A trio of South Surrey lacrosse teammates who’ve played together for more than a decade are looking to go out on a high note – with a Minto Cup championship.
Three former Semiahmoo Rock Lacrosse Association players – Spencer Bromley, Brett Andersen and Connor Davidson – are member of the Delta Islanders Junior ‘A’ team that, beginning Aug. 20 at the Langley Events Centre, will be one of two B.C. teams to vie for the Minto Cup, which serves as the Canadian Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse Championship.
The Islanders are currently battling the Coquitlam Adanacs for a provincial crown, but as the host province, B.C. gets two berths, so both squads are in regardless of this week’s outcome.
The best-of-three series is currently knotted at 1-1; Delta won the first game 9-6 – handing Coquitlam their first loss of the season – and nearly won the series Sunday, but fell 11-10 in overtime. In that contest, Delta trailed 9-4 after two periods before reeling off five straight goals to send the game into extra time. Bromley had one goal and three assists Sunday, while Davidson had one assist.
When they step out onto the floor at the LEC, the three friends – who’ve played on the same team the last 11 years – will also make a little bit of local history as the first Rock alums to ever play in the prestigious tournament.
“It’s the biggest tournament possible, so we’re really excited,” said Bromley. “It’s our last kick at the can here – we don’t know what will happen next after this year – so we want to go out (on a positive note).”
The three Peninsula players met while playing for the same Semiahmoo peewee ‘A’ squad, and have come up the ranks together since, first with the Rock and then, in Intermediate ‘A’, with the Richmond Roadrunners.
Normally, they would’ve been broken up as they headed into junior ‘A’ – all three would’ve likely been drafted by different teams – but as luck would have it, their draft year was one of two seasons in which the BC Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League did not hold a draft, instead allowing individual players to join whichever team they chose.
The trio made a pact to play together – a commitment made easier when their Roadrunners coach, Greg Rennie – who also coached them in U19 field lacrosse – joined the Delta Islanders organization.
“We kind of poked our heads around the league, and we sat down and decided that Delta was the best place for us,” Bromley said.
They’ve had plenty of success on the floor together, having won gold and silver medals at peewee provincials; a provincial silver medal at the intermediate level with Richmond, and a provincial silver last year with the Islanders.
All three will graduate from the junior ‘A’ ranks after this summer – Andersen and Davidson are 21, while Bromley is 20 – and will move on to play at the senior ‘A’ level next year with yet-to-determined teams in the Western Lacrosse Association. The WLA draft is set for February, so unless all three are chosen by the same team, their lacrosse partnership will soon come to an end.
But regardless of what the future holds, Bromley and his fellow bleach-blond pals – the trio have been dying their hair blond for playoffs since they were nine years old – aren’t taking their unique situation this month for granted.
“I’m pretty confident in our chances – we have a very talented team this year. It would mean the world to me to be able to win the Minto Cup – an absolute dream.” he said.
“We’ve all been together for so long, and as lacrosse players, the Minto Cup is what you grow up dreaming about.”
