BCJALL Review: Victoria Shamrocks

VICTORIA SHAMROCKS

LAST SEASON: 14-7 - 2ND - LOST IN BCJALL FINALS - LOST IN MINTO CUP FINALS

It was simply a Cinderella run for the Victoria Shamrocks, who caught fire at the right time in the right place to not only earn a trip to the Minto Cup, but to go all the way to the finals after making it. While they dropped a tough three-game series to the Orangeville Northmen, it’s a sign of good things to come for the green and white. The cupboard is stocked with talent across the board, the coaching staff is amongst the top in the league, and the systems are in place for an extended run of dominance in the BCJALL.

Victoria was one of the most well-rounded teams last season, but it was the offence that set the pace in a lot of games. They scored the most goals in the league by a good margin and featured the second-leading scorer in Zach Manns, who has since declared for the NLL Draft. The addition of Teioshantathe McComber, an import from Six Nations, added an even greater dynamic to an already rock-solid core. The move proved to be a good one as McComber led all scorers in the playoffs with 31 points. 

Cameron Dunkerley was a stud in net for the Shamrocks as well. He won the league MVP award thanks to some outstanding numbers, and his performance in the Minto was strong and consistent. His numbers all rose from the regular season to the playoffs, a sign of a goaltender who’s performance can match the increased expectations of the playoffs. His save percentage went from .813 to .831 from regular season to playoffs, and only dropped to .828 in the Minto Cup, despite the Shamrocks being heavily outshot in some games. He rightfully deserved the title as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

And while Victoria has a lot of quality players to replace, their pipeline from minor lacrosse mirrors Coquitlam as one of the strongest in the province. Juan de Fuca consistently wins at the A1 level and the Shamrocks Jr. B1 club have both been strong in the league’s opening two seasons.