It may be the NLL offseason, but the Vancouver Warriors are busier than ever, playing summer ball and connecting with fans in the community.
The Warriors had an incredible run to end their season and continue to work on their crafts over the summer in various leagues to come back ready to battle this fall.
We figured it’d be fun to do a monthly round-up to keep our fans up to date on what the players are up to as we count down the days until next season.
In the Community
The Warriors made a trip to Ronald McDonald house to brighten the day and put some smiles on the faces of the children staying there. Keegan Bal, Marcus Klarich and Owen Grant spent time with the patients, teaching them how to hold a stick and eventually put their technique to practice against one of the top NLL defencemen.
The Warriors celebrated autism acceptance and inclusive sport with BC Lacrosse at the 10th annual CAN Sports Day presented by ITC Construction Group.
There were over 3,000 children that tried their hand at lacrosse and got to meet Timbr and some of the players, also getting autographs and photos with the Warriors.
Warriors’ captain Brett Mydske represented the team for Fleet Week on the Royal Canadian Navy along with other major sports clubs in Vancouver.
During Fleet Week, people have the opportunity to take ships tours, boat rides and test their stamina in the Canadian Armed Forces fitness test.
In the Box
The Vancouver Warriors’ tough, re-vamped defensive group won several NLL accolades announced throughout the month of May.
Ryan Dilks won NLL Defensive Player of the Year and made the All-NLL First Team this season. It is the first time in franchise history that a Warriors player has won a major NLL award, and the second time that Dilks has been named the Defensive Player of the Year (2016).
Warriors’ rookie defencemen Brayden Laity and Owen Grant both made the NLL All-Rookie Team.
20-year-old Brayden Laity is playing his last year of Junior A Lacrosse with the Port Coquitlam Saints.
The Saints are 3-2 on the season so far and Laity was Player of the Game in a 13-8 win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies on May 24. Laity scored two goals, both unassisted and at even strength.
The BCJALL is in full swing, and the Western Lacrosse Association also kicked off.
Kevin Crowley is back with the New Westminster Salmonbellies and made a statement in Week 1. He was the second star of the game with seven points (3G, 4A) in the Salmonbellies’ 14-9 win over Burnaby Lakers and had one goal and two assists in New West’s 11-2 win over Langley in Week 2.
Tyson Kirkness, Ryan Martel & Tyrell Hamer-Jackson are also with New Westminster this season.
Aden Walsh is playing for the Langley Thunder and stopped 44 of 56 shots he faced against the Victoria Shamrocks in Week 1 and 44 of 54 shots against the Burnaby Lakers in Week 2.
Brad McCulley’s WLA action will come this summer with the Victoria Shamrocks, who are undefeated so far this season, beating the Thunder 12-6 and taking a tight affair 6-5 over the Maple Ridge Burrards.
Warriors’ Defensive Coach Rob Williams is at the helm of the Maple Ridge Burrards whose roster includes Warriors’ Marcus Klarich, Anthony Kalinich and Jackson Suboch.
On the field
Adam Charalambides has made it through to the second half of the Boston Cannons’ (Premier Lacrosse League) 25-man roster that was announced May 29th.
Reid Bowering also earned himself a spot on the 25-man roster for the New York Atlas’ second half of training camp.
The PLL kicks off its season June 1st.
Payton Cormier broke the NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse goals record with 224. The graduate student at the University of Virginia was drafted fourth overall in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft by the Warriors.
Cormier had a successful NCAA Tournament, scoring a career-high eight goals in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship against St. Joseph’s. In the second round, he buried one goal in UVA’s win over Johns Hopkins, and notched one goal and one assist in the Cavalier’s loss to Maryland in the final four.
He finished his collegiate career with 224 goals and a new NCAA scoring record.
University of Denver’s faceoff specialist Alec Stathakis also made it to the final four before his team was eliminated by Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish went on to win the NCAA Tournament title.
Stathakis was selected 40th overall in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft by Vancouver.
Coming Up
The Warriors have upcoming lacrosse camps from July 8 – 11 and 15 – 18. For registration information visit here.
