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Fifth pick Braylon Lumb leads Cowichan trio at WLA draft

Junior B players Robertson and Martin also selected
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The B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League’s leading scorer in 2018 was among three Cowichan Valley products who were selected in the Western Lacrosse Association draft last Thursday.

Braylon Lumb, who led the Victoria Shamrocks and the BCJALL last year with 103 points on 57 goals and 46 assists last, went fifth overall to the Nanaimo Timbermen. Two more players, who spent last season with the junior B Cowichan Valley Thunder, were picked in the eighth round: Steven Robertson, 51st overall by the Burnaby Lakers, and Taylor Martin, 54th overall by the Timbermen.

Coming off a brilliant junior A season, it was obvious that Lumb would be drafted, but until Nanaimo called his name, he didn’t know where his rights would land.

“I talked to them and a couple of other teams before the draft started,” Lumb recalled. “I really had no idea where I was going to end up. At the same time I would have been happy to end up on any team in the WLA, as it had been a lacrosse dream of mine ever since minor lacrosse.”

Lumb was pleased to end up with the Timbermen, who finished third in the seven-team WLA last season.

“I’m very happy that I get to stay on the Island,” he said. “Obviously, playing with the Shamrocks for the past five years, it’s hard to change from green to red, but I think we have an up-and-coming young team with plenty of talent and will absolutely be competing for WLA finals and Mann Cups in the years to come.”

Needless to say, the T-Men were pleased to land Lumb as well.

“He’s not just a pure outside shooter,” T-Men president Chris Bowman said. “He gets to those greasy spots on the floor and to finish 57 times in that 20-game schedule is huge,” Bowman said.

There will be a lot of familiar faces when Lumb starts training camp with the T-Men.

”Everyone that they drafted this year, I’ve either played with or played against for the past five years,” Lumb commented. “Taylor [Martin], I played all of my minor lacrosse with, basically. I went to school with Chase Fraser [Nanaimo’s leading scorer and the 2018 WLA rookie off the year] in the United States in Washington, D.C. for a year. And there are a couple of junior Shamrock graduates as well as Claremont graduates that I am friends with.”

Lumb was drafted by the National Lacrosse League’s Vancouver Warriors in the fall, but the league voided the pick because he still has NCAA eligibility, but he wasn’t dissuaded.

“Hopefully I play well with the T-Men,” he said “As I plan on re entering the NLL draft next year and hopefully land with a team.”

Lumb expressed his thanks to the Shamrocks organization, and his coaches, friends and family for their support throughout his junior career.

Robertson and Martin helped Cowichan win the junior B tier 2 provincial title last summer after winning several other provincial medals together during their minor lacrosse careers. Robertson is a tough shutdown defender, and Martin provides speed and a deft scoring touch.

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Taylor Martin was drafted 54th overall by Nanaimo. (Citizen file)
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Steven Robertson was drafted 51st overall by Burnaby. (Citizen file)