Pioneers Win League Championship

Photo Credit Steve Erickson

A win and you’re wasn’t the case for game two of the WCSLA championship as the Ladner Pioneers hosted the visiting Victoria Shamrocks in a two game series winning both  by scores of 9-4 and 13-2.

The win has them advance to the 2024 Presidents Cup which ironically the Pioneers are hosting at the Ladner Leisure Centre hitting the turf August 25 to August 31st.

The win see’s the Pioneers pull off the League Championship as well as the Provincial Championship which for my money isn’t any surprise.

First you should know that this was made possible and saw all of the user groups of the Ladner Leisure Centre working together for the past couple of years all orchestrated by the City of Delta.

The Pioneers won all 16 regular season games finishing with 310 goals while allowing a minimal 74 with 244 PIM’s advancing to face first the North Shore Indians in round one.

The three game series saw them outscore the North Shore Indians by 42 to 21 advancing to face the Shamrocks who defeated the Nanaimo Timbermen finishing the season with a record of 10-5-1 scoring 170 GF allowing 121 sitting in the “sin-bin” for 198 PIM’s.

Regardless of the Victoria Shamrocks loss in the final WCSLA series it’s important to know that they are also representing BC as the second representative for the President’s Cup who might just shock some.

It’d be a dream come true if the final championship saw both the Pioneers square off against the Victoria Shamrocks for top supremacy.

Getting through the playoffs saw the Pioneers play a five game series scoring 64 goals allowing 27 while the Shamrocks had a three and two record scoring 39 GF allowing 49 along with 41 PIM’s.

Hosting the Presidents Cup has been a “labor of love” for the Pioneers who are looking at repeating for another championship for the City of Delta for a league that has five teams with the New West Salmonbellies eliminated from playoff action.

There is no question that the team is as I was told “stacked with talent” starting from the  crease out with Christian Del Bianco between the pipes who finished with a 5.40 GAA along with a .866 SV%.

Moving forward he’s the least of the worries for the opposition with the Pioneers having snipper Mitch Jones in the line-up finishing the playoffs with 12 goals and 14 assists with Spencer Bromley a close second.

The Shamrocks had Jack Bowie as one of their snipers, finishing the playoffs with 3 PPG with a Goals For Average of 7.8 with a PP sitting at 27% and a PK of 50%.

The weekend series saw both teams fight BC Ferry traffic and if you live on the coast you know what I’m relating to which can be tough regardless of the time you book your reservation.

Sunday’s game saw the Pioneers pull off another WCSLA Championship advancing with according to John Burr “Have lots of work to do before the opening face-off” which has everyone working hard to pull this off.

If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets reach out to John Burr.

The excitement is growing in the Delta and you’ve only got a couple of weeks to make plans.

Do you know where you’ll be from August 25th to August 31st.

We do!!!