Busy summers have become the norm for Casey Wilson, and not at the beach or barbecues. He’s got no time for those.
No sooner had his Denver University Pioneers lost to the Georgetown Hoyas in the game to qualify for the NCAA tournament that he made his Western Lacrosse Association debut last week for the Victoria Shamrocks (2-1) and will play his second career Senior A game tonight in green against the Coquitlam Adanacs (0-2) in The Q Centre. He leaves for San Diego on June 17 to represent Canada at the world field lacrosse championship before re-joining the Shamrocks later in the WLA season.
It follows an equally hectic 2022 in which Wilson won the silver medal with Canada behind the champion U.S. at the world U-21 championship in Limerick, Ireland, before playing for the Victoria Junior Shamrocks in the Minto Cup national Junior A championship tournament in Brampton, Ont.
Wilson moves up to the Senior ’Rocks as one of the super class of rookies, joining former Junior Shamrocks teammates Patrick Dodds, Denton MacDonald and Cam Dunkerley.
“Our Junior Shamrocks class was so talented and deep,” said Wilson, a Claremont Secondary graduate, who is working toward his masters of science degree in business data and analytics at Denver University.
“We were so tight in junior and now being rookies together in the WLA takes it to another level,” said the defender Wilson, 22, of the Shamrocks’ emerging faces of the future.
“There’s an incredible atmosphere in The Q Centre and we love playing in front of these fans. The fans in Denver at Peter Barton Stadium are tremendous, too, and I am so fortunate to play in front of two great fan bases.”
From club to country is another level again.
“Anytime you put on the Maple Leaf jersey is special,” said Wilson.
“It was special for me last year in U-21 and will be again this month with the senior national team. It gives you such extra motivation when you are representing your country.”
Brother Max Wilson is also on the Shamrocks, but the NLL Halifax Thunderbirds pro is currently out with a separated shoulder. Max is two years older than Casey and they pushed each other growing up.
“We were very competitive and tried to one-up each other,” said Casey Wilson.
“But we are also each other’s best supporters and are proud of each other’s accomplishments.”
Wilson looks to be a sure-fire NLL pro, too, but can’t make that jump until his NCAA career is over in two years at Denver.
“We have big hopes of making the NCAA tournament,” said Wilson, who his heading into his junior season.
From playing in the world championships with Canada and in potential NCAA Final Fours with Denver and Mann Cups with the Shamrocks, the horizon looks broad and bright for Wilson.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
