Three Semiahmoo Rock alums picked in Western Lacrosse Association draft

NICK GREENIZAN Feb. 12, 2021 12:00 a.m. SPORTS

A trio of Semiahmoo Rock alums are moving up to the senior ‘A’ men’s ranks after hearing their names called at the Western Lacrosse Association draft.

The senior ‘A’ box lacrosse circuit held its annual selection of graduating junior players Thursday night, with Aidan Ellis being the first Semiahmoo product to hear his name called – by the Langley Thunder, with the seventh pick of the second round.

Following Ellis, Dawson Bancroft was selected by the Maple Ridge Burrards with the sixth pick of the fourth round, and Calvin Hafner was drafted with the first pick of the fifth round by the Coquitlam Adanacs.

Ellis, who was drafted out of the Delta Islanders junior program, is the son of former Semiahmoo Rock president Randy Ellis, who passed away unexpectedly in 2019 at 61 years old during a Tough Mudder race in Las Vegas, while participating with his son, Connor.

Of the three WLA draftees, Ellis was the only one who was never drafted into the junior ranks – Bancroft and Hafner were selected in the 2016 BC Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League draft, by New Westminster and Port Coquitlam, respectively. Instead of jumping directly into the junior ‘A’ ranks, Ellis played at the Intermediate level with the Richmond Roadrunners, before playing junior with Langley and eventually, Delta.

Pat La Roue – a friend of Randy Ellis whose sons also played lacrosse in Semiahmoo – told Peace Arch News Friday that the Aidan is “developing into a solid lacrosse player with an ideal attitude and terrific physical range.”

“Aidan will have a great (senior ‘A’) career. His dad would have been so proud… I know we are,” La Roue said.

La Roue added that Bancroft and Hafner are both “aggressive, gritty players.”

The WLA does not yet have a schedule for the 2021 season, although on draft night league commissioner Paul Dal Monte said it would be released by the end of the month, “with the hope of gaining clearance (from the Provincial Health Authority) to return to play at some point this summer.”