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Okanagan lacrosse leagues ready for regular season

Vernon Tigers (x2), and Armstrong Shamrocks begin junior and senior league play this weekend
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The Thompson Okanagan Senior Lacrosse League begins its 2019 regular season Friday with the Vernon Tigers (blue) marking their return to the league after a six-year hiatus playing the Rattlers in Kamloops, and the Armstrong Shamrocks host the Kelowna Raiders - back after a year off - at the Nor-Val Sports Centre at 8 p.m. (Morning Star - file photo)

The Vernon Tigers and Kelowna Raiders mark their official return to the Thompson Okanagan Senior Lacrosse League by starting on the road.

The Tigers will visit the Kamloops Rattlers and the Raiders head up Highway 97A to the Nor-Val Sports Centre to take on the Armstrong Shamrocks. Both games are Friday night as the league kicks off its 2019 regular season. Both games start at 8 p.m.

Vernon makes its return to the league after a six-year absence while Kelowna comes back after a year off.

The Tigers, Shamrocks and Raiders took part in a mini icebreaker pre-season tournament in Armstrong, each team playing the other two in a pair of two-period, 20-minute running time games. Kelowna went 2-0, Armstrong 1-1 and the Tigers 0-2.

RELATED: Armstrong, Vernon renew senior boxla rivalry

Armstrong, the defending league champion, has announced that veteran forward and leading scorer Brett Hawrys will return to the club for the 2019 season.

The Tigers’ home opener will be Friday, May 3, at 8 p.m. at Kal Tire Place against Armstrong.

* The Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League also kicks off its regular season this weekend.

The loop is down to three teams after the Armstrong Shamrocks announced they were taking a leave of absence for one year due to lack of player commitment.

The defending champion Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Tigers will open their season with a pair of road games against the other two squads. Vernon plays the Venom in Kamloops Sunday, in a rematch of last year’s playoff finalists. The Tigers swept the Venom.

Vernon plays the South Okanagan Flames in Penticton Monday.

Each team will play 14 games in the regular season, seven each against the other two squads.

RELATED: Vernon Tigers split icebreaker games

Vernon went 1-2 at the Archie Jack Memorial Icebreaker in Armstrong, the league’s annual pre-season tune-up. Vernon beat South Okanagan, but lost to Kamloops and the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs from the West Coast Junior B League.

The Tigers’ home opener is Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m. at Kal Tire Place against Kamloops.



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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The defending champion Vernon Tigers will begin defence of their Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League title with a pair of road games. Vernon plays the Venom in Kamloops Sunday, and visit the South Okanagan Flames in Penticton Monday. (Morning Star - file photo)