After leading a dynamic Vancouver Warriors offence for much of the season, forward Keegan Bal has been named the National Lacrosse League’s Offensive Player of the Year.
It marks the first time Bal has won the award, which is voted on by NLL teams and media members.
While helping the team to a 13-5 regular-season finish, Bal finished the season as the NLL’s leading scorer with 124 points (45G, 79A) which set a new career and franchise high. It was also the fourth time in the past five seasons that Bal eclipsed 40 goals.
Bal scored in double digits in three games this season, the back-to-back contests against the Rochester Knighthawks, tallying (2G, 10A) and (3G, 8A) respectively. Bal also had six goals and five assists against the Philadelphia Wings on Fan Appreciation Night at Rogers Arena.
The award is a culmination of years of hard work Bal's put into his craft and he’s proud of the accomplishment.
“I’m honored to win Offensive Player of the Year,” Bal said. “Personal goals aren't at the forefront for me, obviously, I want to win, that's just the most important thing because we play team sports. But I'm a competitor; I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to win awards, I think everyone does, so I'm proud of the work that I continue to put in, and I think it's nice to be recognized.”
Warriors Head Coach and GM Curt Malawsky was pleased to see Bal get his flowers.
“Keegan led the league in points, which is an outstanding accomplishment. His poise, decision making, and execution are what makes him such an offensive threat. We are very proud this award has been bestowed upon him,” Malawsky said.
The Warriors are a close-knit group, caring more about team success than individual accolades. A selfless player, Bal says his teammates and the chemistry they’ve developed have been instrumental in his success.
“I think it's everything. I'm lucky to be surrounded by such talented players; a big part getting a lot of points is passing the ball to guys who can score goals,” Bal said. “We're such a talented offence that at times, it's easy to pass Curtis [Dickson] and Jesse [King] the ball and they score, Bides [Adam Charalambides], and [Marcus] Klarich [too], and Sheri’s [Ryan Sheridan] creating so much space for us out there that everyone is doing their role and doing it really well and that's why we had team success in the regular season.”
Beyond the points and accolades, the award is validation of the work required to balance lacrosse, career responsibilities, and family life.
“Being able to play at a very high level, work at a high level, be an extremely involved father and husband, I would say I'm proud of that; I give 100 percent to everything in my life that matters. I don't have a life other than those things, but those things matter to me a lot, so I do them to the best of my ability,” he said.
In helping the Warriors to one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, Bal cemented himself as one of the league’s elite offensive players while continuing to be an example of consistency and leadership within the organization.