While the Rochester Knighthawks own the distinction of being the hottest team in the Eastern expanse of North America, the Western-based franchise laying claim to that highly sought-after point of nobility is undoubtedly the Vancouver Warriors. Entering Week 20 winners of four straight games, the 9-7 British Columbians look to keep the party bumping amid a sojourn to Toronto for a big city Canadian matchup, as part of NLL Friday Night on TSN.
In the wake of victories over the likes of Albany, Buffalo, Georgia and the aforementioned Rock, the Vancouver organization finds itself on the verge of securing its first postseason appearance since all the way back in 2017. Thanks to the convergence of skill on the front end, back end, and coach’s box, the Warriors may have finally discovered the formula for success.
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“I think we’ve just come together at the right time,” shares star forward Keegan Bal. “Our offense is scoring by committee, and I really believe that we have the best defense in the league, and now we have the best goalie in the league. That gives us guys up front a ton of confidence to go out there, take some chances, play a little bit freer and a little bit faster. I think that’s helped our game quite a bit.”
Bal has served as the driving force behind the Warriors’ offensive attack this season, engraving 39 goals and 61 assists to his sterling resume, following a 2023-2024 campaign in which he established a franchise record 49 goals, paired with a robust 56 assists. Dating back to 2019, the Lake Erie College alum has never finished a season with less than 74 total points in his back pocket. His current 100-point barrage places him only six combined scores and helpers from establishing a career high.
Competing in his eighth NLL season, the Coquitlam, British Columbia native credits his long-lasting level of success on the unshakeable mind, body and soul passion he continues to hold dear concerning the Creator’s Game.
Georgia Swarm @ Vancouver Warriors at Rogers Arena
“First and foremost, I have a love for the game, I genuinely love what I do,” proclaims Bal. “It makes getting up in the mornings, training, watching the film and just doing everything that you need to do much easier when you thoroughly enjoy it. My attitude is enjoy the process, enjoy the journey, and just continually learn and try to get better, try to improve. I think that approach has allowed a lot of other professional players, in their respective sports, to play for a long time and at a very high level.”
Keegan Bal and the @VanWarriors have been on FIRE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/f0JXttCLd7
— NLL (@NLL) April 10, 2025
Bal’s offensive prowess has perfectly harmonized with the arrival of the man he earlier dubbed the best goalie in the league. Since the March 10 transaction that sent Christian Del Bianco to the Warriors, in exchange for Brayden Laity and a series of picks, Vancouver has yet to lose a game. That’s right! The squad’s four-game unbeaten streak perfectly coincides with the 2023 NLL MVP donning the goalie pads via a home locker space at Rogers Arena.
When the topic of CDB shows itself in a conversation with Bal, the 6’1 forward is nothing short of effusive in his praise.
“Del Bianco’s numbers and play speak for themselves,” gushes Bal. “He gives us so much confidence, whether it’s on the front end or the back end. We don’t really have to grip our sticks as tight if things aren’t working for a shift, a five-minute period, or even a quarter, because we know he’ll make timely and big saves.”
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The 25th pick in the 2013 NLL Draft further noted what the dawn of the Del Bianco era has meant to the Warriors behind closed doors.
“In terms of the locker room, he’s an outspoken guy who’s won at every level. When he talks, guys really listen. He’s very calm, never too high, never too low. He has a lot of belief in himself and the team. I think that’s been really important for us,” divulges Bal.
While the immediate impact of the 2019 NLL champion goaltender is unmistakable, Bal is quick to sing the praises of Aden Walsh, the 24-year-old netminder who stood between the pipes during 11 of Vancouver’s first 12 games this season.
“Aden Walsh played outstanding this year. I don’t think he was our issue at all. If you look at his numbers, they were really good all year. It’s funny how crazy young he still is. At only 24, he has so much more lacrosse left. He’s been a great teammate since getting Christian. It’s really nice knowing that your backup is a legit starter in the NLL, not many teams have that,” analyzes Bal.
The Warriors have been in the habit of making splashy acquisitions throughout the past couple of seasons. 20 months prior to Del Bianco’s departure from the Calgary Roughnecks, Vancouver lured Curt Malawsky away from the Scotiabank Saddledome bench, hiring the NLL championship player and coach as the team’s new head coach/general manager. Malawsky’s impact has been immediate and profound, leading his hometown team to an 8-10 record in his first go-around behind the boards, followed by this year’s 9-7 showing.
Seals vs. Warriors, March 7, 2025 – Photo credit: Alexis Goeller
“Coach Malawsky is a true lead-by-example type of person,” beams Bal. “He’s not going to ask you to do anything that he didn’t do in his career, or he’s not going to ask you to do anything that he wouldn’t do now. His preparation is second to none. Going into a practice or game, you know that he’s going to be extremely prepared, and he’s going to have a plan for exactly how we attack almost anything in the game that could pop up. From a player standpoint, it’s amazing knowing your coach pretty much has an answer at all times for anything. If you look across and see your entire coaching staff working day in, day out, tirelessly, how are you not going to do the same?”
Approaching a decade with the Vancouver NLL franchise, Bal is ecstatic when assessing the commitment put forth by the Aquilini family and Canucks Sports & Entertainment, in the hopes of taking the Warriors to the next level of accomplishment. In addition to Del Bianco and Malawsky, big names like Ryan Dilks and Kevin Crowley have also landed on Canada’s Pacific Coast during the last couple of years.
“It means everything to know that management, coaches and ownership, they’re going to do whatever it takes to put us in a position to win,” states Bal.
Bal has spent the vast majority of his life in British Columbia’s lower mainland, attending high school at Coquitlam’s Centennial Secondary School, while currently living year-round in the region as a 33-year-old professional athlete. For the man born on New Year’s Eve 1991, playing lacrosse in his beloved birthplace means significantly more than just the next game on the schedule.
“Greater Vancouver has been a hotbed for lacrosse going back as far as I can remember. Lacrosse has always meant a lot to this community, and for us to build a perennial winner, that is what Vancouver and the region deserves. That’s all we’re trying to do.”
