The fourth-seed Victoria Shamrocks head into an elimination game tonight in New Westminster rueing that they felt the first two games of the best-of-five Western Lacrosse Association semifinal series were winnable against the top-seed Salmonbellies.
“We have to keep knocking on the door,” said Victoria head coach Mike Simpson.
That might be a metaphor for more than just the series. The Shamrocks are undergoing a major rebuild with a talented youth movement that will take time. That knock on the door may be more for future seasons than this one.
“We’ve shown we can play with them. No question,” said Simpson.
“If we run and push the pace, we have every opportunity against them still.”
The Salmonbellies took Game 1 by an 11-9 count at Queen’s Park Arena and won Game 2 at The Q Centre 13-12 last week in one heck of a wild ride. The Salmonbellies scored four unanswered goals in two minutes and 23 seconds to open the second game. The Shamrocks responded with the next seven consecutive goals, all by the time the game was only 13 minutes old. Victoria led by two goals in the third period and by one late. But New Westminster scored the final two goals on special teams, the tying goal on the power play and the winner shorthanded.
“Lacrosse is said to be a game of runs but I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like that before,” said Simpson.
“I like the way we responded. I’m not unhappy with how hard we have been playing.”
New Westminster’s special teams and veteran-laden roster, however, proved just that one sneaker step better.
“Anytime you narrow it down to special teams and the top-five to top-10 players, which on New Westminster are all professional National Lacrosse League players, it becomes a tougher game against an elite team like that,” said Simpson.
Haiden Dickson’s winner shorthanded, his fifth goal of the game, was a matter of sheer will and something only special players can do when they put the game on their shoulders.
“He is the MVP of the league in my opinion and showed why,” said Simpson.
The Shamrocks, who got four goals from Marshal King and three from Tom Vaesen in Game 2, remain buoyant. But the time for just knocking is over.
“We knew going in that we would have to win one game in New Westminster. Now we have to win two at Queen’s Park Arena [plus one back at The Q Centre] to bang that door down,” said Simpson.
If required, Game 4 would be Friday night at The Q Centre and Game 5 on Sunday in New Westminster.
The second-seed Langley Thunder and third-seed Nanaimo Timbermen, led by league points-scoring champion Zach Manns, are playing in the other semifinal series. The Thunder led 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Tuesday night at the Langley Events Centre.
The winners of the semifinal series will advance to the best-of-seven WLA final series beginning Aug. 16. The WLA champion will host the best-of-seven Mann Cup national championship series against the champion of Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse beginning Sept. 8.
