The Delta Islanders continued their busy off season by announcing more additions to the coaching staff and an expansion to their overall structure.
The B.C. Junior "A" Lacrosse League club has reached an agreement with the Delta Minor Lacrosse Association to take over the operations of the Delta Intermediate "A" Islanders.
The B.C. Intermediate "A" Lacrosse League team already had a close working relationship with the junior squad as its main feeder program. The Islanders now having full control means putting their own coaching staff and system in place. Club president and governor Gary McBride will have the same duties for the Intermediates, as well general manager Jamie Scott.
"This is something we have been hoping to do for a longtime and we are actually one of the last clubs in our league to do it," said McBride. "Now we are in a position to provide our players with an elite five year program.
"It's also part of an overall plan of working more closely with the (Senior B) Ladner Pioneers and Delta Lacrosse."
The first order of business will be putting a coaching staff together. Last year's head coach Kevin Moleschi and assistant Matt Hannah had earlier announced they would not be returning so they could focus more on their playing careers.
"If we want to be in the same position as (league powerhouses) Coquitlam, New West and Victoria then this was something that had to be done," added Scott. "With both teams under the same umbrella, it means they are being run with the same philosophy and the end result is a seamless transition for the players."
The club also announced the appointments of Sean Robinson and Yul Baker as assistant offensive coaches.
Robinson comes to the team with an impressive playing career in the box and field versions of the game. He enjoyed a standout junior career with the Coquitlam Adanacs where the lefty earned rookie-of-the-year honours. He went on to be selected 16th overall by the New Westminster Salmonbellies in the Western Lacrosse Association draft and has helped the club reach the Mann Cup in three of the last four years.
This past season, the 24-yearold finished with 25 points in 14 regular season games and added 12 points in the playoffs.
Robinson also is a standout in field lacrosse, having played three consecutive years with the B.C.
Selects U19 men's team, earning all-star and team offensive MVP honours. He played collegiately at Hobart College.
Also assisting with the offensive duties will be Yul Baker. He won a Minto Cup with Six Nation Arrows in the early 1990s before joining the Burnaby Lakers where he was a perennial all-star for the rest of his junior career.
He moved into the senior ranks where he played for the North Shore Indians (now the Langley Thunder) and also won a National Lacrosse League championship with the Rochester Knighthawks before joining the Vancouver Ravens. He would later add a President's Cup Senior "B" national championship with the North Shore Indians.
Boxla Bits...
It's going to be a busy winter season for Mike Mallory. The sniper, who will be playing his third and final junior campaign with the Islanders this summer, has earned a spot on the practice roster with the Washington Stealth of the NLL.
The 20-year-old was selected by the Stealth in the third round (21st overall) of the draft. He is a two-time, first-team BCJALL allstar and was named the BCJALL rookie-of-the-year in 2010.
