Kamloops Venom president Clark talks of reinvigorated club,

Kamloops Venom president Clark talks of reinvigorated club, Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League

The Kelowna Kodiaks will play host to Kamloops on Saturday, April 30, a 7 p.m. start at Rutland Arena, with the rematch slated for Sunday, May 1, a 5 p.m. faceoff for the Venom’s home opener at Memorial Arena

Marty Hastings     

President Doug Clark said his Kamloops Venom look to be rejuvenated after the pandemic pause and it appears the same can be said of the Thompson-Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League.

“It sounds like it’s really good,” Clark said. “Kelowna’s got a really good group. Vernon is strong, as usual. South Okanagan and Armstrong both seem like they’re ready to rock.”

Three years ago, the junior B circuit was down to three teams, with the Kelowna Raiders folding prior to the 2018 campaign and the Armstrong Shamrocks following suit in 2019.

Kelowna, now playing under the Kodiaks moniker, and Armstrong are back in the fold for 2022, rejoining the Venom, South Okanagan Flames and Vernon Tigers to round out the five-team league.

“It was painful, like for everybody else,” Clark said of inactivity during the pandemic. “When you’re driven to compete, whether it’s as an executive, player or coach, to have that taken away from you is very painful. It was a very slow to start, but as we started going and word started to spread, more and more kids just came back to the game. I think it’s probably just a result of them itching to play again.”

More than 35 players have participated for the Venom in pre-season practices and games. Final roster cuts are expected to take place on April 26.

Kamloops will begin the TOJLL season this weekend with a home-and-home set against Kelowna.

The Kodiaks will play host on Saturday, April 30, a 7 p.m. start at Rutland Arena, with the rematch slated for Sunday, May 1, a 5 p.m. faceoff for the Venom’s home opener at Memorial Arena.

South Okanagan bested Kamloops 3-1 in the 2019 championship series to win the TOJLL title for the first time in the league’s 20-year history. Both teams featured displaced players from the clubs that folded.

The Tigers and Venom met each season in the championship series from 2012 to 2018, with Kamloops posting a 4-3 record.