The championship series that lacrosse fans were hoping and wanting to see got off on the wrong foot for the Victoria Shamrocks on Wednesday night.
Three goals by Mark Matthews and stellar netminding from Brodie MacDonald was the Shamrocks’ undoing in a tight 7-6 loss to the Langley Thunder at the Langley Events Centre.
The two-time defending Western Lacrosse Association champion Thunder lead the 2013 beat-of-seven final 1-0 with Game 2 set for Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena.
“This is what the year was gearing up for and it would have been a disappointment for both organizations if this isn’t where it ended up,” Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes said of the matchup prior to Wednesday’s start. “I told the guys at the start of the year, this goes through Langley.
“They are the two-time reigning champs and they haven’t won that Mann Cup. They’ve geared their team up, big time, as well,” added Heyes. “Look at their offence, it’s something to be dealt with. Their goaltending is strong, their defence is strong. They’re strong in all aspects of the game.”
Victoria actually struck first in the opener as Tyler Hass scored short-handed at 12:39 of the first period. But late goals by Garrett Billings and Alex Crepinsek gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Matthews, Athan Iannucci and Dane Dobbie added second-period goals for Langley, while Corey Small and Brody Eastwood replied for Victoria, which out-shot the hosts 36-27 after 40 minutes.
But MacDonald, who stands six-foot-seven and weighs 255 pounds, picked up right where he’s left off for the Thunder against the Shamrocks the last couple of years, this time with Nick Rose as his capable backup.
“Everybody has had their challenges with Rosie and Brodie. With Brodie, you have to get in and vary your shots throughout. You can’t just take the perimeter shots and let him set up because he is a big kid,” said Heyes. “Sometimes Brodie doesn’t play well against other teams, but he’s always pumped up for us.”
MacDonald made 48 saves in the win, while Matt Vinc suffered his first playoff loss with the Shamrocks, facing 33 shots.
Jeff Shattler, Rhys Duch and Dan MacRae scored third-period markers for Victoria, the latter two after Matthews gave Langley a 7-4 lead with a pair midway through the period.
