The Ladner Pioneers will have home floor advantage for the 2024 President’s Cup.
For just the third time in franchise history and the first time in 27 years, the national senior “B” lacrosse championships will take place at the Ladner Leisure Centre.
The week-long tournament features champions from various leagues across the country playing each other in a round-robin format and culminates with the bronze and gold medal games. The Pioneers are defending champions having prevailed last year in Edmonton and are the overwhelming favourite to represent B.C. again at this year’s event in Oakville, Ont.
The tournament typically takes place in late August or early September, meaning the Vancouver Giants’ training camp will have to be re-located.
The club had earlier received approval from the City of Delta before submitting its bid.
The Pioneers have been pursuing the hosting rights for some time and were poised to host the 2022 championships until the pandemic put everything on pause for two years.
“It’s good to get it over with and the planning can now start,” said Pioneers head coach Ross Frehlick. “From my perspective that won’t happen until we get back from Oakville in September, but we will be watching and learning what they do. Some tournaments are better than others and we can pick out what they do great and bring them here.”
One of the ideas already being tossed around is laying down turf over the concrete floor of the LLC. As a tenant, the club would need approval from the city given the arena is also used by other user groups.
“We don’t know if it would be possible but putting carpet down is something we will look in to. The (Edmonton) Miners had the (Calgary) Roughnecks’ old carpet for last year’s tournament. From a financial standpoint it has to make sense.”
The Pioneers closed out their regular season schedule with a 20-3 win over the North Shore Indians on July 13 to lock up first place with a 13-1 record.
The night was highlighted by the jersey retirement pre-game ceremony for goaltender Rob Cook who played a remarkable 28 seasons in Ladner.
He becomes just the fifth player to receive such honour in the franchise’s rich history, joining Ed and John Schuss, Ross Frehlick and Tim Winter.
He was the President’s Cup MVP when Ladner won its first-ever title back in 2004.
