For the second consecutive year, the Washington Stealth are traveling north of the U.S. boarder for training camp, giving British Columbia NLL fans an insider’s look at their favorite players vying to play in the 2013 NLL season.
This Saturday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 9 the Stealth will hold a two-day training camp at the Langley Events Centre <www.LangleyEventsCentre.com> in Langley, B.C. for their third camp of the pre-season.
Along with practice sessions on both Saturday and Sunday, Stealth players are part of a hub of lacrosse activity at the annual “NLL at the LEC” weekend of box lacrosse events. With lacrosse activities kicking-off on Saturday, the weekend includes six player clinics for boys and girls ages 6 – 16, along with a Saturday NLL pre-season match-up between the Colorado Mammoth and Calgary Roughnecks.
“This is a great chance for Washington Stealth fans in the lower mainland to get a first-hand look at who could make the 2013 Stealth team,” said Jared Harman of the Langley Events Centre. “It’s an opportunity to see the best lacrosse players in the world before the holidays and to experience pro lacrosse first hand. We want to make this weekend a real gathering place for lower mainland lacrosse fans.”
For the Stealth, forwards Lewis Ratcliff (Victoria, B.C.), Athan Iannucci (Port Moody, B.C.) and Brett Hickey (Windsor, Ont.) were members of Langley’s 2012 run to the Mann Cup finals while captain Kyle Sorensen (Peterborough, Ont.) and goaltender Kevin Croswell (Peterborough, Ont.) were on the Mann Cup champion Peterborough squad. Ratcliff, Iannucci and Hickey are among 21 Stealth camp attendees with connections to British Columbia’s lower mainland and Vancouver Island that will be in Langley.
Among B.C. locals that are new to the Stealth this pre-season are second round NLL draft pick Tyler Garrison (Coquitlam, B.C.) and fourth-round pick TJ Cowx (Delta, B.C.) along with Mark Negrin (New Westminster, B.C.) and NLL veteran goaltender Nick Patterson (Victoria, B.C.). Patterson spent seven seasons from 2005 – 2011 minding the nets for the Minnesota Swarm.
“We’re excited to give Stealth fans in British Columbia that have followed their hometown lacrosse stars an opportunity to see them in action at the local rink,” said Stealth general manager Doug Locker.
Other B.C. players that will be in the Stealth’s Langley camp are forwards Rhys Duch (Victoria, B.C.), Cliff Smith (Surrey, B.C.), Martin Cummings (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), Mike Mallory (Pitt Meadows, B.C.), transition player Ryan Johnson (Chilliwack, B.C.), defenders Matt Beers (Coquitlam, B.C.), Jeff Moleski (Prince George, B.C.), Patrick O’Meara (Coquitlam, B.C.), Curtis Hodgson (Burnaby, B.C.), Justin Salt (Coquitlam, B.C.), David Joyce (Coquitlam, B.C.), Kyle Ross (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) and goaltenders Tyler Richards (Vancouver, B.C.) and Chris Seidel (Coquitlam, B.C.).
The Dec. 8 and 9 training camp in Langley is the third of five pre-season training camps that will help select the 2013 roster for the Washington Stealth.
