‘We’re here to win the Mann Cup’: Dickson
PMC fans will be cheering against high flying scorer this time when his Burrards face the Lakers for the Mann Cup
It seems like destiny that Curtis Dickson’s return to the Mann Cup would come in Peterborough.
Dickson was loaned to the Lakers for two seasons by the Western Lacrosse Association’s Maple Ridge Burrards who let him chase a dream to win the Mann Cup. Both years he was with Peterborough they reached a Mann Cup final out west losing in 2015 to the Victoria Shamrocks then winning it last year against the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
During his absence the Burrards became a force in their own right winning the WLA title in 2016 only to lose to the Six Nations Chiefs.
Having accomplished his goal last year with Peterborough, Dickson returned to Maple Ridge and led them with 37 goals in the regular season and 28 more in the playoffs.
The stars aligned when Maple Ridge and Peterborough won their respective leagues to set up a dream matchup at the Memorial Centre starting Friday at 8 p.m.
“You could kind of see it shaping up especially when it got later on in the playoffs,” Dickson said, Thursday afternoon at a press conference at the Best Western Otonabee Inn.”
We were playing well through our playoffs. We got our full team back right before the playoffs and started building chemistry and won the west. You knew Peterborough, at the very least, had a great shot of coming back to the Mann Cup and obviously they did that. It was kind of destiny.”
Dickson admits playing in Peterborough again crossed his mind a few times.
“I knew it would be pretty cool to come back and play on the other side of the floor and have the fans cheer against you. I know how passionate and fantastic the fans here are. It’s going to be fun and a packed arena. I’m looking forward to it.”
He’ll battle against players he’s used to battling alongside.
“It’s different, but, at the same time, playing lacrosse you experience that year-round, You’re playing with some guys in the winter and then in the summer you’re playing against them. I’ve already played against the majority of these guys in the winter.
“But it will be different being out on that floor wearing an opposing team’s jersey and sitting on the opposing team’s bench. It will feel a little strange especially in that first game.”
Dickson is curious to see how fans receive him.
“I loved it here. These fans are so passionate and knowledgeable. I’m looking forward to that but they are passionate and they’re only going to cheer for me for so long. Until, hopefully, I start putting the ball in the net and then I might hear the boobirds come out.”
While Dickson came to Peterborough to chase a Mann Cup, he said it was always a hope of his to win one with Maple Ridge.
“This team drafted me nine years ago and we had some tough times those first few years I was there. We weren’t all that great. Seeing this team turn around and where they are now and the success they’ve had even after I left,” he said, “is pretty incredible. We are happy to be here but our motto is this is a business trip. We’re here to win the Mann
Cup.”
He said the Burrards drafted well and built through youth.
“As Peterborough knows very well, when you do well it’s easier to get guys and more enticing,” said Dickson. “We had Mitch Wilde come this year from Brooklin and added pieces like that. We’ve built from the back-end out. Having Franky (goalie
Frank Scigliano), a two-time goalie of the year out west, helps. He’s a fantastic goalie.”