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Vancouver Warriors

Vancouver Warriors Ready for Season with Home Opener Around the Corner

November 29, 2023 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release


It's a new year for the Warriors with key returnees and a strong free agency class.

Vancouver signed a veteran netminder and added a bunch of veteran defencemen to bolster the back end for the upcoming season and they've got some returnees that are equally as impressive.

Forwards

Keegan Bal is back and will be a big part of the Warriors' offence this season. Last season he led the team in points (34-53-87) goals, assists, power play goals, power play points and shots on goal. He also collected 67 loose balls through 17 games. The six-year veteran with the Vancouver franchise has some built-in chemistry with fellow forward Kevin Crowley, and defencemen Matt Beers, Ryan Dilks and John Lintz.

Crowley, who played with Bal on the New Westminster Salmonbellies, has 351 goals, 470 assists and 821 points in 183 regular season games and 56 points (22-34-56) in the playoffs. The right-hand forward is a decorated NLL All-Pro First Team, Second Team and All-Pro Rookie Team bringing a wealth of experience and veteran leadership.

Adam Charalambides is back for his second season with the Warriors. The 2021 first-round NLL entry Draft pick scored 59 points (21-38-59) through 17 games last season.

Kyle Killen returns to bolster the right side of the offence for his third season with the club. Last season, Killen was second on the team in goals (29) and fourth on the team in points (29-23-52). Through 59 NLL games he's tallied 181 points (106-75-182).

Left-side forward, Marcus Klarich is coming off his first season with the team. Klarich had two points (0-2-2) in three games last season. With his ability to score and distribute, there's a lot of upside with his game coming into his second season.

Riley Loewen is back for his fourth season with Vancouver, having played for Malawsky in Calgary from 2017-2019. A fantastic playmaker, he's racked up 331 points (128-204-331) through his nine-year NLL career.

Ryan Martel comes into this season with five years of NLL experience and the Aldergrove, B.C. native has amassed 64 points (32-32-64).

Coquitlam product James Rahe enters his fifth season with the franchise, the right-handed forward cleaning up 176 loose balls.

Pitt Meadows product Dylan McIntosh joins the Warriors' practice roster this season after spending his first year in the NLL with the Calgary Roughnecks. McIntosh had two assists in two games last season with Calgary. He also plays senior A lacrosse in the Lower Mainland with the Maple Ridge Burrards.

Defencemen

Matt Beers is back with Vancouver this season after two years away; the former Warriors captain returns to Vancouver after a stint with the Saskatchewan Rush. In his 12-year NLL career (10 of those with Vancouver) he's appeared in 193 regular season games and the right-side defenceman has scored 131 points (29-102-131) and has 602 penalty minutes. Defensively Beers has registered 1001 loose balls and 210 turnovers caused.

Returnee Reid Bowering led the Warriors defencemen in scoring last season with 17 points (5-12-17) and was second among NLL defencemen for loose balls last season (210). The 2021-2022 NLL Rookie of the Year Finalist is not afraid to sacrifice his body and was second in the NLL for blocked shots last season (22).

Steph Charbonneau was acquired midway through the season last year from Philadelphia. The left-side defender has 286 loose balls through four NLL seasons and 39 points (14-25-39) through 63 games played.

Veteran defender Ryan Dilks joins the Warriors from the Rush last season. The perimeter shutdown defenceman is a three-time NLL Champion (2015, 2016, 2018) and has recorded 101 points (30-71-101) and 713 loose balls.

Owen Grant was selected in the first round, 3rd overall, in the 2022 NLL Entry Draft and spent last season at the University of Delaware. He appeared in 18 games for the Blue Hens, collecting ten points (7-3-10) and setting the program record for most caused turnovers in a season (38). He brings size, speed and athleticism to the defensive group.

Anthony Kalinich is back for his third season with Vancouver and his sixth in the NLL. Through five seasons he's collected 115 loose balls, 56 penalty minutes and caused 22 turnovers.

Left-side defender Tyson Kirkness played three games in his first season with the Warriors and comes into his second season part of the practice roster. Through three games he collected six loose balls, six penalty minutes and three caused turnovers.

Brayden Laity was the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft. He thrives in one-on-one matchups and was named defensive player of the year in back-to-back years in the BCJALL and once in the ALL West. He played for the Port Coquitlam Saints and Victoria Shamrocks in the BCJALL and for the Langley Thunder in the WLA.

Lintz has played 12 seasons in the NLL and is part of the veteran group brought into the fold this season. He's collected 472 loose balls and amassed 143 caused turnovers throughout his career.

Brett Mydske is back with Vancouver for his third season. Last season he had 110 loose balls and 10 points (1-9-10) in 18 games. He's a three-time NLL champion with the Rush and was part of the 2015 Team Canada World Box Lacrosse Team.

Jackson Suboch enters his junior season in the NLL and his second year with Vancouver. In 11 games last season, he collected 17 loose balls and has 79 penalty minutes.

Right-side defender Chris Willman is coming into his fourth NLL season with 32 games under his belt and 121 loose balls collected and a .416 faceoff percentage.

Goalies

Aaron Bold enters his 18th season in the league and his third with the Warriors. The netminder is a two-time NLL champion and the 2016 NLL Cup MVP, winning with the Saskatchewan Rush. He has a regular season career win-loss record of 83-54 and 96-63 including playoffs. He knows what it takes to backstop championship teams and be a mentor for the young upcoming keepers.

Aden Walsh was the starter for the Warriors last season, seeing 427 minutes of action and posting a save percentage of .704 through 16 games.

Connor O'Toole was the Warriors' 18th overall pick in the 2023 NLL Entry Draft and is on the practice roster. O'Toole played this past season with the Brampton Jr. Excelsiors and in 19 games he boasted a .823 save percentage and 8.82 goals-against average. His goals against average placed him fifth among goalies with at least 10 games played.

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