2012 Victoria Jr. A Shamrocks
February 18, 2012
Another passing in the Jr Shamrock family
The Jr. Shamrock organization would like extend our condolences to long serving executive members, Janice and Sherry Huckin regarding the passing their father Bob Huckin. Janice and Sherry got their passion for game of lacrosse thanks in large part to their father, who took them to many Victoria Shamrocks games while growing up in Victoria.
February 16, 2012
Condolences
The Jr. Shamrock organization extend condolences on the recent passing of a couple of members of Victoria’s lacrosse family.
Tom Stobart passed away Monday, February 13 at the age of 67. Tom was a mainstay at lacrosse games and also a long-time participant in Victoria’s rugby community. He was very active with the Castaway Wanderers as both a player and coach. He was the father of former Jr. and Sr. Shamrock player and most recently Jr. Shamrocks assistant coach, Buck Stobart. He also leaves behind his wife Susan, sister Carol, mother Mima and two daughters Nicole and Stephanie and their extended families.
Former Jr. Shamrock player Russ Kennedy also passed away recently at the age of 51. Russ played for the Jr. Shamrocks from 1979-1981 where he amassed 43 goals and 35 assists as well as 218 penalty minutes. He was also a talented hockey player and speed skater. He will be missed by his daughter Ashley as well as his sister Janice and several nieces and nephews as well as many good friends.
The Jr. Shamrocks extend condolences to the Stobart and Kennedy families at this difficult time.
February 12, 2012
Jr. Shamrocks Make Mark at WLA Draft
by Janice Huckin
The annual WLA draft of graduating Jr. players took place Monday in Burnaby and several current and former Jr. Shamrocks will have a chance to make their mark at the senior level.
Former Jr. Rocks scoring star, Casey Jackson, who finished his junior career as a member of the league champion Coquitlam Adanacs, was chosen third overall by the Burnaby Lakers. The Victoria Shamrocks used their first-round pick, 6th overall, to take Karsen Leung while Nanaimo Coastal Windows Timbermen, holding the last pick of the first round, chose Cody Bremner, a local product who played his entire Jr. ‘A’ career with the Jr. Timbermen.
The Shamrocks didn’t have a second-round pick but in round 3 picked up Mitch McLaren, another local player who spent his junior ‘A’ career north of the Malahat finishing up with Saanich Jr. B. In that round, Nanaimo grabbed up Tyler Matheson, the big Jr. Shamrock defender.
The following Jr. Shamrock players were also drafted:
Luke Acton by Nanaimo in the sixth round
Ben Stebbins by Victoria also in the sixth round
Curtis McKinnon by Nanaimo in Round 8
Liam Kelly by Victoria in Round 8
Mitch Meilleur by Nanaimo and Austin Powell by Victoria, both in Round 9.
Some other names with which Victoria fans will be familiar include Kyle Hofer (Nanaimo), Ryan Sage who spent 2 seasons with the Jr. Shamrocks before finishing his career with the T’Men (Nanaimo), Brandon McLean who finished with Delta also after 2 years with the Jr. Rocks (Nanaimo), Steve Higgs, Asahel Beaudet and Jake Ryan (Victoria) via Delta and Nanaimo Jr. ‘A’ respectively, and Adam Hickey who returned to his native Ontario last season after two years with Victoria (also taken by Nanaimo)
The Shamrocks also took Michael Krgovich in round 3 from the Jr. Adanacs.
Congratulations to all the draftees and good luck moving forward in your senior careers.
February 11, 2012
Goaltenders to Benefit from Hall of Famer Banister
by Janice Huckin
This year’s Jr. Shamrocks should reap huge dividends from having not one, but two Lacrosse Hall of Fame goaltenders on the coaching staff. Besides head coach Larry Smeltzer, Rod Banister has brought his experience to the bench.
Rod comes to the Jr. Rocks via the Intermediate ‘A’ Shamrocks, although his past experience includes stints totaling 3 years behind the Jr. Shamrocks bench alongside Pete Rushton and Mike Simpson. Banister is proud to have been part of three Minto Cup winning teams from 1977-1979 albeit in Laker green, not Shamrock green. Yeah, those darn Burnaby Lakers. Those years he remembers being part of an incredible group of players with great commitment and talent. It should be noted that in 1977 the Lakers won the Minto in Ontario, something that didn’t happen very often in the days of East vs West. I believe that was the first time in 50-plus years. With a very short window of opportunity to win that particular Canadian championship, generally only 3 years, he suggests that the Jr. Shamrocks must have that goal in mind both this year and in 2013.
Rod also was part of 3 Mann Cup winners but, guess what, that wasn’t in Victoria green either. Although he was drafted by Victoria he was traded to New Westminster prior to the 1980 season. It just so happened he was a mainlander so it made sense. He helped the Salmonbellies to Mann Cup championships in 1981, 1989 and 1991 and was inaugurated into the Hall of Fame in 2001
In addition to working with the team’s goaltenders Rod expects he will be helping with the defense and also the short-man. Last season the Jr. Shamrocks went with 2 first-year goalies and this year there will be a series of goalie camps held throughout February. Both of last year’s stoppers, Cody Hagedorn and Cory Mayzes, are among those who will be trying to capture a spot. Rod says that both will be better for having had that one year of Jr. ‘A’ experience; they will be a year more mature and hopefully have that little extra confidence.
In terms of the overall team, he is very familiar with almost all the players. They have all played at a high level previously including a Provincial Intermediate ‘A’ gold medal in 2010. The jump from Intermediate to Junior is considerable but this year’s group is expected to be ‘in it to win it’ having gone through their first year of Jr. ‘A’.
As with the other coaches, Rod Banister brings to his position not just considerable talent but clearly the knowledge of what it takes to win, having done that at several levels both as a player and as a coach. Hopefully that translates into confidence for this year’s goaltenders.
Coming up next, two more goaltender interviews: The still actively playing Matt Flindell and head coach, Larry Smeltzer.
February 03, 2012
Jim Gow Brings Expertise to Jr. Rocks
by Janice Huckin
Jim Gow is entering his first season as coach of the Jr. Shamrocks and comes to the team by way of the Intermediate ‘A’ Rocks along with Ron McQuarrie and Rod Banister. Jim is from Ontario originally where he was part of three Minto Cup winning teams. It was in Ontario where he also came to know head coach Larry Smeltzer.
Jim and Larry played primarily opposite each other back then but did manage to end up on the same team in Quebec City in the NLL. While Jim is not in the Lacrosse Hall of Fame, he has played with and against many who are. He came west and spent one season with the WLA Shamrocks after Larry’s arrival here. Injuries cut his playing career short, but the loss of Jim as a player has eventually turned into a big win for the Jr. Shamrocks behind the bench.
Among his lacrosse experiences is a stretch during which he was the CLA Coach Sector Chair, giving him access to the game all across the country. People tend to think that lacrosse is only played in Ontario and B.C. but in fact there is lacrosse across the prairies and out in the Maritimes as well. He noted that playing styles vary from east to west. Others have described Jim as a true student of the game – he sees things and can break down an opposing team’s shortcomings to give his players an advantage. His primary role with this year’s Jr. Shamrocks will be to work with the players on defensive systems and strategies.
His familiarity with most of the players, whether through the Intermediates or other Provincial teams, will be a huge asset to this year’s team. He knows there is a lot of depth and talent among those hoping to crack the roster in 2012 and feels that taking the Jr. Shamrocks from being a good team to an excellent team is entirely within reach. Jim knows the other coaches and is very comfortable being a part of the ‘team behind the team’. He does acknowledge that, at the end of the day, ‘it’s really about the players’ and they need to be accountable.
Incidentally, here’s a bit of lacrosse trivia and somewhat of a point of pride to Jim: He was once part of a trade for one of lacrosse’s all time greats. Along with another player he was traded by Montreal to Quebec for lacrosse legend Gaylord Powless. If you haven’t been around lacrosse for years and years as some of us have, this may not mean anything to you. Back in the day, however, Gaylord Powless was to the game of lacrosse roughly equivalent to a Wayne Gretzky or Gordie Howe in hockey.
I don’t know Jim Gow personally, only by his reputation and excellent coaching credentials but I do look forward to meeting him soon and hopefully having other opportunities to talk lacrosse. In the meantime, this wraps up installment #3 on 2012’s coaching staff. Next up: Rod Banister.
January 27, 2012
McQuarrie Brings Player Knowledge
by Janice Huckin
This is the second in a series of articles showcasing the 2012 Jr. Shamrocks coaching staff and this week we meet Ron McQuarrie. Ron may be one of the lesser known members of the coaching team but he still brings a wealth of coaching experience and the knowledge of what it takes to win.
Ron is one of the few new coaches who is not a member of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame and jokes that the only way he’ll ever enter that hallowed facility would be if he pays admission.
Ron’s role will primarily be as the offense coach, although as noted in my previous article, that may well continue to evolve as the team comes together. He comes to the Jr. Shamrocks by way of the Intermediate ‘A’ Shamrocks with whom he has been involved for several years. He has worked as an assistant coach beside Scott Browning and more recently spent a couple of years as the head coach, including 2010 when the Baby Rocks had an outstanding season and won gold at the Provincials. Most of those players are now Jr. Shamrocks. Last season he took a step back from actively coaching and represented the team as Governor at the league level.
His knowledge of and familiarity with the Jr. Shamrocks players through his work with the Intermediates will be a huge plus for the coaching staff. Of those expected to return from last year’s squad, Ron says there is only one out-of-town player with whom he’s unfamiliar, having coached the rest at some time or another during his career.
In talking to Ron, he indicated that getting leadership from the 21 year-olds would be paramount in building a Minto Cup contender. We also talked about “Shamrock Pride” something that I felt wasn’t readily recognizable with any of the Shamrock teams last year. He feels the pride in putting on the Shamrock jersey is still there, many of the players having the Irish Clover on their bodies. He is confident that the Jr. Shamrocks team we will see on the floor this year might be just what is needed to bring “Shamrock Pride” back to the fore throughout the Shamrock family.
Integral to the success of this year’s program will be the players buying into the coaches’ program. Without doubt, the team is loaded with talent and when asked if a Minto Cup is obtainable, he said “If not 2012, certainly 2013” is within the grasp of this group of players.
The move from Intermediate ‘A’ to Junior ‘A’ coaching ranks is a natural progression for Ron and his knowledge of the game and the players is no small thing. Added to the skills and talents of the other members of the coaching staff, Ron should be an integral block in building and shaping a potential Minto Cup winner for Victoria. That would be most welcome to Jr. Rocks fans since they last won the cup in 1988.
January 20, 2012
New Coaches Bring Three E’s
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks have almost a whole new coaching team entering the 2012 season and they are bringing three E’s: Enthusiasm, Experience and Expectations. In the coming weeks, I’ll be talking to each coach and bringing their thoughts and strengths to fans. Although Larry Smeltzer is the head coach, he suggested I start with Nirmal Dillon.
Nirmal is one of three Lacrosse Hall-of-Famers willing to bring his talents and expertise to the team. Hopefully he won’t be offended if I refer to him as the ‘elder statesman’ of the crew. Anyone who knows anything about lacrosse in Victoria will be familiar with Nirmal Dillon and his accomplishments. He brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience and was in fact the last Jr. ‘A’ coach to lead a Victoria/Esquimalt team to a Minto Cup Championship. You must go back to 1988 for that – far too long in many of our minds. The 2008 team most recently came close, finishing with a silver medal.
Nirmal also won a Minto Cup as a player – it was a while ago, when he was called up as a 16 year-old. After a stellar WLA playing and coaching career, including some Mann Cup championships along the way, Nirmal was lured to that other island Jr. ‘A’ team, the Nanaimo Timbermen (feel free to insert groan here), where he spent the last couple of seasons as an assistant coach.
In talking to Nirmal, one thing that jumped out at me was his passion for the game. Although he admitted to initially being reluctant to return to coaching so soon after resigning from Nanaimo, friend and former teammate, head coach Larry Smeltzer managed to convince him to return to the green and white.
While he has only seen the Jr. Shamrocks from the opposition bench recently, he has some thoughts on the team moving forward. The team has an abundance of talent but to win a Minto Cup also requires character on and off the floor, discipline and focus. It is the responsibility of the coaching staff to bring these to the players.
The team will have to be better defensively, more structured and, as he says “a huge hit isn’t necessarily good defense”. Many of last year’s graduates played at the back end so there will be some holes to fill defensively and this is an aspect of the game at which Nirmal excelled.
The roles of all the coaches will evolve over the coming months. While Nirmal feels discipline and a work ethic are things that can be brought to the team in short order, he acknowledged that ‘it has to be fun’. The more things a team does together, the more of a team they’ll become. He, along with the rest of the coaching staff, is anxious to get started.
Next installment in a week or so will focus on another newcomer – Ron McQuarrie.