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Charalambides Heating Up, Warriors’ Offence Finding Its Edge

Adam Charalambides has been heating up and finding his scoring touch in recent weeks, but he’s focused on a complete game – being a good playmaker and helping his team keep possession of the ball. 

Bides has 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in eight games, ranking second on the team in both points and goals and is tied with Warriors’ forward Keegan Bal for the lead in assists. His resurgence has helped drive the Warriors’ offence, and as his confidence grows, so does the chemistry within the group. 

Warriors’ General Manager and Head Coach Curt Malawsky sees Charalambides’ energy and compete level as contagious, especially for the forward group. The 28-year-old forward is a passionate and vocal player who competes hard. 

“He’s taking the ball well to the net, he’s hitting his shots from outside, he’s been playing really well in the two-man game with the other lefties on that side of the floor,” Malawsky said. He’s falling back into form that he finished the season last year which is important for us.” 

Charalambides had a career-high 98 points (37G, 61A) last season. After a steady start this year, he’s found his groove; over the past three games, he’s tallied nine goals and 12 assists. 

He hasn’t made any changes to his training, or rest and recovery; sometimes it just takes seeing the ball go into the back of the net a few times to feel confident that with each release the ball is going in. 

“Lacrosse is kind of funny where once you get one your stick starts to feel a little bit warmer and the next things you know you’re piling them on,” Charalambides said. “Curt’s mantra is feeding the hot stick once someone gets going, so, I’m trying to do my part in the offence.” 

When Charalambides is locked in, he not only scores but also creates opportunities for his teammates. His vision and passing ability make him a dual-threat, something Malawsky values in his offensive leadership. 

“He’s got his head up, he’s hitting the guys on the roll, hitting the off-ball cutters and he’s able to take the ball to the net when he finds a good matchup,” Malawsky said. “He’s a floor general on the left side of the floor, and when he’s going, he really complements everybody else.” 

One of his standout plays this season—a behind-the-back assist to Marcus Klarich against Ottawa—landed him at No. 4 on the NLL’s Top Plays of Week 9. 

Charalambides credits watching film for his ability to make those high-level reads. Seeing what he’s doing on the floor and understanding where pressure is coming from (the type of team defence you’re up against) helps him make those reads quickly during games. 

“From there, it comes down to really paying attention to the contact. [Kevin] Crowley is a big guy that I know I always have to keep my eye on because he does a really good job of getting in a hand fight and ripping through it and then he’s cutting right down the lane. I try to keep my stick in that triple threat position ready to feed at all times,” Charalambides said. 

Being a good playmaker also requires him to understand the type of player he is. Studying film from their double-header weekend in Week 8, he felt he had too many passes knocked away in his two-man game and made adjustments that have helped him have more success over the last couple of weeks. 

“Watching the tape I thought, ‘I have more options to be a better feeder in terms of dropping the one hand or using the behind-the-back.’ I just had to allow myself to play more free and remind myself what is available. Using my behind-the-back and my craftiness is when I’m at my best,” he said. 

In addition to Bides on the left side, the Warriors have rookie Payton Cormier, Marcus Klarich, who has been seeing more game action this year, and veterans Riley Loewen and Ryan Martel. Developing chemistry takes time and Charalambides feels like their game is coming along. 

Continuing to take steps in offensive production, they want to identify and focus on what they do well as a group as well as iron out the details with their two-man and off-ball play. 

“We’ve obviously had a few lineup changes with a couple lefties coming in and out, but the guys are doing a really good job of crashing and banging and being more physical and I think we’ve seen an uptick in our offensive production since we’ve really dug our teeth into being a little bit tougher and grittier of an offence,” he shared. 

“We’re still striving as a group to try and find our best and what makes us the most successful, but things are coming together and our defence is giving us a chance to win every single game.” 

In addition to his scoring and playmaking, Bides brings grit and toughness to the forward group. He currently leads the forwards in loose ball recoveries (41) and takes pride in that part of his game. 

“I grew up in a minor organization that preached toughness and ground balls all the way up and I think it’s just a habit that I hold. If it’s a 50-50 chance, I want to be able to go in and test my luck. If it’s not looking too good, then it’s my job to sprint off and get our defence out there,” he said.  

As the Warriors continue to refine their offence, Charalambides’ ability to both finish plays and set up teammates will be crucial. 

With the team rallying around a grittier, more physical style of play, the Warriors are pushing for a strong second half of the season.

Vancouver Warriors