The Victoria Shamrocks’ battle cry for the season was 10 in 70, as in the 10th Mann Cup national Senior A title in the franchise’s 70th-anniversary season.
The Shamrocks are one step closer, and one win away, from playing in the 2019 Mann Cup with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Lacrosse Association final.
Tyler Pace, on loan for the season from the Langley Thunder, scored unassisted on a long shot from near centre with one second remaining in the 10-minute overtime in Game 4 Friday night to give Victoria a 12-11 victory over the Burrards at Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge. Regular time concluded 9-9 before an eventful overtime.
It was the fourth goal of the game for the National Lacrosse League pro Pace.
Jesse King and WLA rookie of the year Chris Boushy had two goals and three assists each for Victoria. Dane Dobbie, the all-time leading franchise scorer for the NLL Calgary Roughnecks, led the Burrards with five goals.
Victoria goaltender Pete Dubenski was outstanding as the Burrards launched 63 shots. The Shamrocks got 48 shots on Maple Ridge goaltender Frank Scigliano.
Victoria, trailing 8-5 heading into the final frame, rallied for the second consecutive game.
“We got momentum going and great goaltending,” said Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes.
“We worked hard and deserved what we got and played to the very end. But we can’t get ahead of ourselves. Maple Ridge has an outstanding roster and will be coming out hard next time.”
The Shamrocks are in the WLA final for the seventh consecutive year. The 2019 series, a rematch of last year’s WLA final won in five games by the Burrards, continues with Game 5 Sunday at The Q Centre.
If needed, a sixth game would be played Tuesday at Cam Neely and seventh game next Friday at The Q Centre.
The WLA champion will host the Ontario Major Series champion — either the defending national-champion Peterborough Lakers or Six Nations Chiefs — in the best-of-seven Mann Cup national final next month.
The top-seed Lakers, who lost the first two games to the second-seed Chiefs, have rallied to tie the best-of-seven Ontario series 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Tuesday in Peterborough.
