Hey sports fans. How are things? You managing to stay on top of things with all these schedule changes happening? If you’re not sure when the Blazers are back in action, be sure to keep tabs on us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Or just send a message to assistant captain Lorne Sam.

Shout out to the – spoiler alert - St. Louis Blues on their Stanley Cup Championship. What a story. Hopefully we’ll be congratulating the Toronto Raptors soon too. Dudes with good attitudes for sure, hey? Sports.

Anyway, let’s talk lacrosse. Did I mention the Blazers have been plagued by injuries? Holy smokes. We were supposed to be in action back on June 1 up in Duncan against the Rats, but Blazer Nation had to instead take their first loss of the 2019 VSLL season, by forfeit. It was the first time the Blazers had ever been on the wrong end of a forfeit loss, and was a dark day for the dudes with good attitudes. The Blazers have been playing without Adam West-Patrick, Trenton Douglas, Lance Griffiths, Gord McLean, Jake Rave, and Joe Seward – all missing time due to injury. By the time you factor in other guys needing to miss time due to life commitments, it’s been hard for the dudes to pull together enough guys to field a team.

Did I say let’s talk lacrosse? OK – let’s talk lacrosse. The Blazers have been in action twice since their fateful forfeit loss, and both times put together stellar efforts at both ends of the floor which resulted in some lopsided wins. The Blazers torched the Cowichan Rats 8-2 last week, and followed that up with a big 9-3 win over the Wsanec Arrows on Tuesday. Both performances were before ravenous Esquimalt crowds of somewhere just below 500 people out at Archie Browning Sports Centre.

Among the wildest fans was Blazers celebrity fan Jonathan Frakes, who has been visiting Esquimalt on vacation from Calabasas, California. Frakes is probably best known as the voice of David Xanatos in the animated Disney television series Gargoyles from 1994-1996.

“Yeah, I was definitely there,” Frakes said. “And yeah, I was a voice actor in Gargoyles. But why on earth are you so focused on Gargoyles? You do know I was also the star of an incredibly prolific TV series, right? Do you not know my work? I was Commander Riker, my dude,” Frakes added, in reference to some sort of space project he claims to have also been involved with. “I mean seriously, the show was an enormous success. You don’t know Star Trek, The Next Generation? Wow. Well, anyway, the games were great. If you weren’t there, you missed some fast paced action and some compelling storylines. I’d compare them to some of the famous Star Trek TNG storylines, but apparently you wouldn’t get much out of that comparison. Anyway - to those who read this, definitely get out to check out the games. They're free, and super fun.”

VSLL MVP Cody Boon was sensational offensively for the Blazers, as was VSLL Top Goaltender Rob Wood in the crease for the good guys – just like they always are. Veteran defenders Gord McLean and Jarred Robinson have been huge midseason adds. Jeremy Bell keeps putting up important points, along with Michael Bedard and Kyle Bronson. The Blazers are firing on all cylinders, the only question so far seems to be how many cylinders their engine is going to have on a given night.

Despite their success, the Blazers look ahead to a brand new test tonight, when they match up against the significantly upgraded Super Jokers, a squad formed by a merger of the Jokers and Tugmen. The Super Jokers are coming off a win over the #2 seed Cowichan Rats. Faceoff is at 7:30 at Archie Browning Sports Centre in Esquimalt. Admission is free, so come check it out!

We’d love it if you considered “going green” on your way to the rink – which is easily accessible via a major bus route, bicycle lanes, or bring some friends and carpool!

Love and gratitude to Bin 4 Burger Lounge! Bin 4 is the official burger joint of Blazer Nation, offering the classic gastronomic icon, the hamburger, with a gourmet touch. You can find Bin 4 locations in the Greater Victoria Area. Also, try their spots in Vancouver and Kelowna! Yum. bin4burgerlounge.com

Big thanks to SVN Fuel Supplements for giving the good guys the strength and energy to succeed on the lacrosse floor. With shops in Victoria, Nanaimo, the Lower Mainland, and across BC, it’s easy to get the supplements you need with Fuel. You can find their products (and coupons!) here: svnfuel.com

Shout out to TJS Drywall, the official drywaller of the Dudes With Good Attitudes™. Got a drywall job? Reach out to TJS Drywall! Call them at (250) 507-1580.

Respect to Rave & Son Plumbing, the official plumber of the Friendly Neighbourhood Victoria Blazers™. Need a plumber? Contact Rave & Son Plumbing! Call them at (250) 588-3169.

Lastly, thanks to Bro Brick, who creates a range of exclusive, manly scented soaps, and a new line of Chick Bricks! Each Bro Brick is handmade using canola, palm, coconut and sunflower oil. These classy Edmonton-based guys also donate soap to homeless shelters. Check them out! thebrobrick.com

Wanna sponsor us? Your brand/products/services could be featured here! Contact us for details! victoriablazers@gmail.com

For more information about the Blazers, check us out at the links below:

Instagram: @victoriablazers

Facebook: @victoriablazers

Twitter: @victoriablazers

Blazers website: victoriaseniorlacrosseleague.com/view/vsll/teams/victoria-blazers-1 

Photo courtesy of local photographer Kasey Eriksen. Thanks Kasey! You can find more of her work here: kaseysphotos.com. 

#lacrosse #yyj #victoriabc #saanich #esquimalt #songhees #langford #colwood #vancouverisland #duncan #cowichan #growthegame #creatorsgame #dudeswithgoodattitudes