The defence never rests. Exhibit A is Greg Harnett.
The tenacious defender helps lead a snarly Victoria Shamrocks back end. It held the high-powered Maple Ridge Burrards offence at bay in the 9-4 Victoria victory Friday night in Game 1 of the 2018 Western Lacrosse Association final at the Q Centre.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is tonight at Cam Neely Arena in Maple Ridge.
Burrards star Curtis Dickson, nicknamed “Superman” for his scoring feats, recorded a hattrick in Game 1, but the Shamrocks mitigated any further damage by tamping down the rest of the Maple Ridge offence.
Harnett and Dickson play together on the Calgary Roughnecks during the winter in the professional National Lacrosse League. They find themselves on opposite sides of the ball in the WLA.
“We are good friends, but we are not too friendly on the floor during the WLA season,” Harnett said.
Although the Shamrocks use a smothering team defence that is almost zone in nature, Harnett often finds himself marking Dickson.
“Familiarity brings no advantage,” Harnett said.
That’s because no matter how well you know him, there is just no guessing what moves Dickson will come up with next as he plans his many slippery and innovative paths to the net.
Dickson has been a star from the start and is having an especially interesting run of late, leading the Peterborough Lakers to the 2017 Mann Cup national title, the Roughnecks in scoring at the pro level and Canada to the silver medal behind the U.S. last month at the 2018 world field-lacrosse championships in Israel.
Dickson came to know the field version of lacrosse well while leading Delaware to its only NCAA Final Four appearance in 2007 during four outstanding seasons with the Blue Hens.
Despite their Roughnecks connection, Harnett said there is little communication between himself and Dickson on the floor when the Shamrocks play the Burrards.
“Nattering is a waste of energy,” said Harnett, selected 11th overall in the 2011 NLL entry draft. “I don’t even think we looked at each other on Friday night.”
Harnett joined the Shamrocks as a defensive specialist in 2012, after going to three Minto Cup national Junior ‘A’ championship tournaments with the Orangeville Northmen of Ontario, winning twice.
“Any playoff series is a process,” he said.
Harnett should know. He has been through several of them, not only in junior, but in going to three Mann Cup national finals with the Shamrocks, winning in 2015.
Dickson, and eventually fellow Canada world field-lacrosse silver-medallist Ben McIntosh, are going to get their points for the Burrards in this WLA final. Victoria’s defence will put up a fight by continuing to be swarming. Those are givens.
“It always comes down to the little things — something as simple as who won the most loose balls in a tight series,” Harnett said.
So look for the little details that matter as the series continues through Game 3 on Tuesday at the Q Centre and Game 4 on Thursday at Cam Neely.
The Shamrocks are in the WLA final for the sixth consecutive season. This is a reprise of the 2016 final, won in six games by the Burrards, to advance to their first Mann Cup national final since 1990.
The New Westminster Salmonbellies defeated the Shamrocks in five games in last year’s league final.
The WLA champion will meet the winner of the Ontario final between the Peterborough Lakers and Oakville Rock in the best-of-seven 2018 Mann Cup national championship to be played at the home of the Ontario champion.
