Victoria Shamrocks Inject More Youth for 2018

May 23, 2018

Victoria, BC – On the heels of a strong 2018 Western Lacrosse Association Draft which produced some high quality local talent, the Victoria Shamrocks are pleased to announce that they have acquired four high calibre graduating junior A players from the Ontario Lacrosse Association and the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League in Alberta.

Tyson Gibson joins the Shamrocks from the Ontario Junior A League where he was a first team all-star the last two seasons after finishing 3rd in league scoring in 2016 and 2nd last year. The 6’1” 190-pound righthander finished his five-year junior A career with the Brampton Excelsiors with 232 goals and 295 assists for 527 points in 134 regular season and playoff games. Gibson currently attends Robert Morris University where he is teammates with Danny Smith and Zac Christianson. He is the son of Darryl Gibson who won 5 Mann Cups with the Brooklin Redmen and Peterborough Lakers.

Mack Mitchell joins Gibson in moving west from Ontario this summer. The 6’3” 205-pound lefthanded defender was the captain of the Orangeville Northmen in the Ontario Junior A League in 2017 and he played for the Vancouver Stealth in the 2018 National Lacrosse League season.

Brett Craig moves across the Rocky Mountains to Victoria from Calgary where he was named the Alberta Junior A Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 with the RMLL champion Okotoks Raiders. The 6’6” 230-pound lefthander was highly sought after by several WLA teams and is expected to be taken early in the National Lacrosse League when he finishes school at Seton Hill University next year.

Derek Lloyd joins Craig in moving from Alberta to Vancouver Island. He was the Transition Player of the Year in the RMLL with the Calgary Mountaineers in 2017 and joined Craig after the Raiders picked him up for the 2017 Minto Cup Tournament. The 5’9” 190-pound lefthander is currently in his junior year at Stony Brook University.

“We’re really excited to inject more youth in our lineup this year,” said Shamrocks General Manager Chris Welch. “Tyson, Mack, Brett and Derek are all strong, fast and skilled. They all had outstanding junior careers and that has earned them the opportunity to show what they can do at the Senior A level.”

The Victoria Shamrocks open the 2018 season at home on Friday night, May 25th against the Burnaby Lakers. Pre-game tailgate party starts at 5pm, faceoff at 7:30pm. Season and single game tickets available at victoriashamrocks.com.