The Shamrocks weathered the Thunder in Langley – and now the only thing standing between them and first place is a perfect Salmonbellies squad.
A pair of empty-netters sealed the deal in the dying minutes Wednesday night, as the visiting Shamrocks pulled out a gritty 13-10 win over the Langley Thunder in Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) action at the Langley Events Centre.
With the result, Victoria moves to 7-1-1 on the season and stretches its win streak to three games heading into a massive Friday night tilt against the undefeated New Westminster Salmonbellies (8-0) at The Q Centre.
The Bellies handed the Shamrocks their only loss of the season back on June 12 – a 12-9 decision on the mainland.
This Friday’s clash might be a preview of the WLA final, and the Shamrocks will be as close to full strength as they’ve been all season.
Among the new reinforcements: veteran faceoff ace Tyler Burton, who made his season debut Wednesday night and made an immediate impact.
“The return of Tyler (Burton) to the lineup really gave us a spark,” said Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch. “He came in with a lot of energy, was great in the faceoff circle and on defence. It was a really good addition – we’re thrilled to have him back.”
Burton’s value goes beyond draws.
“He brings great leadership and championship pedigree,” Welch said. “He’s one of the top faceoff guys in our sport, but he’s also a complete player. It’s a special combination – there are very few guys who bring what he does.”
In Wednesday's contest, Langley hung around until the very end, narrowing the gap to one with under five minutes to go thanks to a pair from Toru Morimatsu. But the Thunder’s push fizzled as the Shamrocks struck twice into an empty net to secure the victory.
Victoria trailed twice early in the contest – 3-2 in the first and 5-4 early in the second – before stringing together four straight goals to take the lead for good.
Patrick Dodds led the charge offensively with five goals and seven points, while Andrew Kew added a goal and five assists.
“I liked that we won every period,” Welch said. “We struggled at times, but we managed to grind it out in each frame. That’s important.”
All of Victoria’s goals came at even strength, while Langley scored twice with the man advantage and added a short-handed goal.
The Shamrocks could get another major piece back Friday night with the return of Alex Simmonds, who is a game-time decision according to Welch.
They’ll need all the support they can get against the red-hot Salmonbellies, who lead the league in goals (95) and boast the top two goal-scorers in Haiden Dickson (23) and Mitch Jones (20).
“They’re in great form and it’ll be a huge challenge,” Welch said. “But we welcome it. If you want to finish first, you’ve got to beat teams like this.”
Fortunately for Victoria, their defensive play has been among the league’s best. The Shamrocks have allowed a WLA-low 65 goals, backed by strong goaltending from Cam Dunkerley and Chris Origlieri.
“You’ve got to have two capable guys, and we do,” Welch said. “They’ve been the backbone of our group. And the defence in front of them – guys like (Nate) Wade, (Patrick) Kaschock, (Elijah) Gash, and now (Tyler) Burton – has been outstanding.”
Friday's faceoff at The Q Centre is set for 6:45 p.m.
