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Junior C Bandits finalize roster for 2014 lacrosse season

May 5, 2014   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart
With the start of the Junior C lacrosse season only a week away, the Caledon Bandits are putting the final players in place to fill the roster for the 2014 campaign.
“We’ve had two try-outs prior to this one,” said Bandits head coach Mike Gillan at the start of the Club’s third session last Tuesday (April 22). “We’ve just affiliated with Brampton Junior B, the Excelsiors. Now we’re waiting for them to make their last cuts. Then we can start to piece together out team.”
“We want to leave some cards open,” he added. “The first two try-outs were to get the rust out. We weren’t exactly looking, but we were running them and getting a preliminary look in terms of numbers and what we have.”
The Bandits can sign 23 players, including two goalies.
There are 12 returning players who are eligible to sign this season, but as with all clubs, even returning players aren’t guaranteed a place on the team — they still have to earn it.
“There’s lots of spots to fill,” Gillan said. “The door’s wide open. We lost two players because they moved up to Junior B, and one we lost because of school. Three of our highest scorers are gone. One graduated, so he’s done. One is playing Junior B, and one is at school in Waterloo.”
Gillan said he is “looking for intensity” in the players the coaching staff will be selecting to fill the roster.
“At this level, you don’t have to be the best player on the floor,” he observed. “It might be a cliché to say it, but I want to see that you’re willing to make this team — you’re not walking to get some water, you’re not walking between drills — you’re working hard, showing intensity, showing that you want to be part of my team. If you want to be part of my team, I do what I can to put you on it.”
The team was scheduled to have the final try-out day Tuesday (April 29).
The league has expanded this season with the addition of teams from Oakville and Six Nations to make it a 17-team league with 10 squads playing in the West Division, including Caledon, and seven teams battling it out in the East Division.
There is a new venue for the Bandits this season, at least for the first six home games. They will be playing at the Albion-Bolton Community Centre. Their usual venue at Mayfield Arena is undergoing repairs to the roof, necessitating a switch to the in-town arena.
Gillan said they hope the change will bring in more people to the games since there are a lot more potential fans living nearby.
The Junior C Bandits first home game is schedule for this coming Tuesday (May 6), when they will host Fergus in Bolton.
Game time is 8 p.m.

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