Jr. Shamrocks Taken in WLA Draft

The 7 teams of the Western Lacrosse Association gathered February 10 for the annual draft of graduating junior players. Among those taken were about 10 players with ties to the Jr. and/or Intermediate Shamrocks. The WLA Shamrocks didn’t pick until the last choice of round 2 which they used to take Coquitlam Jr. player Taylor Northway. With 6 picks in all, only one Jr. Shamrock player was drafted by the home town Shamrocks, that being defender Max Cullen with the last pick in round 3, 21st overall.

Nanaimo took former Jr. Shamrock Jordan Cunningham with their 4th pick, 10th overall, in the second round. Cunningham was traded after the 2013 season by the Jr. Shamrocks. The first graduating Jr. Rock player, taken 11th by the Maple Ridge Burrards was goaltender Charles Claxton, a workhorse for the 2015 juniors. Dane Sorensen was chosen by New Westminster with the 13th pick. Jake Cullen was selected by Nanaimo, as was Devan Smith – a former Intermediate Shamrock, last year’s team captain Max Fredrickson, and Chris Kasper.

The Shamrocks’ other picks were Thomas Moffat, a player who finished his Jr. ‘A’ career with the Shamrocks after being acquired from Langley, Sam Klingsporn from Delta, Mike Rybka from Coquitlam and Tyson Fair.

Incidentally, Burnaby had the first pick overall and selected Josh Byrne. Other first round picks were Mike Messenger to New West, Challen Rogers to Coquitlam, James Rahe to New West, Cole Shafer to Langley and Jorden Gilles and Taylor Stuart to Nanaimo.

Congratulations to all the drafted players.

- by Janice Huckin