A decade ago, a 12-year-old Jake Bowen was learning the ropes of lacrosse in Edmonton alongside his father Jamey and the Apex Field Lacrosse Club.
That path would take him through the local Miners Junior ‘A’ club, Queens University of Charlotte Royals in the NCAA ranks, the Langley Thunder senior team and now has the 22-year-old one step away from the National Lacrosse League.
“Surreal, I think would be the one world to describe everything,” said Bowen. “I’ve been working my entire life for this moment.”
Bowen is blazing the same trail his father did after being selected 25th overall in the 2023 NLL Draft by the Saskatchewan Rush. He is now attending his first training camp with the team. For Jake, it’s an organization which has deep roots both for he and the rest of his family.
“I was there with a couple of my buddies back in Edmonton so we were all there to celebrate together,” said Bowen. “I was able to hug my dad going up on the podium, that was definitely special too. Just to put on the Rush jersey made it even better.”
The Bowens’ relationship with the Rush began at the infancy of the franchise, as Jamey was a member of the brand new Edmonton Rush and on the floor for the team’s first game on Jan. 6, 2006.
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It was on that night with family in attendance, that Jamey ripped a shot from the left side of the floor and scored the first goal in franchise history.
Jamey would go on to play 26 career games with the Rush over the 2006 and 2007 NLL seasons, all the while introducing his sons Jake and Luke to the sport as well.
Following 10 years in the Alberta capital, the Rush packed up and moved to Saskatoon ahead of the 2016 season, but not before retiring Quinlan’s number after his eight standout seasons with the program. His banner hangs in the rafters of the SaskTel Centre. He is entering his second season behind Saskatchewan’s bench as head coach, which has provided another blast from the past for Jake.
“Everything has been hard to believe in a moment with this full circle thing,” said Jake. “I remember going back practicing, throwing the ball with Jimmy at old Rush practices when I was a kid just learning off of him. Now he’s my coach, so it’s really cool to have that happen.”
Quinlan not only kept Jake entertained during practices, but he also was a linemate and road roommate of Jamey during their years together in Edmonton. Seeing Jake now part of the Rush, Quinlan believes he could be a strong contributor to the team’s attack in the years to come.
Playing for the Langley Thunder this past summer, Jake was one of the senior team’s most productive young players with nine goals and 27 points in 16 games.
Already with his last name etched in the Rush’s record books, Jamey is optimistic his son will forge his own path in professional lacrosse.
“I’m very, very proud and fortunate that he’s in Saskatoon and hopefully will make his own records and footnotes,” said Jamey.
While comparisons to his dad’s legacy is something Jake understands this early in his career, he’s using that as a building block towards becoming a productive, second-generation member of the Rush organization.
“No pressure hey?” joked Jake. “Obviously there’s a little bit of a weight on my shoulders that I got to carry and try to carry into every single practice, game and everything I do with this team. I think that’s definitely in the back of my mind. But at the same time, I’m here to make a name for myself and do what I can out there.”
Bowen and the Rush will host the Calgary Roughnecks in Moose Jaw for southern Saskatchewan’s first ever NLL game to close out the pre-season on November 25.
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