Portland Adanacs
Coach
GORDIE GIMPLE
A veteran of 11 professional lacrosse season coach Gordon Gimple of the Adanacs hold records to mark a distinguished career. In 407 games he spent only 94 minutes in the sin-bin. But has he ever been productive! Points that count: 433 goals, 417 assists, total 960, place him just behind such greats as Cliff Sepka, New Westminster Coach, Jack Bionda and Whitey Severson, currently a league referee.
A former B.C. University basketball forward he’s adapted basketball tactics and strategy to lacrosse.
ALEX CAREY
Age 31. Weight 185. Height 6’.
One of the few native Indian players left in lacrosse, Carey is also one of the best in the game.
Carey is one of the best stick-handlers in the game and is a deadly goal-scorer.
Carey started his career with Vancouver in 1957 and helped the Carlings to two Canadian championships before following long-time teammate Gordie Gimple to the Adanacs in 1965.
Alec is married.
JACK BARCLAY
Age 33. Weight 165. Height 5’10”.
A former Golden Gloves boxer, Black Jack is one of lacrosse’s most colorful players. He is the master of the over-the-shoulder back-hand shot and a great all-around stick-handler. The rugged forward has been plagued with injuries for the past two seasons. This year represents a comeback for him.
In 401 league games, Barclay has scored 389 goals and 233 assists for a life-time total of 621 points. He is also one of the most rugged customers in the league and his 1,030 career minutes in the penalty box are the third highest total in western lacrosse history.
Jack is married and has one child.
IVAN STEWART
Age 33. Weight 170. Height 5’10½”.
One of the game’s great veterans. He is making a comeback after sitting out last season.
The only negro player in western lacrosse, Stewart has blinding speed and a deadly shot.
He broke in with New Westminster in 1954 and helped the Salmonbellies to three Canadian championships before moving to the Adanacs in 1965. He was New Westminster’s most popular player in 1958 and 1959.
He has a career total of 279 goals and 116 assists in 348 games.
Ivan is married and has two children.
BERNIE BARNESKI
Age 21. Weight 190. Height 6’2”.
Bernie came to the Adanacs in a pre-season trade with Vancouver. A big, rugged rookie, Barneski is expected to add a lot of muscle to the Portland defense.
Portland coach Gordie Gimple is extremely high on Barneski as a prospect, so much that he gave up the rights to half of Adanacs’ junior farm team in Barnaby, B.C. to get him.
Barneski plays soccer in the off season.
He is single.
TOMMY McVIE
Age 32. Weight 175. Height 5’10”.
Tommy is an all-around lacrosse player at either forward or defense. Cool-headed, he is a good checker and a deft stick handler, passing well; always a scoring threat.
An all-around athlete (track, swimming and diving star as well as an outstanding hockey winger) Tommy teamed with Bionda to lead Nanaimo to two national lacrosse championship finals. The two ex-Bucks were also first All Star lacrosse mates.
MIKE GATES
Age 28. Weight 180. Height 6’2”.
Gates, nicknames Pearly, is the Adanacs’ workhorse. The lanky defenseman does everything for the club and had been its leading scorer for the past two seasons.
Two years ago he was the western scoring champion with 46 goals and 56 assists for a fantastic 102 points.
He played with New Westminster from 1961 until 1965 when he went to the Adanacs where he blossomed into one of the game’s top stars.
He has a total of 525 points (280 goals and 245 assists) in 173 career games.
In 1966 he was the league’s all-star defenseman and most valuable player. He earned the rookie award in 1961.
Mike is married.
GEORGE LONGMAN
Age 25. Weight 160. Height 5’9”.
A former junior Most Valuable Player award winner, Longman is in his third season with the Adanacs and coach Gordie Gimple is expecting him to break loose in the goal scoring department in Portland.
A soccer player in the off season, Longman has all the tools to make a fine goal-scorer. He is also a fine defensive player.
George is married.
JIM WATSON
Age 27. Weight 182. Height 5’11”.
Watson is a smooth veteran who bounced around western lacrosse for several seasons before catching on with the Adanacs. He started out in New Westminster then spent two seasons in Victoria.
Two years ago he came out of retirement to try out for the Adanacs. He won a berth on the club and has been a big asset ever since.
Watson came into his own last season, scoring 22 goals to almost match his career total of 54.
A smooth stick-handler, Watson could be a key figure in the Adanacs’ attack now that he has found his scoring eye.
Jim is married and had two children.
KERRY GALLAGHER
Age 21. Weight 160. Height 5’8”.
Kerry is making a comeback this season—at age 21. He broke into senior lacrosse with the Adanacs in 1966 after playing junior in New Westminster.
Last spring he suffered a broken shoulder during the western Canada junior hockey playoffs while playing with New Westminster and was forced to sit out the entire lacrosse season.
He is a classy little guy who should be in for a big season with the Portland club.
Kerry is single.
JOE COMEAU
Age 28. Weight 220. Height 5’11”.
Big Joe is another player who bounced around western lacrosse until finally catching on with the Adanacs.
Last season was Joe’s first as a regular netminder after serving as a backup with Vancouver and New Westminster. Joe made the most of his opportunity and was the league’s all-star goalkeeper.
In the 69 league games Joe has played since 1963, he has a shots stopped average of .764.
The burly netminder is a master of cutting down the angles.
Joe is married and has one child.
BILL BRADLEY
Age 27. Weight 180. Height 5’11”.
Bradley is one of the key men in the Portland club’s plans. He is probably the toughest checking defenseman in the league and is also a fine goal-scorer and playmaker.
He spent two seasons in Victoria before moving to Coquitlam Adanacs in 1965. In 1966 he had his biggest season, scoring 35 goals and 25 assists and winning a place on the west’s first all-star team.
He was hampered by several injuries last season but was still named to the second all-star team and was named Adanacs’ most popular player by fans in Coquitlam.
He has a six-year career total of 139 goals and 103 assists.
He is married and has one child.
MERV SCHWEITZER
Age 29. Weight 170. Height 5’11”.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Merv is an expert at subtracting scoring chances of opposing forwards. One of the best goalkeepers in the game, Schweitzer is another Portland Adanac making a comeback this season.
Merv is also a fine basketball player and a former semi-pro soccer goalkeeper.
Merv is married.
JOHN ALLEN
Age 24. Weight 165. Height 5’11”.
John is one of the most traveled players in lacrosse. He played junior lacrosse in Victoria, B.C. and played seven senior games in 1964. He played in Ville St. Pierre, Quebec in 1965 and 1966 and won the scoring race there in his second season with 68 goals and 44 assists.
Last season he returned west to the Adanacs in the world’s toughest lacrosse league and scored 18 goals to earn the west’s rookie of the year award.
Allen is single.
RON PEPPER
Age 21. Weight 175. Height 5’10”.
A hustling rookie brought up in the New Westminster Salmonbellies’ minor system and lured away by the Adanacs prior to this season, Pepper, a tireless hustler, has been bothered with knee injuries for most of his junior career. A post graduate student at the University of British Columbia, Pepper is also an outstanding hockey player. Ron is single.
GORDON JAKUBEC
Age 26. Weight 205. Height 6’2”.
A rugged, hard-hitting defenseman, Jakubec was lured away from the New Westminster Salmonbellies and is expected to give the Adanacs some much-needed muscle on defense. Jakubec played three years with the Fishmen. Gordon is married.
RON BODNER
Age 25. Weight 220. Height 6’1”.
Noted for his bone-shaking checks, Ron will add heft and authority to the Adanacs’ defense. A senior lacrosse player since 1962, he has scored 68 goals and 42 assists for a point total of 110 points in 171 games.
JACK BIONDA
Age 34. Weight 217. Height 6’0”.
A phenomenal stick handler in both hockey and lacrosse the ex-Buckaroo “policeman” is noted for his skill and agility, his scoring feats in the latter game.
In 223 league games Jack scored 497 goals, 358 assists and in 73 playoff games 144 goals and 103 assists, He holds a season record of 144 points in 29 games—a record which may stand until eternity.
DOUG WALLSMITH
Age 28. Weight 170. Height 5’9”.
Wallsmity is going into his first full season with the Adanacs. He came to the A’s late last season after spending seven years with the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
A good all-around athlete, Wallsmith could be a key figure in the Adanacs’ success this season. He is one of the shiftiest players in the league and will be a big help to Portland if he regains his scoring eye.
He has a career total of 107 goals.
Doug is married and has two children.
(from the Portland Adanacs 1968 game program)