Shawn Ingham has returned to policing his old stomping box.
After more than eight years away from Prince George the graduate of Duchess Park secondary school returned home in February. But his journey home wasn't complete until last Saturday when he took to the floor at the Coliseum with his old College Heights Pub Assault teammates.
"I was chomping at the bit to come back and play," said Ingham. "I missed it the whole time I was gone."
Ingham joined the Prince George Senior Lacrosse Association, along with his two older brothers, around 1991 as members of the First Leader Pub Thunder, which ultimately became the Assault. He played until 2004 when he moved to Regina to attend the RCMP depot. After graduation Ingham was posted at the RCMP detachment in Fort St. John where he spent the next eight years.
"I don't have too much to complain about," said Ingham about being posted less than six hours away from his family.
When RCMP Const. Ingham transferred to the the Prince George detachment he immediately began conferring with his Assault buddies about returning to the floor. Ingham played a few sporadic games with the Assault in the past eight years.
"The transition to lacrosse is a little difficult if you haven't played it continuously in the last eight years," said Ingham. "The guys made it easy on me [last Saturday] night and got me off when I got tired. I don't feel too out of place out there.
"There's some young kids with some good wheels but once I get in more game shape I'll be able to keep up with them," he added.
Ingham didn't fare too badly in his first game of the season. In the Assault's 16-7 win over arch-rival the BX Pub Bandits, he had three goals and three assists.
The offensive output was no surprise to his longtime teammate, Assault goaltender Brian Stanley.
"A couple of those goals were classic Shawn goals with the quick stick," said Stanley. "It was just a beauty."
Stanley said he can already see how working as an RCMP officer has changed the former lacrosse league MVP, circa 1993-94.
"He's always been a guy you know can get the job done and he's got the biggest heart of anybody I've every played with," said the 48-year-old. "But now he's so much more confident out there."
The Assault have a 1-2 record this season, losing both games Ingham was unable to attend, including Wednesday's rematch against the Bandits.
Ingham, who coined the Assault nickname when the team changed sponsors years ago, said he'd like to play in about eight of the Assault's 12 regular season games before playoffs start in July.
"I've played since I was four," said Ingham. "It's in my blood and it'll always be in my blood. I'll play for as long as I can."
The constable's next chance to patrol the box is Monday at 8 p.m., when the Assault take on the Shooter's Pub Devils at the Coliseum.
