BURNABY 10
VICTORIA 8
听
Minus some big names, the Shamrocks鈥� depth needed to shine on Wednesday night.
It flickered at times, but never fully came on as Victoria鈥檚 Western Lacrosse Association team dropped its first defeat at home by way of a disappointing 10-8 setback to the Burnaby Lakers at Bear Mountain Arena on Wednesday night.
The Shamrocks, who battled back for seven goals in Saturday鈥檚 third period in Nanaimo, were embarrassingly held off the scoresheet in the critical final period on Wednesday, failing to beat Dan Lewis.
Victoria was minus captain Scott Ranger, Jeff Shattler and defensive specialist Nolan Heavenor.
鈥淭hat was not the result or the effort we needed tonight,鈥� said Shamrocks assistant coach Dave Lowdon. 鈥淚t was very disappointing. We couldn鈥檛 get any flow going, they came into our barn, played well and we didn鈥檛 adjust.
鈥淲e only had 34 shots on net and we didn鈥檛 score in the third period 鈥� we have to do better.鈥�
And he wasn鈥檛 making any excuses for the bodies that weren鈥檛 in the lineup.
鈥淵eah, they were out, but we鈥檙e very deep, very talented and that鈥檚 part of the journey,鈥� stressed Lowdon. 鈥淲e have to step up, when guys like that are out, others have to step up. Obviously, we have do do better when the big lights aren鈥檛 here.鈥�
It was a strange opening period as Ranger was dressed, but did not make an appearance, apparently because he did not receive medical clearance in time, which meant Matt Yager stepped into the lineup.
Victoria was already without Shattler and Heavenor as they sat out suspensions. Shattler was out for one game, while Heavenor will sit out one more for getting in a fight and running the goaltender, respectively, in Nanaimo on Saturday.
The Shamrocks were up 2-0 early, but were out-scored 10-6 from then on. The hosts went to the dressing room tied 5-5 after one period and then trailed 7-5 and 9-6 in the second before cutting it to 9-8 after 40 minutes.
They simply stunk in the third, though.
The Victoria defence had trouble with big Tyler Digby, a six-foot-three, 250-pound rock who, when he isn鈥檛 playing lacrosse, is a tight end at Robert Morris University.
The athletic powerhouse was also drafted by the Ottawa RedBlacks of the Canadian Football League, selected 36th overall by the expansion team that will begin play next season.
Digby had two goals and an assist, but it was Dane Stevens who racked up a goal and five helpers for the victors. Chase Williams and Robert Church, with a pair each, T.J. Cowx, Peter McFetridge and Scott Jones also scored for Burnaby, which improves to 6-6.
Rhys Duch had three goals and two helpers for Victoria and Corey Small had two goals and four asissts. Mitch Jones, Derek Lowe and Cory Conway had the others for the now 8-4 Shamrocks, who travel to Coquitlam on Saturday.
Matt Vinc looked average at best in net in the first two periods.
Twitter/tc_vicsports
