In the fast-footed game of box lacrosse, the difference between winning and losing is often a matter of cohesion and determination.
For new Burnaby Lakers coach and general manager Jim Milligan,
a winning mindset and team culture will be vital assets if the team is to succeed in the rough-scrabble world of the Western Lacrosse Association.
With a lengthy resume of championships to his credit, as a coach and assistant general manager with perennial Ontario challenger the Peterborough Lakers, Milligan is treading new territory.
The preparation has been hard, but the veteran boxla coach is eager to plunge into this week’s season opener tonight (Friday) in Victoria and get a game under his belt.
“I’m really excited,” said Milligan. “Training camp is always a grind but not so much as the practising as it is everything – just working to see who can come in, when they can come in. I really want to get to a real game and see how we match up.”
The game plan is to build on last year’s achievements – which saw the fourth-seeded Lakers
force a Game 7 in the semifinal
against powerhouse Victoria. No one in the organization was satisfied with just making the playoffs – hence the decision to hire someone who has played a role in six Ontario Major Series banners and five Mann Cup rings.
“(Last year) was close to what we wanted and a step in the right direction but there’s still that disappointment,” all-star netminder Zak Boychuk said. “Things are looking good. … Jim has brought a different tempo and pace to practice and everyone’s working hard. Guys are all happy and expecting big things.”
Milligan takes over a team loaded with skilled sticks like Robert Church, sophomore Josh Byrne and Eli McLaughlin and has depth on defence in the form of Chris O’Dougherty, Peter McFetridge and Justin Salt. Even the goaltending position – where Zak Boychuk, Eric Penney and Tyler Richards are vying for floor time – appears loaded.
Among the newcomers he’s signed are Matt Spanger, a six-foot-four defender who played with the NLL’s New England squad this winter, and highly coveted Ontario junior grad Garrett Lewis.
At the other end of the floor, Cam Milligan – whom Burnaby drafted 39th overall in last February’s junior draft – has arrived after wrapping up the season at the University of Vermont. The son of the Lakers coach/GM, the younger Milligan would have likely gone in the first round if there was any kind of assurance he was staying west, after joining the Delta Islanders at last year’s trade deadline for their Minto Cup push.
These moves have bolstered both the lineup and the general feeling around the dressing room.
“Jim has come in and made some changes. He has such strong connections on the east coast and he’s kind of gone under the radar to bring in some good players,” said Boychuk.
“Our goal is to start well and make the playoffs. We want to win the Western championship and go from there to a Mann Cup. … We are on the verge of something good.”
The senior Milligan says adding more skill and grit from Ontario is less a change in direction as it is an acknowledgement that to compete with the Victorias and New Westminsters – and eventually the Peterboroughs and Bramptons – you need to expand your talent base.
“We brought in some talent
from the east to address areas of depth,” he said. “We’re a really
strong team on paper but that’s only on paper. I’m preaching that this is a step-by-step process, where the focus is on the end result and the process it takes to get there.”
Even the club’s boldest off-
season move – which saw them flip two first round picks and a second rounder to Langley for the B.C. playing rights to superstar Mark Matthews and Burnaby native Nik Bilic – provided a boost despite no guarantees that either will wear Laker green this year.
The message was sent: Burnaby was all-in to compete.
Unfortunately, Bilic suffered an injury last month with Saskatchewan that will sideline him for the full summer season. Matthews’ availability remains in limbo, as a player transfer agreement hinges on Brooklin – his Ontario rights holder – agreeing to a deal with the Lakers.
“I’d love to have Mark in the lineup, he’s probably one of the best, if not the best, box lacrosse players around,” said Milligan, who wasn’t part of the organization when the trade was made. “He and (Church) have great chemistry together. As much as I’d love to get a deal done, it all depends upon Brooklin.
“I’m still working on it, and if its to happen it will likely be a deadline (late June) deal.”
Veteran forward Dane Stevens feels the team is primed for a breakthrough, if every thing comes together.
“Players see Jim’s resume and get excited, but we have guys in the dressing room who have been on championships – Churchy in Saskatchewan, various Minto Cups – I think we have that mix, it’s just about doing it,” said Stevens.
He said the return of Shaun Dhaliwal, one of the more popular teammates from past years, and discussions with Church and Byrne has added to the level of anticipation for this year.
“We have a real good core of players and leaders,” said Stevens. “I think everyone is working together to take that next step, to help the team win.”
Having spent the past two National Lacrosse League seasons as an assistant with the Vancouver Stealth, Milligan has gotten a longer look at the western version of box lacrosse, and feels the NLL style is comparable to the WLA.
“I think there is some similarities, that the NLL style suits the WLA game,” he said. “There isn’t a lot of adjustment when it comes to the game. My biggest obstacle is team culture, how to change that and getting my approach and what we want to achieve inside.”
Burnaby kicks off the season tonight (Friday) in Victoria, then visits the reigning WLA playoff champion Maple Ridge Burrards on Sunday. The club will hold its home opener on July 2 at the Bill Copeland Sports Complex against the Nanaimo Timbermen.
