Nanaimo Timbermen Senior B Lacrosse Club Press Releases

Sr. B T-Men relying on experience
Nanaimo Daily News • May 1, 2008

The Nanaimo DBL Senior B Timbermen are banking on experience to lead them to a championship.

After a season that began with promise then went downhill in a hurry, the T-Men are eager to get the 2008 West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association season started.

They'll do that tonight at the Ladner Leisure Centre against their fiercest rivals, the Ladner Pioneers. On Saturday, Nanaimo has its home opener, 7:30 p.m. at the Nanaimo Ice Centre, against the Valley Rebels.

The team won its first five games last season and was 9-2 at one point before slumping badly in the second half of the season. They went from first place to a tie for third with a 10-8 record.

The Timbermen were unceremoniously bounced in the first round of last year's playoffs by the sixth-place North Shore Indians, losing the deciding third game at home

T-Men head coach Pat O'Dwyer thinks the team learned a valuable lesson last season.

"We've got a strong squad, a youthful squad, but it's mature," said O'Dwyer. "We've got a lot of returning veterans. We saw a big breakdown mid-season last year and all of these guys that are captains all saw what happened. We're going to be a year stronger and a year smarter."

Experience and leadership will play key factors in Nanaimo's success this season.

Veteran Travis Preston, who missed most of last season due to a hand injury, returns as team captain, while Brad Jones, Jason Dubyna and the WCSLA's leading scorer last season, Joel Cocarell are the team assistant captains.

Dubyna says all the guys wearing a letter will have to lead the way.

"There's a lot of new guys this year so as leaders, a lot of guys are going to be looking to us," said Dubyna. "In previous years it's been a lot of the same group that's just known what to expect and what needs to be done. We've got a bunch of kids that haven't played in this league that are stepping in. They'll come in and be good players for us but we'll just have to lead the way."

Tonight's game against the Pioneers will be a great way for the team, especially the newcomers, to get right into the season. Nanaimo and Ladner have staged many epic battles over the years.

Both teams seem to bring out the best in each other, and when it comes to physical play, sometimes the worst.

"I know everybody is looking forward to it," said Jones, a former team captain. "They're kind of our rivals so it's a good way to start the season, right off the hop."

Cocarell, who tied for the league lead in scoring last season with 26 goals and 61 points, expects the team to be more on the offence this season. Nanaimo did score 149 goals in the regular season, second only to first-place Tri-City, but Cocarell thinks they can improve.

With new assistant coach Kevin Shires, the team's all-time leading scorer, running the offence, it should. "Hopefully we can pick it up a little bit," said Cocarell.

"That was a bit of a problem. I know Shires whole philosophy is shoot . . . 32-31 is a good win. Even Patty's (head coach Pat O'Dwyer) philosophy last year was run and gun. Hopefully we can bury it more this year."

O'Dwyer, who will have both Shires and another T-Men legend Ken King on the bench this season, says the Timbermen will be an exciting team to watch this year,

"We have huge offensive power," said O'Dwyer.

"We have Ken Morrison back, he's a proven goal scorer. There's Joel Cocarell, Trevor Walton, both were top-three in the league last season. We have the two Dubynas, Jason and Jaron, an incredible offence. Our transition is quick. I say we'll be the fastest team in the league."

Danny Walters will get the lion's share of the playing time in goal with rookie Matt Soulliere from Ontario also seeing some action.