 29 and Nanaimo winning 10-7 on May 13.
Sunday’s game at the Island Savings Centre begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and free for kids under 12.
Former Thunder players to suit up for Nanaimo as APs this season include Colton Lidstone, Hunter Hieta, Parker Teufel and goalie Colin Jeffrey, all called up from the intermediate A T-Men. Cowichan products Nathan Clark and Brady Williams are also playing for the inter A T-Men this year, but have not yet been summoned to the junior A ranks. The inter A T-Men sit first in the B.C. league with six wins and a single loss.
Nanaimo isn’t the only junior A team loaded with Cowichan Valley talent. For the Victoria Shamrocks, Brian Robb is the team’s second-leading scorer with 28 points in seven games, and assistant captain Braylon Lumb isn’t far behind with 26 points in nine games. Brody Black is carded with the inter A Shamrocks, but has played most of his games with the junior A team. The intermediate A Shamrocks also boast Thomas Vaesen.
Off of Vancouver Island, Brayden Zunti is playing for the Port Coquitlam inter A Saints, and his younger brother Devyn has been called up from midget as an AP.