The Ladner Pioneers and Delta Islanders should get a better idea next week what their seasons will potentially look like.
That’s when the Canadian Lacrosse Association’s board of governors meeting is expected to make a decision on whether 2021 national championships will be played this summer, including the President’s Cup and Minto Cup.
Of course, the mass vaccine roll out and the subsequent loosened health restrictions will have the ultimate say. Should it proceed rapidly enough, bringing teams together from different parts of the country by late August wouldn’t be out of the question.
The decision will play a big part on how the Pioneers approach the season in more ways than one.
With no President’s Cup, the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association has already discussed playing a shortened nine-game season that will likely involve just four Lower Mainland teams. It would conclude with two rounds of playoff games.
“It pretty much boils down to is there going to be a national championship? If the President’s Cup is going to happen then we are going to have to take this more serious and try to build a team that can win. Money is the issue too. I don’t see a lot of sponsors lining up to give us cash when everyone is struggling with COVID,” said Pioneers longtime head coach and GM Ross Frehlick. “If it’s just the nine-game season, the players are going to have to foot the bill for it and I think it would work. If there is nationals (in Alberta) we will need $20,000.”
Frehlick added it’s important there is some kind of a season rather than sitting dormant for two years and then wonder what 2022 will look like from a roster standpoint. That’s why the team plans on using its floor time at the Ladner Leisure Centre sometime next month even if there is no schedule in place yet.
“Last summer was my first summer off that I ever can remember,” he said. “It was pretty boring for me as this is what I do, but for some players who like the game but don’t love it, they have now had summers off and might retire permanently and we don’t want that. Especially the good ones.”
