Last month was a record-breaking one for Semiahmoo Rock Lacrosse.
On Jan. 26, the Peninsula association saw six members from its 1997-born midget A2 team selected in the 2014 BC Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse draft – by far, the most ever Rock players selected in a single year.
Carter Dickson was the first off the board, going third overall to the New Westminster Salmonbellies – who made a number of draft-day trades in order to move into the third spot to pick him – and he was quickly followed by Mason Pomeroy, who went ninth overall to the Burnaby Lakers; Davis Goodman, who went 14th, also to Burnaby; goaltender Jesse Young, 23rd to the Delta Islanders, Bowen Stauffer to the Coquitlam Adanacs and Sam Ransier, who went 47th to New West.
“In other good years, we might have one, maybe two players, picked, but nothing like this,” said Troy Dickson, father of Carter and also coach of the team that, last summer, captured a provincial midget championship.
Dickson said he was surprised that so many players were chosen, but not because they aren’t worthy talent-wise, but only because he figured they had not perhaps got the same exposure as players from larger clubs.
“For a small association like Semiahmoo… this is a huge accomplishment,” he said. “But they’re all very deserving of it.”
Carter Dickson, who attended the draft in Port Coquitlam, admitted to some nerves prior to hearing his name called, even though he’d heard he would likely be a first-round pick in the eight-team league’s draft.
“I was still pretty nervous,” he said.
“But it was really great. It felt like all the hard work over the years just paid off.”
The six drafted players have played together since they were five or six years old, so Carter expected it to be strange next season when they have to square off as rivals.
“Yeah, there will be a big adjustment, for sure,” he said.
The six players will now attend training camps with their respective teams, and the season begins in April.