The defending Western Lacrosse Association champion Langley Thunder added some bulk, and speed, to its lineup Monday.

With the 2012 WLA campaign just around the corner, the league held its annual draft Monday night at the Burnaby Firefighter's Club.

Sixty-seven junior lacrosse players were drafted by WLA teams including the Thunder, Burnaby Lakers, Coquitlam Adanacs, Maple Ridge Burrards, Coastal Windows (Nanaimo) Timbermen, New Westminster Salmonbellies, and Victoria Shamrocks.

Coming off a league title win and Mann Cup national championship appearance in 2011, the Thunder came into the draft looking to bolster an already prolific lineup with an injection of youth and physicality, to supplement its returning players. With the fifth overall pick in the draft, the Thunder tabbed Mark Matthews from Oshawa, Ont.

The hulking forward (6'4", 210 pounds) is in his final year at the University of Denver, where he led his NCAA team in points (70 points on 46 goals and 24 assists) in 2011.

"He's a phenomenal player who obviously knows how to score, and he adds to our size on offense," noted Thunder general manager Gerry Van Beek, who was impressed with Matthews during his 2010 Minto Cup victory with Coquitlam and his 2011 title win with Whitby of the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League.

Matthews plans to play field lacrosse this summer with the Denver Outlaws. His Canadian box lacrosse playing rights will be held by the senior A Brooklin Redmen when the lists are announced in early March.

"We believe that it may make sense for Mark to play on the West Coast while playing in Denver," Van Beek said. "If Mark is playing in the WLA, it will be for the Langley Thunder."

With its second round pick, the Thunder was looking for some speed and grabbed runner Tor Reinholdt, a junior teammate of Matthews with Coquitlam.

Currently enrolled as a sophomore at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C., Reinholdt has some big game experience, having won the Minto Cup with Coquitlam in 2010, and finishing as a runner up for the Minto in '11.

In the third round, the Thunder snapped up another big body in the form of 6'4" Matthew MacGrotty.

From New Westminster, MacGrotty is currently a freshman with the Bryant Bulldogs.

He was a member of the U16 national lacrosse championship team in '09, when he was named defensive MVP of the tournament.

The Thunder had two picks in the third round and they used their second selection (the sixth pick of the round) on Leif Mydske. Another native of New Westminster, Mydske should feel at home with the Thunder as he joins older brother Brett with the club.

The Thunder continued with the trend of drafting Coquitlam junior A players, as they picked up 6'6" Patrick O'Meara with the 32nd overall pick, and continued with goaltender Steve Fryer in the sixth round, 40th overall.

Next up for the Thunder was Myan Adams, chosen in the eighth round, 54th overall, and Chancy Johnson with the 61st overall selection.

Langley made its final selection of the night from the Delta junior A team, taking Graeme Stewart, from Aldergrove, with its 10th round pick, 68th overall.