There should be no championship hangover for the 91原创 Thunder.
After all, the senior A lacrosse squad went through all this in 2012, when they were coming off their first-ever Western Lacrosse Association championship.
The team successfully defended their title in 2012 and now with the 2013 campaign set to kick off on Sunday in Maple Ridge, 91原创 is looking for a three-peat as WLA champions.
鈥淭hat is what we are aiming for,鈥� said Thunder general manager Gerry Van Beek.
鈥淚t is not a rebuild or anything, it鈥檚 more of the same. Just a couple of pieces of the puzzle getting moved back and forth.鈥�
In 2011, 91原创 finished third in the league standings at 8-8-2, before pulling off a pair of upset wins to capture their first-ever WLA title.
Last season, saw the team finish first in the regular season at 12-6, and then successfully defend their title.
But their three-peat quest will not be without its challenges.
For one, they are missing . The suspension stems from a positive test for a banned substance at the Mann Cup.
Ratcliff was tied for the team lead with 57 points and was second in goals with 26.
They are also without head coach Rod Jensen, who was slapped with a 12-game suspension by the Canadian Lacrosse Association, stemming from his actions in regards to the CCES and the way they handled the drug testing of the teams at the Mann Cup.
Both have appealed the suspensions.
In his absence, Fred Klomp, Darcy Rhodes and Ryan Williams will run the team.
Van Beek said it made sense to stick with the current crop of coaches.
鈥淲e are not putting in a different system,鈥� he explained.
鈥淭he coaches have been involved with it for a couple of years already.
鈥淢aybe they will throw in a few wrinkles of their own and it won鈥檛 be a bad thing.鈥�
He referenced back in the 1980s when Pat Quinn was suspended from coaching by the NHL. And Bob McCammon did admirably in his absence, coaching the Vancouver Canucks for four seasons and earning a Jack Adams nomination as coach of the year in 1988-89.
The Thunder return largely the same roster as last year, as well as a few former players 鈥� Jared Toll and Mike Grimes 鈥� who were not with the team in 2012.
They also bring back Athan Iannucci, who led the team last year with 30 goals and 57 points, and Garrett Billings will again play part of the season as he commutes back and forth from Toronto. He played just six regular season games in 2012 but managed 30 points. And in the WLA playoffs and Mann Cup championships, Billings wracked up 63 points in 15 games.
Joining the potent offence will be the Thunder鈥檚 .
鈥淗e was a great junior and we are expecting a lot from him,鈥� Van Beek admitted.
Goodwin, a left-handed offensive dynamo, had 26 goals and 46 points in 13 games with the New Westminster Junior Salmonbellies.
Also expected to make an impact are Trent Hawke and Hugh Weir, a pair of big defenders.
鈥淲e think they can make some noise and fit in this league,鈥� Van Beek said.
Brodie MacDonald, the 2011 WLA rookie of the year, returns to play goal. He was 7-5 with an 8.69 goals against average and a .807 save percentage in 2012.
Dave Marrese and Matt Morehouse are battling for the second goalie spot on the roster.
Van Beek knows it will be tough sledding to win a third consecutive league title.
鈥淚t seems every team in the league has gotten bigger, faster, stronger,鈥� he explained.
鈥淓verybody has gotten stronger, everybody is getting players back.
鈥淭here is not going to be anything that is easy, which makes it better for the fans, better for the league.鈥�
He added that the league is making moves to speed up the game and make things more uptempo, which fits right into what the Thunder like to do.
The Thunder play their home opener on Wednesday (May 22) when they host the Coquitlam Adanacs at the 91原创 Events Centre. Game time is 7:45 p.m.
