The Victoria Shamrocks stayed close to home for the 2012 Western Lacrosse Association draft, selecting the fluid-moving Karsen Leung from the Junior Shamrocks with the sixth pick overall.

That sigh of relief late Monday night from the draft site in Burnaby was from Shamrocks GM Chris Welch. Lower Mainland WLA teams haven't hesitated in selecting Island junior stars in recent years.

"Karsen is a top-six player, and there were no guarantees he would fall to us," said Welch.

Leung is finishing his senior season in U.S. collegiate NCAA Division 1 field lacrosse at Bellarmine University.

"He brings speed and athleticism," said Welch.

"Karsen can do it all. He can run the floor, create plays and score goals. This game is now all about speed and transition, and Karsen is an all-around talent in that regard."

Welch is also optimistic about his second choice — Mitch McLaren from Saanich.

"Mitch is definitely Senior 'A' calibre," said Welch.

"Seven of the nine players we drafted are local guys. It will be a good draft if two or three of them can step up and help us right away."

A total of 67 players were taken through 12 rounds.

The Nanaimo Timbermen also stayed with Island talent, selecting Cody Bremner from the Junior Timbermen with their first-round pick and seventh overall. Bremner, a bruising physical performer but with offensive skills, is a former B.C. Hockey League player for the Victoria Grizzlies and Nanaimo Clippers who opted to play college field-lacrosse in the Ivy League for the Cornell Big Red.

Both Leung and Bremner are graduates of Claremont Secondary.

The Coquitlam Adanacs selected first and took six-foot-two, 210-pound Travis Cornwall from the Minto Cup national finalist Junior Adanacs, also the seventh pick overall in the pro 2011 National Lacrosse League draft by the Calgary Roughnecks.