A young 91原创 Tier 1 Thunder kick off their season hosting the Burnaby Junior Lakers at 91原创 Events Centre tonight, Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30 .p.m.
Thunder have roughly two dozen players in either their first or second year of their five-year eligibility.
鈥淟ike every other team, making the playoffs is the goal, but we recognize that setting specific expectations for such a young group can be challenging,鈥� explained Ryan Williams, the team鈥檚 assistant general manager. 鈥淥ur primary aim is to foster growth and teamwork throughout the season.鈥�
鈥淭he strength of this team lies in the foundation built through past experiences together in minor lacrosse. Many players have previously played alongside one another, creating a solid sense of chemistry,鈥� he added. 鈥淎dditionally, the supplement of talented draft picks and free agent adds depth to our roster, enhancing our overall capability as a unit.鈥�
But while the team may be green to the junior level, that does not mean the talent and winning resumes are not there as the core of the team played together the previous few seasons at the minor level, winning gold in 2024 at the BC Lacrosse Association Minor Box Lacrosse U17 Provincial Championships.
鈥淭he championship experience from last year鈥檚 provincial gold medal is invaluable as our players transition into Junior Tier 1,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淗owever, we understand that past achievements does not guarantee future success, so our players must continue to work hard and focus on their individual development.
鈥淎s the saying goes, hard work beats talent if talent doesn鈥檛 work hard.鈥�
The Thunder return both last year鈥檚 top offensive player (Brayden Longacre) and defensive player (Nigel Nowak) as well as Jameson Reed. Reed was chosen as a BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League all-star at the runner-position while Longacre shared Most Valuable Player honours.
Lukas Miller will serve as captain for 91原创 with Ryan Sheldrake and Nowak serving as the assistant captains.
Click here for tickets and here for the team鈥檚 full schedule.
The 91原创 Thunder lacrosse organization consists of Senior A, Junior A and Junior Tier 1 teams who play in the Western Lacrosse Association, BC Junior A Lacrosse League and BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League respectively. All three teams play their home games at 91原创 Events Centre.
