The Red Deer Rampage have high hopes for the 2018 Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League Junior B Tier I season.
After going all the way to the national championship final last year, known as the Founders Cup, head coach Trey Christensen said Wednesday that’s once again the focus in 2018.
“It’s been an adjustment. Guys are in gear. Last year obviously we were very successful. Guys came in with a lot more motivation off the start,” he said.
“Going into the year with the confidence of we belong and even we need to be better because we want to win it all. That’s the mindset the guys have been coming in with so we’re really excited.”
The roster that went 17-3 last season is largely intact, with only a five players moving on from the group that was the second best in the country at the end of 2017. Although team leading scorer Dustin Bell will not return, Connor Shantz and Teren Christensen, who combined for 48 goals last year are back.
Shantz had 25 goals and 79 points in 20 regular season games last year and was a first-team all-star at the Founders’ Cup.
Ben Arifin, Aidan Wilson, Tristyn Zarubiak, Elijah Johanson, Jeremy Klessens, Austin Wells, Landon Willoughby, Dawson Reykdal, Kaden Christensen, Sheridan Cook, Logan Clarkson, Riley Woytas and goalie Jared Ferguson are also back in the mix.
“We’re still one of the youngest teams in the league but we have a ton more experience. All our young guys have that Founders’ experience under their belt,” the head coach said.
Christensen also added as they’ve progressed through tryouts and training camp, the team is starting to understand the effort and attitude it will take to make a trip back to the national final.
“It’s about what makes us the best team at the end of the year. Those first games and knowing that we need to get better each and every day,” he said.
“The first bit was an adjustment, everyone wanted everything clicking on all cylinders at once. Now they realize it’s a process and we’ll just keep going with it.”
They’ll open the season on April 28 against the Olds Mavericks, who made the jump up from Tier II to Tier I this season. Christensen said that won’t affect his group, just add some more competition closer to home.
“Just means we have a closer rival to home, hopefully, we can welcome them into the league with a bang,” he said.
The first home game for the Rampage is April 29 at 8 p.m. at the Kinex.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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