VICTORIA 16 - MAPLE RIDGE 11
The Victoria Shamrocks put to rest any notion they were looking ahead to tonight’s Western Lacrosse Association first-place showdown against the Adanacs in Coquitlam (8-3).
It was first things first as the Shamrocks (7-2) defeated the last place Maple Ridge Burrards (1-8) 16-11 Friday night before 1,895 fans at the Q Centre.
“I thought it was a strong game and a complete game. We went about our business,” said Shamrocks coach Mike Simpson.
“It was a good bounce back [from the 13-11 loss to Nanaimo in the last game]. It was something to build on and we have set ourselves up for a good weekend finish in Coquitlam.”
Victoria forward Jacob Ruest scored two goals in the first five minutes and the Shamrocks led 7-3 after the first period. Ruest is a Shamrocks newcomer, but with five seasons of pro lacrosse experience with the Colorado Mammoth and Albany FireWolves of the NLL, and the 29-year-old showed it on a nine-point night with two goals and seven assists. “He goes under the radar sometimes but when you look at the end of the night, he has all these points,” said Simpson.
Jesse King, the NCAA graduate of the Ohio State Buckeyes, extended his league-lead in points with two goals and five assists for Victoria. Younger brother Marshal King scored four goals. Brad McCulley, Rhys Duch and Jake Foster scored twice each and Chris Wardle and Larson Sundown once. Brett Kujala, out of NCAA Bowdoin, led Maple Ridge with two goals.
In Burnaby, the Nanaimo Timbermen (7-5) defeated the host Lakers (3-8) 15-7.
BOXLA BITS: Kaleb Toth, a dynamic offensive player who won the 1999 Mann Cup in his four seasons with the Shamrocks before seven WLA seasons with the Timbermen and 13 in the pro NLL, will enter the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame with the Class of 2022 announced Friday … Also in the Class is former defensive stalwart Rich Catton, the Team Canada player and NLL pro, who won the Mann Cup with the Shamrocks in 2005.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
