How do you stop a player nicknamed “Superman” because of his near-unstoppable moves around the crease area?
“Maybe we’ll try kryptonite,” said Victoria Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes.
Curtis Dickson, described by many as the best current lacrosse player in the world, leads the Maple Ridge Burrards into The Q Centre tonight at 6:30 for Game 1 of the best-of-seven 2018 Western Lacrosse Association final against the Shamrocks.
Dickson returns to the Burrards after three seasons in Ontario Senior A box lacrosse with Peterborough, leading the Lakers to the 2017 Mann Cup national title over the WLA-champion New Westminster Salmonbellies.
His six-foot-two, 215-pound frame belies his darting quickness around the crease. Slippery as an eel, Dickson had 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in just four games as the Burrards swept the 2018 regular-season champion Salmonbellies 4-0 in the semifinals. New Westminster must be seeing Dickson in their dreams, make it nightmares, about now.
One of the reasons the Burrards slid to the fourth seed was that Dickson was missing for much of the latter part of the WLA season as he played for silver-medallist Canada last month at the 2018 world field lacrosse championship in Israel. He was well on his way to winning the WLA scoring title with 37 goals and 61 points in just 11 games before being called away for national team duty. Dickson came to know the field version of lacrosse well while leading Delaware to its only NCAA Final Four appearance in 2007 during a standout four seasons with the Blue Hens. On the pro lacrosse floor, Dickson led the NLL Calgary Roughnecks in scoring this season.
“Dickson is going to get his points. You can’t stop him . . . you have to limit him,” said Shamrocks sniper Casey Jackson, looking ahead, after the Shamrocks dispatched the Nanaimo Timbermen 4-1 last week in the semifinals.
Dickson knows the Shamrocks well, having lost the 2015 Mann Cup national final to Victoria as a member of the Peterborough Lakers at The Q Centre.
The Coquitlam product spent his first five seasons with Maple Ridge in the WLA but was not involved, however, the last time the Burrards and Shamrocks met in the WLA final in 2016. Dickson was still with Peterborough in 2016, but missed that entire Senior A summer season due to an injury incurred over the winter in the NLL with the Roughnecks.
Maple Ridge won that 2016 WLA final, as the Burrards advanced to the Mann Cup national final for the first time since 1990.
The Shamrocks are in the WLA final for the sixth consecutive year, having lost in five games last season to the Salmonbellies.
The 2018 final promises to be explosive in terms of offence. Saskatchewan Rush NLL scoring star Ben McIntosh had 10 goals and 19 points for the Burrards in the semifinal sweep of New Westminster.
“If Dickson is Superman, then McIntosh is Batman. They are the dynamic duo for Maple Ridge on the right side,” said Heyes.
“But Maple Ridge is a strong team on both sides, so it’s vital we have to respect their left side, too.”
Victoria is equally as potent on offence. NLL Toronto Rock pro Rob Hellyer has six goals and 24 points in five games, Jackson 12 goals and 19 points, Jesse King seven goals and 19 points, rookie Tyson Gibson nine goals and 18 points and veteran Rhys Duch eight goals and 15 points.
Unusual for lacrosse, much of Victoria’s scoring comes from left-side shooters such as King, Jackson and Chris Wardle.
“Both these teams have offensive weapons that can wipe each other out,” said Heyes.
“So it’s going to come down to goaltending, defence and transition.”
Crease play has been outstanding for both teams with Frank Scigliano of Maple Ridge, named WLA top goaltender of the season, recording a downright-stingy 6.37 goals-against average in the semifinal sweep of New Westminster. Adam Shute of Victoria doesn’t have Scigliano’s reputation but maintained a strong 7.20 goals against average through five playoff semifinal games against Nanaimo.
“Another key is composure and not taking penalties because both offences are so good on the power play,” said Heyes.
The second game of the final is Sunday at Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge, the third game back at The Q Centre on Tuesday and fourth game next Thursday at Cam Neely. All games start at 6:30 p.m.
BOXLA BITS: Kaleb Toth of the Timbermen was the overwhelming choice as WLA coach of the year in leading Nanaimo to the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons. . . . Logan Schuss of the Salmonbellies was named WLA most outstanding player for 2018 and teammate Mike Messenger best defensive player.
