Jesse King returned home to Victoria late Sunday night, after his Victoria Shamrocks teammates had dropped their second straight game of the young Western Lacrosse Association season.
It was a bittersweet return to the Island for the 22-year-old, coming off a fabulous year at Ohio State University — his final NCAA field lacrosse campaign with the Buckeyes.
“It was fun. We had a really good team and a lot of guys bought into our system. We had a really good freshmen class and our senior class, they all stepped up in an amazing way and I was just happy to be a part of it,” Kings said of his season.
He was more than just that, leading the team in goals with 42, assists with 35 and, of course, points with 77 in 19 games. The Buckeyes made it to the quarter-finals, losing to eventual NCAA champion Denver.
“We beat them earlier this year. They’re a very good team. Playing them in Denver at Mile High Stadium — it’s a tough thing to do, beat them there, especially with how well they are coached.”
Now ready to rejoin his Shamrocks teammates in tonight’s 7:45 encounter against the Burnaby Lakers at The Q Centre, King can look back on a wonderful collegiate career and take pride in what he’s accomplished.
“It was good,” he said of his last hurrah. “I thought I did a better job with leadership; my voice was to stay more positive and keep my mind focused on the things that I could control. That’s big, especially in field lacrosse, not so much in box lacrosse, because it’s a little more team-oriented, I think.
“I was lucky enough to play aside some really good guys. I got my looks this year and buried them, whereas maybe I wouldn’t have in the past,” added King who was named a third-team All-American in his campaign.
“It’s an honour. It’s not something, I think, that you pursue. It’s just nice to get caught in the crossfire. I was happy to get back to the NCAA tournament for the second time in my career and it’s something I will not forget.”
He competed in that prestigious event with the Buckeyes in his sophomore year when Logan Schuss was also with the team.
“I’ve got one more semester, but playing wise, my college career is over. It’s kind of sad,” said King, the graduate of the Claremont program. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet that I won’t be playing, going back in the fall and getting ready for practice.
“But I’m happy to start moving on with my life, happy to hopefully get drafted in the NLL draft and happy to be back in Victoria. You miss this place so much when you leave.”
So now he focuses on the WLA and joins his Shamrocks teammates, along with the Harnett brothers, Jon and Greg, who returned to the team from the Calgary Roughnecks. Both were at practice on Wednesday with King and Co.
Fellow Roughneck Daryl Veltman was not on hand but is expected to play tonight when the 0-2 Shamrocks face 1-0 Burnaby. Dan MacRae, also of the Roughnecks, will join the Shamrocks in mid-June.
“We’ve got a lot of guys living in Victoria permanently with good jobs and it’s nice to be back,” said King. “It’s a good locker-room, not too many disturbances and I’m just excited for it all.
“I don’t like to look too far ahead. Just like I told the guys, I don’t want to look past Burnaby on Friday, being back in Victoria for the first time for me. But obviously, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking about that Mann Cup, especially how close we’ve come the last couple of years.
“We think we have the talent and the team that is focused to achieve that this year and I can’t wait to get started.”
Unlike last season when he had to return to Ohio State and did not compete in the national Senior A championship. He’s now no longer tied down by the NCAA so he will be free to play it, should the team qualify.
The team, however, is winless in two outings, coming off an overtime loss in Nanaimo last Sunday.
“You always look at adversity and how a team responds in a moment of adversity and I think that [today] we’ll prove that we’re not a team that backs down to something like that and that we’re a team that will step up and have a great season, just like we always do,” insisted King.
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