The newly relocated Knights of Airdrie played an exhibition game in Crossfield April 18, losing to the Calgary Junior A Mounties club 6-5.
Head Coach Gareth Barley used the matchup to assess some of the younger players on the team, as he left seven of the veterans off the roster.
ìThe game score wasnít something we were too concerned with. We dressed the most inexperienced guys we could,î said Barley. ìSome players worked their way off the roster last night, some players worked their way on.î
The team, which will begin its regular season at the Plainsman Arena in Next month, Airdrie is trying to whittle its roster down to 26 players before the season begins.
ìThere are eight first-year players trying to make the team. We were looking for some leadership out of the older guys,î said Barley. ìIt was kind of what we suspected, the veterans were the top scorers on the team, but there were some rookie surprises too.î
There are two more exhibition games planned with the next taking place on April 21 (after press time) in Blackfalds against two-time Rocky Mountain Senior Lacrosse League champions the Edmonton Outlaws.
ìWe are expecting a good game from them, they have picked up six or eight players from the draft, and four of five of them will make their team,î said Barley. ìWe will be dressing our older guys for that game. They (Outlaws) are fast paced with lots of speed, but they are smaller in size than us.î
While the team is still looking to set a final roster, Barley is excited for the season because the core group of Knights has been together for a number of years, and even spent some time in the off-season together.
ìThere is a lot of talk about coming back to Airdrie. A lot of the guys came out early for off-season training, we are seeing how close the team is from last year,î said Barley. ìEverybody has the same motto, we are not finishing second, we are winning a championship.î
