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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2009 41 PHOTOS BY HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER FEELIN' SATISFIED: Boston Blazers' Dan Dawson (left) and brother Paul (right, in white), pictured in action against the Toronto Rock, are optimistic about the long-term potential of their National Lacrosse League expansion team. The Blazers are 8-6 so far in their inaugural season and have only six players on their roster over the age of 25. Dawsons anticipating successful lacrosse future in Boston By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF H aving played on three teams in three years, Dan Dawson's career seems to fit the typical profile of an expansion team player. Most of Dawson's teammates have plied their trade looking to establish themselves as regular contributors in the National Lacrosse League. But Dawson is not a young player looking to make his mark or a veteran on the downside of his career. He is one of the league's premier offensive players in his prime, one of only two players (Colin Doyle is the other) to score at least 80 points in each of the last five years. Dawson's nomadic existence has had more to do with being a victim of circumstance. After Dawson led Arizona to the NLL final in 2007, the team suspended operations and Portland selected him first overall in the league dispersal draft. Dawson's outstanding play carried the Lumberjax to the final, but when Arizona announced it was closing shop for good, Dawson was on the move again as the team's former players were again subject to a dispersal draft. That's when the expansion Boston Blazers snapped up Dawson with the first pick. "Some things you can't control. I'm not going to dwell on it," Dawson said. "I've been living out of a lacrosse bag for six years, but that's the life I chose and it's been a great life. But I'm 27 and at some point you have to get on with life." That doesn't mean Dawson is going considering retirement, but he would like to settle down in one city and start pursuing his non-lacrosse career as a fireman. And in Boston, he may have found a place to put down roots. The Blazers have not looked like an expansion team, thanks in large part to Dawson's 92 points, a total that ranks second in the NLL. Boston is 8-6 and tied for second place in the East Division. The team also benefited from picking up 2007 goaltender of the year Anthony Cosmo in a separate dispersal draft of Chicago's players. Up front, Dawson has provided leadership to a young group that includes first overall draft pick Daryl Veltman, Matt Lyons and former Oakville Buzz junior B star Brenden Thenhaus, who has "I've been living broken through out of a lacrosse with a 20-goal campaign. bag for six years, "They've really but that's the life I adapted well to the chose and it's NLL," Dawson been a great life. said. "Some of But I'm 27 and at these guys never got a full shot to some point you play in the league. have to get on They've used that with life." as motivation and it's great to see Dan Dawson them excel." Also in the process of adapting is Dawson's Boston roommate, his brother Paul. Now in his second year as a defender after making the switch from goaltender, the younger Dawson leads the team's defenders in scoring (three goals, 11 points) and is also feeling more comfortable in his new position. "It's starting to click. I'm still learning," said Paul, who was acquired in an off-season trade with San Jose. "Guarding the better players, I still have to work on my stick skills. There's a long way to go." His brother is more complimentary when assessing Paul's game. "Paul's been playing great," Dan said. "He's been coming along by leaps and bounds and as his game knowledge improves, he's only going to get better." The same could be said of the Boston team. "If you look at our roster, there are only six guys over 25," said Paul. "If we keep this team together, we can definitely make some noise." Nobody wants to see that more than his brother. "It's been tough," Dan said of bouncing team to team. "You build friendships and then at the end of the year you say goodbye. Now I know I'm going to be staying here."