The Burnaby Lakers decided to keep right at the 2013 Western Lacrosse Association junior entry draft.
The senior A Lakers picked up one of the most prolific scorers and shotmakers to come out of the junior A ranks - Robert Church from the Coquitlam junior Adanacs with its fourth overall pick at the WLA draft held at the Langley Events Centre on Monday.
Another righthander Ben McIntosh of Coquitlam was selected first overall by the Maple Ridge Burrards.
The New Westminster Salmonbellies then quickly chose lefthander Logan Schuss from Delta and Coquitlam defender Jeff Cornwall with their second and third overall draft picks.
Matthew Dinsdale was snatched up at fifth overall by the senior Coquitlam club.
Burnaby followed taking New Westminster righty Tyler Digby at No. 6, leaving lefthander Brandon Goodwin of New Westminster for the defending WLA champion Langley Thunder at No. 7.
"We took the best player available. With Church we're really excited and Digby could have been higher," said new Burnaby head coach Rory McDade of the team's two first-round selections.
Church was a no-brainer. A four-year junior, the 6-0 runner averaged six points a game in the 2012 post season, including 21 goals - seven coming on the power play.
Digby, a big 6-3, 215-pound presence on the right side, did not play his final year of junior lacrosse due to varsity football commitments at Division Robert Morris University last season. It is questionable how much the New Westminster product will be able to offer the Lakers this season as he enters his senior year at school.
However few in attendance at the events centre doubted Digby's senior-ready capability.
In his first three years with the junior 'Bellies, Digby had three plus-30-goal seasons, including a 49-goal campaign in 2011.
But passing on Goodwin, who provided an answer to some of Burnaby's current left-side concerns left some scratching their heads.
With its two third-round picks, the Lakers bolstered its back line with defenders Hamish Brindle from Delta and Nathan Klein of Coquitlam.
"Where we were picking, we're happy with what we got. It was the best for our team at the moment," said McDade.
The question now remains whether Burnaby will try to address its needs on the left side through a trade or free agency.
At least one club suggested it would be willing to look at such a deal.
"Anything is possible," said New Westminster president and general manager Dan Richardson. "We're open to all that sort of stuff. We tried to get in it at the five, six and seven hole. But it was quite unusual - no trades. We couldn't find a dance partner tonight."
In the later rounds Burnaby picked up Richard Lachlan and Brock Whitely from Port Coquitlam with its fourth and fifth-round picks, respectively.
Former Burnaby junior Brian Gillis was taken with the Lakers' sixth-round pick.
Another former junior Laker, Jaeden Gastaldo, was picked up by Maple Ridge with the 13th overall pick in the second round.
Colton Dow was a fifth-round choice of the Coquitlam Adanacs, while goalie Patrick Bayliss also went to the senior A's in the sixth round.
Burnaby junior David Beaumont went to New Westminster in the seventh round.
Josh Simons was picked up late in the draft by Coquitlam.
Burnaby opens at home on May 17.
Round One:
1 Maple Ridge - Ben McIntosh - Coquitlam Jrs
2 New Westminster - Logan Schuss - Delta
3 New Westminster - Jeff Cornwall - Coquitlam Jrs
4 Burnaby - Robert Church - Coquitlam Jrs
5 Coquitlam - Matthew Dinsdale - Coquitlam Jrs
6 Burnaby - Tyler Digby - New Westminster Jrs
7 Langley - Brandon Goodwin - New Westminster Jrs
Round Two:
8 Maple Ridge - Mike Mallory - Delta
9 Coquitlam - Kevin Neufeld - Coquitlam Jrs
10 New Westminster - Reid Mydske - New Westminster Jrs
11 New Westminster - Keegan Bal - New Westminster Jrs
12 Coquitlam - Cody Hawkins - Delta
13 Maple Ridge - Jaeden Gastaldo - Burnaby/Langley Jrs
14 Langley - Trent Hawke - Coquitlam
Round Three:
15 Burnaby - Hamish Brindle - Delta
16 Nanaimo - Paul Brebber - Victoria Jrs
17 New Westminster - Reagan Harding - New Westminster Jrs
18 Maple Ridge - Carson Michaud - Port Coquitlam
19 Coquitlam - James Delaney - Okotoks, Alta
20 Victoria - Jake Emms - Victoria Jrs
21 Burnaby - Nathan Klein - Coquitlam Jrs
For more on the later rounds, log on to www.theboxrocks.com/leagues/newsletter.cfm?page=67877&clientID=5357&leagueID=20555
