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Shamrocks get infusion of players for WLA game against Lakers

Victoria hosts Burnaby on Friday night
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Casey Wilson will make his season debut for the Shamrocks on Friday night. (DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST)

The cavalry, clad in green and wearing a clover on the front, has arrived. The Victoria Shamrocks will be buoyed by an influx of veterans for tonight’s Western Lacrosse Association game at 6:45 in The Q Centre against the Burnaby Lakers.

Marshal King, Dallas Wade and Cory Conway return as does the more youthful Casey Wilson from the NCAA Div. 1 University of Denver, who will represent Canada in the world championship tournament this month in San Diego.

“We have gained a lot in veteran leadership and this week had our better practices of the year,” said Shamrocks head coach Mike Simpson, of the trio of King, Wade and Conway.

Conway, the assist artist known as the Steven Nash of lacrosse, has been one of the best ball distributers in lacrosse and returns in green after ­several seasons away.

“Cory is like a point guard, for sure,” said Simpson, of the former NLL pro and NCAA Div. 1 Stony Brook player out of Stelly’s Secondary and from Brentwood Bay.

The Shamrocks and Lakers are both rebuilding and have started the season at 1-1 and 0-2, respectively.

But if the Shamrocks think tonight will be a pushover game, they better disabuse themselves of that notion, warned their bench boss.

“We have to match Burnaby’s effort level,” said Simpson.

“They are young likes us, perhaps even younger, but they work hard. We have to work hard to defend home floor.”

Meanwhile, the Nanaimo Timbermen (1-1), who made the WLA final last season for the first time since 1968, play the defending league champion Langley Thunder (2-1) on ­Saturday evening at 5 p.m. in Frank Crane Arena in a reprise of the 2022 WLA final.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com