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Vancouver Warriors

Warriors' Season Culminates with Record-Breaking Performances

May 1, 2024 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release


While the Vancouver Warriors may not have finished the season the way they wanted to with a playoff berth and a run at the NLL Championship, there were plenty of positive signs and many personal milestones that were hit in the process.

The individual accolades are the results of the perfect storm of a new coaching staff, players that bought in and playing a selfless brand of lacrosse.

If you ask the team what was important to them, they all respond that the team record is the only thing that matters, but the individual accolades are the result of their hard work.

Never one to focus on his own personal achievements, Warriors' forward Keegan Bal is one of seven on the team who reached career milestones and was happy for his teammates who either had great rookie campaigns or had incredible growth in their roles.

"I think we have a lot of talent; we have people who want to be there and work super hard and do things the right way. It's just good to see everyone get rewarded," Bal said.

With a new coaching staff and 13 new players, it took time for the group to learn the system and each other and for so many players to achieve career highs and have success there are many factors that contributed.

"It's a little bit of everything. I think guys are putting in the work outside of our practices and games. They want to get better, and we have an incredible coaching staff in Curt [Malawsky, Bob [McMahon] and Rob [Williams], they're all incredible coaches and I think they put us in really good positions to succeed."

There's a list below of the players who reached career milestones this season.

Keegan Bal

Bal had a career-high 105 points, 49 goals and 56 assists.

With 49 goals on the season, the right-shot forward set a franchise season record, surpassing Jeff Zywicki (2008) and Rhys Duch's (2016) previous record of 48 goals. Getting shots on goal is key and he had a career-high of 199 this year - tied for seventh in the NLL.

"With time in the league you learn little nuances of the game and continue to work on your craft. I shoot with Christian Del Bianco (Calgary Roughneck goaltender and 2023 NLL MVP) every week in the mornings and train in North Van with Brian Gillis. He (Gillis) keeps my body in good shape and just being able to have live reps on one of the best goalies in the world is super helpful as well," Bal said.

Bal's 105 points tie him for seventh in the NLL with Jesse King and Will Malcolm. Bal's surpassed his earlier career-high of 99 points (44G, 55A) set in 2022 by six points.

The Coquitlam, B.C. product scored eight goals against the Philadelphia Wings in Week 17, which was the second time in his career he's scored eight goals in a game. He is just one of two players in NLL history since 2005 that have scored eight or more goals on two or more occasions.

Bal finished the season second in power play goals scored with 15 through 18 games.

"It takes a ton of commitment to keep yourself in shape, to work out every week before or after work, to go to rehab, do rehab on your own, watch film. It takes a lot of commitment so we wouldn't be doing it unless we absolutely loved it, it consumes me every week. So that's why missing the playoffs does sit with you," he said.

Adam Charalambides

Charalambides took a massive leap in his third year in the NLL, amassing a career-best 37 goals and 61 assists for 98 points.

He exceeded last year's point total by 39 points - 16 more goals and 23 assists.

Two seasons ago, after the Logan Schuss injury and Mitch Jones trade, Charalambides assumed the top lefty role and he said it was a learning curve. This season, Charalambides and the coaching staff were on the same page that to play to his potential he was going to have to take a step, but with the confidence of the coaching staff behind him it gave him the confidence to go out and be a dawg on the floor.

"I'm really grateful Coach Malawsky came to Vancouver and brough an elite staff that expects you to play great and expects you to get better each week. It was honestly a blessing to be around that culture because it was something we clearly lacked in Vancouver my first two years there," Charalambides said.

"I really just fell in love with the game again this year and playing the right way. It's pretty special when everyone is working for the best shot and no one's looking for their shot. We really found that sauce on the offence, that special sauce I like to call it, when the chemistry's really jelling and we're sharing the ball."

Charalambides talked about the relentlessness of the team and everyone giving just that little bit extra that helped them elevate as a team and become a playoff contender.

"It's definitely a step in my career, but that team record is the only one that matters and missing the playoffs just by a tiebreaker has got us really hungry to take another step next year so that's all I'm focusing on," he shared.

Ryan Martel

Martel had a breakout season, putting together a 73-point performance - his first five NLL seasons combined for a total of 64 points.

He had 34 goals and 39 assists, also shooting a career-best 116 shots and had 63 loose ball recoveries.

Malawksy has coached Martel four of his six years in the NLL and feels the difference in Martel's game has to do with his overall maturity.

"Marty's got to the middle of the floor and Marty never has any fear and now, when he doesn't get to the middle he says 'Coach, I should have got to the middle', so he's understanding his type of game, he's a good athlete, he's got great feet, he's got great anticipation and he can score in tight so he's had a great season for us," Malawsky said.

The 27-year-old scored in some of the most acrobatic ways earning the nickname Air Marty from the Warriors social team.

Owen Grant

Grant said from the start of the season he felt he couldn't be around a better group of veteran defencemen to learn from and he soaked up every ounce of knowledge he could, having a rookie season for the books.

The former University of Delaware standout led all rookies in forced turnovers with 25 and led the league with four short-handed goals.

His 14 points, 8 goals and 6 assists place him 10th among NLL rookies (second rookie defenceman) and tying for sixth with teammate Reid Bowering and Patrick Kaschalk among all NLL defencemen.

With eight goals, he's third among NLL defencemen tying him with Kaschalk and Mitch De Snoo. He's tied for fourth (with Patrick Kaschalk) among NLL defencemen with 24 shots on goal.

"Owen Grant is very special. He's going to be one of the best defenders for years and years and years in this league," Bal said.

Grant was the Gatorade Rookie of the Week in Weeks 4 and 18. In Week 4 he had a hat trick on three shots on goal and seven loose balls collected, and in Week 18 he scored one goal and picked up four loose balls.

Riley Loewen

Loewen is one of those players that makes those around him better.

He notched a career-high 52 points, was fifth among Warriors' forwards with 15 goals and a career-high 37 assists.

In the same game that Bal had his eight-goal night against Philly, Loewen had a career-high 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists). He also potted a hat trick in a win over the Buffalo Bandits.

"He's such a good player and the little things he does for an offence are huge. Every week when we watch film and go over plays, he's always in the right place, he's always doing the right thing. He does a lot of very unselfish things on offence that get other people open or open the floor. He's a treat to play with," Bal said.

His teammates love him and Loewen won the Warriors' Unsung Hero award this season.

Ryan Dilks

Dilks garnered praise throughout the season from his teammates and coaches of being one of the best defenders in the NLL.

He finished the season first in the NLL and franchise history with 46 forced turnovers. Tyler Garrison (2014) and teammate Matt Beers (2017) held the previous franchise record with 36 caused turnovers in a season.

Dilks' teammates see him as a leader on the back end, helping mentor the younger defencemen coming up the ranks. The 33-year-old won the Warriors' team awards for Best Defenceman and Teammate of the Year, as well as sharing team MVP with Keegan Bal.

"I've been saying it for years, but I think Ryan Dilks is the best defender in the NLL. I don't think he gets the credit that he deserves, and he proved it once again this year," Bal said.

Matt Beers

Beers is the franchise leader for loose balls, collecting 915 through his 11 years spanning the Washington Stealth, Vancouver Stealth and Vancouver Warriors.

Eric Martin (848) and Ian Hawksbee (847) previously held the franchise record.

Bal has been a teammate with Beers for five seasons with Vancouver and says the veteran defender is "incredible".

Attendance Record

The Warriors had record-breaking attendance numbers all season, with their highest attended game on January 13th as 11,432 fans came out to watch the highly anticipated matchup between the Warriors and Malawsky's former club, the Calgary Roughnecks.

They had an average of 9,732 fans per game and in some of those tight games, the Warriors fed off the energy from the crowds.

"The fans have been outstanding. It really helps, we love every one of them that comes out and we hope they keep coming. I've said before if a family of four wants to spend their hard-earned money, we want to make sure they're getting their money's worth, it matters to us," Malawsky said.

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