West Central Lacrosse League

West Central Lacrosse League

West Central Senior Lacrosse League
Sport	Box lacrosse
Founded	2003
No. of teams	8
Country	Canada
Most recent champion(s)	Port Moody Express (2015)
Official website	http://wcsll.teamopolis.com

The West Central Senior Lacrosse League (WCSLL) is a men's Senior C amateur box lacrosse league sanctioned by the British Columbia Lacrosse Association in Canada.

Officially named the West Central Senior 'C' Lacrosse Association, it is usually referred to as the West Central League or just simply the 'C' League and consists of eight teams based in cities located in the Greater Vancouver area - all playing the majority of their games from a central venue located at Port Coquitlam Arena. The league schedule is typically contested from mid-April until early August.

League History

Harry George Woolley founded the West Central Lacrosse League (WCLL) in the fall of 2002. Earlier in 2002, while being Commissioner of the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association (WCSLA) Senior B league, Woolley saw 55 players cut with nowhere to play. He completed the necessary paperwork and helped organize the WCLL get off the ground.

The vision Woolley had in establishing the West Central Lacrosse League (WCLL) was to create a recreational league that any lacrosse enthusiast could join.

The West Central League started play in 2003 with four teams: the Abbotsford Attack, Port Coquitlam Hitmen, Port Moody Express, and Vancouver Vipers.

The Port Coquitlam Hitmen were founded by Scott Parsons. The Port Moody franchise originated after the 2002 Alcan Cup in Vernon. The Port Coquitlam Knights Senior B team, which was started by Juggy Gales and would have received the bronze medal as they did the year before in Prince George, realized that things needed to change.Juggy told Glen "Moose" Scott (Prince George senior lacrosse commissioner) at the Alcan Cup tournament that he would be putting a Port Moody Senior C team in for the next year's Alcan Cup. The West Central League originally excluded Port Moody from the league; Surrey, Abbotsford, Vancouver and Port Coquitlam being the original teams. Port Moody, despite having a full roster and financial support, was told that this was a four team league at the league's first meeting. Surrey then later backed out and Port Moody stepped in to take their place. The original proposed name for the team was the Port Moody Beasts, but this was soon dropped in favour of the Port Moody Express. The Abbotsford Attack were started by Cam Janzen and Tom Potter as they wanted to have a box team for all the Abbotsford field players to keep their skills up over the off-season. Terry(the maniac) Kirstiuk was responsible for founding the Vancouver Vipers (named after the former Vancouver Senior B team from the late 1990s), a squad which struggled through its first season with short-benches and an inexperienced roster.

The first league match was played on May 10, 2003, a 9-9 tie in which Kelly Scott of Abbotsford Attack scored the league’s first goal (against Port Coquitlam Hitmen). Port Moody Express and Port Coquitlam Hitmen were the dominant teams during the inaugural season, finishing 1st and 2nd respectively in the regular season standings and both met in the playoff finals with Port Coquitlam defeating Port Moody 12-10 in overtime to win the Gale Lloyd Trophy - symbolic of the league's playoff championship. In the league's consolation bronze game, the Vancouver Vipers, who went winless during the regular season, pulled off a 7-4 upset to defeat the Abbotsford Attack.

The 2004 regular season basically saw a repeat finish of the previous year, although Port Coquitlam finished tied for points with Abbotsford. Vancouver Vipers picked up its first and only win of the regular season at the expense of Port Coquitlam. Port Moody and Port Coquitlam met again in the playoff championship - with the game going into overtime but this time Port Moody walking away with the Gale Lloyd trophy in an exciting 9-8 victory. Abbotsford defeated Vancouver 11-7 in the re-match for the bronze medal game.

One major change which occurred prior to the 2004 campaign was the adoption of one central arena location in Port Coquitlam for all games regardless which teams were playing. In the inaugural season, a different team would host games each weekend at their own home arena. Players complained about the travel (especially back-to-back Saturday-Sunday games played in Abbotsford and Vancouver-Kerrisdale) and confusion over scheduling locations, so the decision was made to centralize everything out of Port Coquitlam Arena. Since then, just over 80% of all league games have been played at Port Coquitlam Arena - with the remainder re-scheduled elsewhere when not available.

On February 23, 2005 the North Shore Indians from North Vancouver were approved and joined as the league's first expansion team. Port Coquitlam surged to the top of the standings while PoCoMo Express (as Port Moody were officially known that year) sunk into second place. Close behind them were the Vancouver Vipers while the North Shore Indians settled into fourth place and the Abbotsford Attack were hampered by a slow-start to finish out of the post-season. Port Coquitlam and Port Moody met yet again in the playoff finals - this time Port Coquitlam taking the trophy home with a 10-8 win.

In October 2005 during the off-season, Vancouver's executive decided to rename the team the Burrards to keep in line with all other Vancouver box lacrosse teams from minor up through to senior level.

In 2006, the league's fourth campaign, Port Moody dropped the unpopular PoCoMo moniker and proceeded to shellshock the league with its 10-0 start but wrapped up the season with 1 loss and 1 forfeiture to the North Shore Indians, who improved by 4 wins to easily secure second place. As for the three other teams, the standings finish came down to the wire when the Abbotsford Attack defeated the third-place Vancouver Burrards in overtime to knock Port Coquitlam out of the post-season. In the playoffs, Port Moody dispatched Abbotsford 10-5 in the semi-final and then walked away with the championship in an easy 11-3 win versus North Shore, while Abbotsford took the bronze against Vancouver.

Despite the overwhelming dominance of Port Moody (who went on to win the Alcan Cup Invitational Senior C Championship held in Prince George and then capped it up the following week with winning British Columbia Senior C provincial championships in Richmond and New Westminster), the league saw the closest parity and balanced play between teams since the league started.

Based on their participation in 2006 Provincials, the early expectations going into the 2007 season were Port Moody and North Shore would dominate above the rest of the league – however that really didn’t turn out to be the case as the season unfolded.

The first half of the season was fairly close, as on any given day depending on who showed up any team could beat another. As the season progressed however, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, and North Shore were able to fortify themselves prior to the roster deadline with signing cuts to boost their fortunes in the standings as Abbotsford and Vancouver slid downwards from remaining with pretty much the same intact rosters for the entire season.

Port Moody continued to chalk up wins in the standings but games involving the Express were much closer than in any previous season. By the time Port Moody had sorted out its goaltending situation and stopped relying on bringing in different junior call-ups each week, they finished the season with a league-leading 9-3 record but had nowhere near the dominant team on the floor as their 2006 squad.

Likewise with North Shore which surprisingly struggled with short-benches most games until the start of July. This hampered the Indians in the standings as they were only able to gain two wins (one of them in overtime) at Vancouver’s expense and a couple of single points from a tie and overtime loss versus Port Coquitlam. The only real bright spot at this point was their solid goaltending - a position which had been often questionable in previous years. But by the time July rolled around, North Shore had solidified itself on the bench with regular junior call-ups meshed alongside their older experienced players and they went on to win 3 of their 4 remaining games, including a close win against Port Moody. Even in those games the Indians showed up with depleted line-ups, the squads they fielded were still dangerous as the Indians gained a reputation for playing a tenacious third-period game which helped them comeback from several earlier setbacks on the scoreboard.

During the opening weeks of play, it appeared that Abbotsford was the team which had done the most roster homework in the off-season by quietly recruiting new goaltending and experienced talent from former Ladner players. The Attack reversed its usual trend of a slow start and were playing .700 lacrosse after 5 games but then inexplicably went on a 6-game losing skid – including two losses within two weeks to a depleted 10-man Vancouver Burrard squad. Abbotsford then won its final game of the season to secure fourth place and the final post-season berth.

Port Coquitlam went into the season as a major unknown since the team confirmed its commitment to the league only two weeks prior to the start of the season. However whatever setback the Hitmen may have had from late planning soon quickly disappeared as they were able to recruit a full team and played fairly consistent lacrosse throughout the season. They too reinforced their roster just prior to the July 1 roster deadline, which helped them take 4 of their last 5 games in the regular season and gain a firm lock on second place.

Vancouver’s season started with a lot of promise - on paper - but quickly saw their effort plagued with short-benches and low player commitment. The only real highpoints during the campaign occurred when they secured two victories against Abbotsford with about half as many players. By the time the end of the season rolled around, the Burrards were out of the post-season and instead looking towards the upcoming Alcan Cup tournament in Prince George for some redemption.

In the playoffs, Abbotsford Attack took a 2-1 lead in their semi-final match-up with the Port Moody Express with both teams tied 4-4 going into the final period before the Express raced ahead with 4 goals to take the game 8-4. In the other semi-final match-up, Port Coquitlam maintained a steady lead throughout to eliminate the North Shore Indians 7-2.

In the bronze medal game played the following day, the Abbotsford Attack held a 7-4 lead after forty minutes but then the Indians mounted yet another of their third-period comebacks. Abbotsford were able to hang on for a 9-8 victory over the North Shore Indians.

The championship game featured the fourth time the Port Moody Express and Port Coquitlam Hitmen had met in the finals - and once again it was an interesting and exciting game. Port Coquitlam held narrow 1-goal leads after each of the first two period, but Port Moody were then able to outscore the Hitmen 6-4 in the third-period to win the championship 15-14.

The following weekend, four teams traveled to Prince George to compete in the British Columbia Senior ‘C’ Provincial and Alcan Cup tournaments. In a tournament which none of the host teams were able to make the finals, Port Moody Express and Port Coquitlam participated in the provincials with Port Moody losing to Kelowna Raiders (Okanagan Xtreme League) in the gold medal game. In the Alcan Cup, North Shore Indians and Vancouver Burrards finished ahead of their Prince George opposition to meet for the gold medal, with the Indians taking the gold 10-4 in the championship game.

On February 21, 2008 the league expanded when the West Van Outlaws from West Vancouver were accepted into the league as its sixth team. Along with the new team, the regular season schedule was increased from 12 to 15 games and the playoff final made into a best-of-three series. Expansion required the league to change its scheduling so that its Saturday night double-headers involving four teams became triple-headers involving all six teams and the bye weeks eliminated.

Port Moody Express and Port Coquitlam Hitmen battled neck and neck throughout the season for first place. Port Coquitlam held first place through April until dropping two of their three games in May. The Express then lost two games back to back and the Hitmen re-took first place until the start of July. Port Moody’s strong 7-0 finish and Port Coquitlam splitting their last four games allowed the Express to secure the regular season championship by 24 points to 22 for the Hitmen.

The North Shore Indians finished in third place 6 points behind Port Coquitlam and 1 point over the .500 mark. Their best winning stretch was during late May and early June when they strung together three wins in a row. The Indians never lost more than two in a row and in their final game of the regular season, the Indians thumped the Vancouver Burrards 13-0 for the league’s first-ever shutout.

The expansion West Van Outlaws entered the league with a roster rich in talent and the potential to defeat any team in the league but were subsequently hurt many nights hampered by short-benches and constant roster flux. The Outlaws ended up using 41 players – the most by any team that season. Finishing in fourth place and 4 points behind their native cousins, the Outlaws never won or lost more than two games in a row. Both the North Shore Indians and West Van Outlaws benefited during the season from the implosion of the North Shore Senior B team as both teams picked up cuts and disgruntled players sitting out from the 'B' Indians.

Abbotsford Attack started their season forfeiting to Vancouver Burrards and then picked up just 1 win in their next five games. In the second half of the season the Attack improved their play and in the last 9 games they picked up 4 wins. Abbotsford’s highlight of the season was sweeping their season series 3-0 against the stronger West Van Outlaws. The Attack finished in fifth place 2 points behind West Van.

Vancouver Burrards, like the previous season, looked to be improved on paper as they were able to sign half a dozen former Junior B Burrard players, a couple of them with some Senior B experience. However the squad did not gel and their offense soon struggled most nights to get the ball into the net. By halfway through the season they were suffering from inconsistent turnout on the bench and wins were hard to come by - apart from the forfeiture they gained on opening day, their only other wins came against Abbotsford in May, in their best outing of the season, followed the next month hanging on for a win against a depleted 8-man yet still dangerous West Van squad. The Burrards then suffered the ignominy of being shutout in their final game of the regular season.

In the semi-final round of the playoffs, Port Moody Express dispatched the West Van Outlaws 12-9 while North Shore Indians defeated the Port Coquitlam Hitmen 12-7, the first time the Hitmen had ever lost a game in the first-round. Vancouver Burrards and Abbotsford Attack met the next day in the fifth place game, a close match which the Burrards won 8-7. In the bronze medal game, Port Coquitlam Hitmen dominated an uninterested West Van Outlaws squad 10-2.

In the championship finals between Port Moody Express and North Shore Indians, the defending champion Express swept the best-of-three series 10-8 and 12-6 to win the Gale Lloyd Trophy for the third year in a row, and the fourth time in five seasons.

Port Moody Express and North Shore Indians then traveled the following week to Kelowna to represent the league in the British Columbia Senior ‘C’ Provincials. Port Moody won all their games in the round-robin section but lost in the Gold Medal game to the Kelowna Raiders. North Shore ended up finishing in third place in the four team tournament, ahead of Vernon Royals of the Okanagan Xtreme League. In the Alcan Cup played in Prince George the same weekend, Vancouver Burrards were unable to repeat their silver medal appearance from the year before, losing to Regina Heat and Prince George BX Pub Bandits to finish in fifth place with a record of 1 win and 2 losses.

The league saw further change during the off-season when it expanded to eight teams on February 26, 2009. The Coquitlam Cobras and Ladner Pioneers were accepted into the league as expansion teams while the Abbotsford Attack (now devoid of its Ladner-based players) moved across the Fraser River to Maple Ridge to become the Ridge Attack - later going by the name Maple Ridge Attack in 2010.

Port Moody Express repeated as British Columbia Senior ‘C’ provincial champions when they defeated the Armstrong Shamrocks and Kelowna Raiders in the three-team provincial tournament held in Armstrong during the August 14–16, 2009 weekend. In the Alcan Cup the following weekend, the Vancouver Burrards travelled to Prince George as the only visiting team entering the five-team tournament. Vancouver – who were reinforced with players picked up from the Port Moody Express and Armstrong Shamrocks – cruised through the round-robin section with a record of three wins and one loss against their Prince George opposition which then advanced them through to the gold medal game for the second time in three years. They faced a re-match versus Prince George Shooters Pub Devils, against whom they had lost the previous day, but this time out were able to hang on for a tenacious 8-7 victory and take home their first Alcan cup title in five years.

The league expanded back to eight teams in 2013 when Burnaby Lakers and Richmond Roadrunners joined. Vancouver Burrards adopted the North Shore Indians identity and wore their uniforms.

Teams

Current team name changes

• North Shore Indians (originally known as Vancouver Vipers (2003-2005); Vancouver Burrards (2006-2012)
• Ridge Attack (originally known as Abbotsford Attack (2003-2008)

Former teams

• North Shore Indians (2005-2009)
• West Van Outlaws (2008-2009)

League Executive

League Commissioners

• Harry Woolley (pre-season of 2003)
• Scott Parsons (2003–2004)
• Patty Bensmiller (2005)
• Trish Proulx (2006–2009)
• Keith Armstrong (2010–present)

Chairmen of Board of Governors

• Terry Kirstiuk (2003)
• Scott Parsons (2004)
• Terry Kirstiuk (2005–2006)
• Brock Rose (2007–2008)
• Craig Baldridge (2009)
• Nick Thomas (2010–present)

Secretaries

• Trish Proulx (2003–2005)
• Sandi Comack (2006–present)

Treasurers

• Trish Proulx (2003–2008)
• Betty Selezinka (2009–present)

Statisticians

• Patty Bensmiller (2003)
• Lenora Murrin (2004–2005)
• Dave Stewart-Candy (2006–2008)
• Terry Kirstiuk (2009–present)

Provincial Co-ordinator

• Nick Thomas (2010–present)

Team Executive

Coquitlam Cobras

• Tyler Dunlop (governor / team manager) 2009–present
• Shane Hyde (general manager) 2010–present

Ladner Pioneers

• Mike McIntosh (governor / team manager) 2009–present

Ridge Attack (Abbotsford 2003-2008)

• Cam Janzen (governor) 2003
• Tom Potter (team manager) 2003, (governor) 2004-2005
• Brian Danilkiewicz (team manager) 2004-2005, (governor / general manager) 2006–present
• Mike McIntosh (team manager) 2006-2007

Port Coquitlam Hitmen

• Scott Parsons (governor / team manager) 2003-2004
• Paul Horn (governor / team manager) 2005
• Jamie Hurst (governor) 2006
• Rich Gareau (team manager) 2006
• Mike Gray (governor) 2007–present
• Tom Stevens (president) 2007–present
• Betty Selezinka (team manager) 2007–present

Port Moody Express

• Dave Wisniewski (governor / general manager) 2003-2006
• Craig Baldridge (governor) 2007–present
• Nick Thomas (general manager) 2007-2009; (president) 2010–present
• Jeff Dutkewich (general manager) 2010–present

Vancouver Burrards

• Terry Kirstiuk (governor / general manager) 2003-2004; 2008–present
• Terry Kirstiuk (governor) 2005-2007
• Dave Stewart-Candy (team manager) 2005-2007; (assistant governor) 2008–2010
• Andrew Rennie (assistant manager) 2009–2010

Former teams

North Shore Indians (2005–2009)

• Dave Jacobs (governor) 2005-2009
• Stewart Jacobs (president / general manager) 2005-2009

West Van Outlaws (2008–2009)

• Simon Baker (governor) 2008-2009
• Stee Baker (assistant governor) 2008-2009

Regular season standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, PTS = Points, AS = Assists, PEN = Penalties, PIM = Penalty Minutes