Pacific Northwest Junior Lacrosse League
| Sport | Box lacrosse |
|---|---|
| First season | 2001 |
| Commissioner | Chris Shortt |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  Canada |
| Most recent champion(s) | Nanaimo Timberman (2024) |
| Most titles | Peninsula Falcons |
| Official website | PNWJLL |
The Pacific Northwest Junior Lacrosse League, or PNWJLL is a Junior B Tier 2 box lacrosse league based in British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by the British Columbia Lacrosse Association. The league champion and runner up both compete for the British Columbia Junior B2 Provincial Championship.
History
Formed in 2001, the PNWJLL began as a five-team league. The inaugural season included Campbell River Ravens, Juan de Fuca Whalers, Nanaimo Jr. B Timbermen, Peninsula Falcons and Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles. The Timbermen were crowned the first league champion after an 11-3-1 season.
Expansion included one team for Season 2 as the league played with six teams for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Membership peaked in 2004 when eight teams competed. That number did not last as three teams (Juan de Fuc Whalers, Peninsula Falcons and Saanich Tigers) folded after the season.
The Westshore Bears were the first PNWJLL team to win a gold medal at the British Columbia Provincials in 2005.
In August 2013 the Saanich Tigers captured the league's second Gold Medal at the British Columbia Provincials, defeating host Burnaby Lakers 12-10. Saanich defeated the Vernon Tigers 21-15 in the opening game before falling to Burnaby 10-9 on Day 2. A 7-6 win over the Delta Islanders earned their place in the championship.[1]
Saanich repeated their Gold medal performance in 2015[2] winning all four games in the Provincials tournament held at The Q Centre in Victoria.
Teams
| Team | Centre | Arena | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell River Ravens | Campbell River | Strathcona Gardens Recreation Complex | 2017 |
| Nanaimo Jr. B2 Timbermen | Nanaimo | Nanaimo Ice Centre | 2008 |
| Oceanside Sharks | Parksville | Oceanside Place | 2019 |
| Saanich Express | Saanich | Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre | 2018 |
| Westshore Bears | West Shore | The Q Centre | 2004 |
Former teams
- Campbell River Ravens (2001-2012)
- Cowichan Valley Thunder (2002-2012; 2015–16; 2018)
- Juan de Fuca Whalers (2002-2004)
- Mid-Island Braves (2005)
- Nanaimo Jr. B Timbermen (2001-2004)
- Peninsula Falcons (2001-2006)
- Peninsula Warriors (2011-2013)
- Saanich Tigers (2004)
- Saanich Tigers (2011-2017)
- Saanich-Peninsula (2009-2010)
- Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles (2001-2012)[3]
League champions
| Season | Regular Season | Playoffs Champion | Runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Nanaimo Jr. B Timbermen | Juan de Fuca Whalers | --- | 11-3-1 |
| 2002 | Peninsula Falcons | Peninsula Falcons | Juan de Fuca Whalers | 12-2-1 |
| 2003 | Juan de Fuca Whalers | Peninsula Falcons | Juan de Fuca Whalers | 14-0-1 |
| 2004 | Peninsula Falcons | Peninsula Falcons | --- | 14-0-0 |
| 2005 | Westshore Bears | Westshore Bears | --- | 13-1-0 |
| 2006 | Peninsula Falcons | Peninsula Falcons | --- | |
| 2007 | Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles | Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles | Westshore Bears | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2008 | Westshore Bears | Westshore Bears | Campbell River Ravens | 2-1 (best-of 3) |
| 2009 | Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles | Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles | Westshore Bears | 2-1 (best-of 3) |
| 2010 | Westshore Bears | Westshore Bears | Cowichan Valley Thunder | 3-1 (best-of 5) |
| 2011 | Cowichan Valley Thunder | Cowichan Valley Thunder | Peninsula Warriors | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2012 | Westshore Bears | no playoffs | --- | 17-3-0 |
| 2013 | Saanich Tigers | Saanich Tigers | Westshore Bears | 3-1 (best-of 5) |
| 2014 | Saanich Tigers | Saanich Tigers | Westshore Bears | 2-0 (best-of 5) |
| 2015 | Saanich Tigers | Saanich Tigers | Westshore Bears | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2016 | Saanich Tigers | Saanich Tigers | Westshore Bears | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2017 | Westshore Bears | Westshore Bears | Saanich Tigers | 3-1 (best-of 5) |
| 2018 | Cowichan Thunder | Cowichan Thunder | Westshore Bears | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2019 | Westshore Bears | Westshore Bears | Saanich Express | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
BC Provincials
PNWJLL teams have had success competing in the British Columbia Junior B Provincials, earning medals on several occasions.
Medal history
| Year | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Westshore Bears | Gold |
| 2009 | Victoria-Esquimalt Eagles | Bronze |
| 2010 | Westshore Bears | Silver[4] |
| 2012 | Saanich Tigers | Bronze[5] |
| 2013 | Saanich Tigers | Gold[6] |
| 2015 | Saanich Tigers
Westshore Bears |
Gold
Bronze |
| 2016 | Saanich Tigers | Bronze |
| 2017 | Westshore Bears | Bronze |
| 2018 | Cowichan Thunder
Westshore Bears |
Gold
Bronze |
| 2019 | Sannich Express | Silver |
See also
References
- ^ "2013 Provincial Schedule". West Coast Junior Lacrosse League. 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Saanich Tigers Win Gold In British Columbia Provincials". The Lacrosse News. 3 August 2015.
- ^ "Canadian Lacrosse Almanac" (PDF). Old School Lacrosse. January 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "2010 Provincial Schedule". West Coast Junior Lacrosse League. 1 August 2010.
- ^ "Tigers restore growl with bronze at Jr. B provincials". Victoria News. 10 August 2012.
- ^ "Saanich Tigers win junior B provincial championship". Victoria News. 9 August 2013.