42 - Wednesday, May 5, 1999 - North Shore News north shore news @ SPORTS NEWS photo Paut NeGrath A North Shore Selects’ player eclipses a Surrey United Heat opponent in the Under-i6 final at the Nike Coastal Premier Cup for Boys in Swangard Stadium on Saturday. Surrey advanced te July's pravinctal championship with a 3-2 win. indians open what Bob Mackin News Reporter THIS is turning into a year of fasts for the North Shore Indians lacrosse club. Chief Simon Baker, the fast remaining member of the Indians’ legendary Depression- era team, was honoured April 27 at the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame’s annual induction ceremony. Tonight at 8 p.m., the 1999 version of the storied club will hit the floor at Lonsdale Arena to begin what may be its final Western Lacrosse Association season in North Vancouver. The match against the Coquitlam Adanacs is among six at the rink through July. Four other “home games” are scheduled for Kelowna and two in Vernon. Indians’ owner Wayne Baker wants to move the team into a new 7,500-seat arena in Kelowna in 2000. Before that happens, he wants his ream to take first-place in the six-team circuit this summer. The reason for the move is simple. Wayne Baker says there are too many Lower Mainland lacrosse teams chasing fans who have too many summertime entertainment options. A crowd of 200 fans for a regular season game at Lonsdale Arena is the norm for the Indians, a franchise that costs up ta $150,C00 a year to operate. Until last last year, most of the bills were paid by the Squamish Nation band Now Open Saturdays Only ilam- 4pm JACKETS, QuicTeD BOMBERS, FLEECE VESTS, fnchton/eather, chikirenvadults 1703 Wench STREET, Norm VANCGUVER 980-2491 council. Without that support, Wayne Baker and his family have to pick up the tab on their own. So far, radio stations in Vernon and Kelowna have signed-on to broadcast the games. And there's $100,000 of worth of sponsorship com- mitted. “I can’t afford to spend any more out of my pocket. [ was spending $40,000 a year. My wite, she’s going to leave me if T spend any more money on lacrosse!” Baker jokes. That Baker would fund his Tonight: passion is really no surprise. Canada’s national summer sport may as well be in the genes of his clan. Virtually every mate member of the extended Squamish Nation family in North Vancouver has plaved the fastest sport on two fect since,early this century. Warne Baker’s uncle Simon is the only living link to the Indians’ team that drew crowds of 10,000 to Vancouver's Denman Arena. When the building was destroyed by fire in 1936, the Indians finished the season at the Pacitic witlam Adanacs vs Indians, Lonsdale Arena Friday: Indians @ Burnaby Lakers, Copeland Arena May 11:@ Maple Ridge Burrards, Planet Ice; 12 vs. New Westminster Salmonbellies, Lonsdale Arena; 19: @ Victoria Shamrocks, Memorial Arena; 22: vs. Victoria (@ Kelowna); 27; @ New Westminster, Queen’s Park Arena; 29: vs. Maple Ridge (@ Kelowna) June +. @ Burnaby, Burnaby Lake Arena; 3: vs. Victoria (@ Kelowna); 9: vs. Coquitlam, Lonsdale Arena; 15: @ Maple National Exhibiton’s Forum. A western championship earned them a tip to Toronto where they faced Orillia Terriers in the Mann Cup national championship. The Indians didn’t return from Maple Leaf Gardens with the trophy, but they did leave an impression on arena owner Conn Snvthe. The Indians’ Passing prowess — inspired Smythe to apply the same for- mula to his Maple Leafs’ hock- ey club. Baker didn’t make the trip. His season ended early because Soccer selects battle NORTH Shore Under-i4 Selects lost a heartbreaker at the Coastal Premier Cup soccer finals on Friday. The Selests and North Delta Cnited tied 3-3 in regu- anon and were scoreless in overtime. North Delta pre- veiled ina 4-30 penalty kick shootout. Fernando Sepulveda Was plaver-of-the-game for the Selects, the most outstanding and most sportsmantike team ina weekend of matches at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium. In other finsls: | North Shore U 15 2 Vancouver Cin, F.C. 1; Surrey United Heat 3 North Shore U-16 2; Metro Ford Grasshoppers 3) North Shore U-17 2: Metro Ford Juventus 2 North Shore U-18 1. Five local teams were at the Coastal Premier Cup tor girls in Coquitlam. Four brought home tophies. North Shore U-19 1 Surrey FC Martins 0; North Shore U-17 2. Cliff Avenue Sparta 0: North Shore U-13 Runnin® Rebels 3 Abby All-Stars 2 OT; North Shore U-14 1 Richmond Tigers 0; Golden Ears Extreme 5 North Shore U-16 4. Winners play July 8-11 in Surrey for the provincial championships. ay be last NV season of a back injury in a car crash. It happened as he raced home from his job as a longshoreman at Ballantyne Pier before a game “It was the biggest disap- pointment I had. f had been plaving a good season, I was really playing hard and J was in shape. You had to be in them da The all-aboriginal roster had six Bakers, including Simon’s older brothers Ray and Henry. The elder Bakers were See Baker page 43 Ridge, Planet Ice; 16: vs. Burnaby, Lonsdale Arena; 19: vs. Maple Ridge (@ Kelowna); 23: vs. Coquitlam, Lonsdale Arena; 26: @ Coquithm, Coquitlam Arena; 30: vs. New Westminster, Lonsdale Arena. July 8: @ New Westminster, Queen's Park Arena; 10: ve. Maple Ridge (@ Vernen); 14: @ Victoria, Memorial Arena; 17: vs, Victoria (@ Vernon); 21: vs. Burnaby, Lonsdale Arena; 24: @ Coquitlam, Coquitlam Arena; 29: @ New Westminster, Queen’s Park Arena; 30: @ Burnaby, Copeland Arena (Ad games are at 8 p.m.)