The WLA season kicks off this weekend. One of the opening weekend matchups features the defending WLA Champions the Langley Thunder against the Maple Ridge Burrards. These two teams are on the opposite ends of the WLA spectrum as the Thunder have been perennial champions while the Burrards have struggled immensely.
The Burrards struggled last year with star Curtis Dickson being injured after playing two games last season. Dickson if he can stay healthy will be a huge boost to the Burrards offense. Dickson registered 78 points in 2011 and should be able to lead the Burrards offense this year. Maple Ridge will also have their 2012 scoring leader Jarrett Davis back this season. Davis had 61 points last season notching 19 goals and 42 assists with the talented Dickson playing with him expect these numbers to go up. The other two key members of the Burrards are Brandon Bertoia and Randy Daly who brought consistent offense for the Burrards in 2012. The Burrards have also addressed their goaltending needs as they acquired Chris Levis from the Victoria Shamrocks. Levis should bring the Burrards some stability in net. The Burrards biggest problem last year was blowing leads in the fourth quarter. Against Langley the Burrards will need a strong start as they will not be able to comeback against a powerful Langley offense.
The Langley Thunder once again look to be a contender for the WLA championship. Langley though will be down one key piece as offensive dynamo Lewis Ratcliff has been suspended for the year. The Thunder though still have leader Athan Iannucci who had 57 points last season. Along with Alex Turner who had 53 points, Shayne Jackson who will be poised to improve on his 38 points last season along with Joel McCready. The Thunder’s offensive depth is their greatest strength as they are able to spread the ball effectively and open up the floor generating offense. Expect the Thunder to barrage Levis with shots and make him work in his Burrards debut. On defense the Thunder are no slouches as they have Brett Mydske who was named the WLA defensive player of the year in 2012. He will also be joined by Mike Grimes who was the 2010 defensive player of the year. The Langley defense should be solid and with Brodie MacDonald in net who was solid in 2012.
Langley should have no problem dealing with the Burrards in their opening game. The Thunder have too much talent on their team for the Burrards to deal with and should be able to make a statement and stake their claim as contenders for the 2013 WLA championship.
