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Down Memory Lane - Brian Tasker
Down Memory Lane Articles - by Stan Shillington

It's becoming an annual ritual - another Tasker enters the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Brian, at 46 (the youngest of the four siblings), will be inducted on November 6, 1999, joining brother Dave who entered the Hall last year.

Two down and two - Bob and Alan - to go! What does the future hold?

The quartet grew up in South Vancouver, honing their box lacrosse skills in 's minor lacrosse system. Alan turned senior in 1970 with the Vancouver in 1970 with the Vancouver Burrards while Brian and his other two brothers anchored a strong South Vancouver Legion junior squad. The following year, with the franchise now operating under the banner of the Richmond Roadrunners, the trio was instrumental in Richmond's upset Minto Cup victory over Peterborough PCO's.

Winning a national championship was not the only highlight for Brian in 1971. The 18-year-old moved up with Dave and Bob on July 27 to play senior with older brother Alan in a Burrards' contest against Victoria. It is the only time in Western senior lacrosse that four brothers played together in one game.

Dave moved up to senior in 1972, leaving Brian and Bob to carry on the Tasker tradition of dominating the Major Junior scene. And dominate they did! Bob scored 81 points but was topped by Brian's 87 and the league's MVP award.

Brian saw action in only five games in 1973 but Bob captured the scoring title with 112 points. Brian returned for a full season with Richmond in 1974, accumulating 85 points in 20 games.

Now, after gathering 114 goals and 157 assists for 271 points in a mere 76 games - better than a 3.5 point-per-game average - Brian was ready to step up into senior company. He decided to test the waters of professional lacrosse, lining up with Maryland Arrows of the National Lacrosse League. Success, as expected, was immediate - 198 points in 48 games.

But Brian decided to return to British Columbia in 1976 only to learn that the WLA had ceded all returning unaffiliated players to Nanaimo. Brother Bob, who split the 1975 season between New Westminster and Maryland, also found himself the property of Nanaimo.

After considerable negotiation, Nanaimo sent the two Taskers to New Westminster in exchange for a sum of money that was then used to lure Eastern stars , and and out West.

The Ontario foursome made Nanaimo happy, but New Westminster was ecstatic. Brian led all playmakers with 84 assists, topped the league in total points with 134, captured the CP Air/Labatts Three Star Award, was named to the first All-Star Team and won a Mann Cup medal. Bob chipped in with another 83 points.