The Western Lacrosse Association final has turned into a version of road warriors in the first three games of the best-of-seven championship series.
The Victoria Shamrocks need the trend to continue tonight in Maple Ridge as they trail the Burrards 2-1 after Sunday鈥檚 disheartening 14-11 overtime home loss at The Q Centre in Colwood. Neither team has won at home.
Maple Ridge clawed back from a 5-0 deficit just under 18 minutes in and then the Burrards scored five consecutive goals to close it out. The Shamrocks held an 11-9 advantage with just 1:18 to go in the third, but Mike Mallory and Dan Taylor forced the extra session.
Taylor鈥檚 tying effort came with just 29.6 seconds left and was also a short-handed dagger, the third short-handed goal of the night for the visitors. Taylor ended up with four goals and four assists as he continues to be resourceful for the Burrards.
It was a demoralizing loss for the Shamrocks, with the game turning with the loss of Tyler Burton at 7:43 of the middle period as he and Owen Barker were ejected after double-majors and game misconducts.
鈥淐omposure and discipline. They got under our skin and, unfortunately, they got the better of us,鈥� said Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes. 鈥淭hey came back and played their old lacrosse, as they usually do.
鈥淯nfortunately, we took bad penalties. To be successful in the playoffs you have to take the hits, check your egos and not put yourself first, and that happened tonight.鈥�
Burton is the Shamrocks鈥� outstanding faceoff man (he was 11-1 on the dot before ejected) and a solid defenceman.
鈥淎nytime they have an opportunity to take a key guy out of the lineup 鈥� that鈥檚 what they did. That鈥檚 how they play 鈥� it鈥檚 Maple Ridge Burrards lacrosse. No different than what they鈥檝e done the last few years. We just have to be ready for it,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淭hey started to implode in the first period and they got back in it because we got off our game.鈥�
Victoria was up 5-1 and 8-4 by periods and although it was a tussle in the third, seemed to grab control at 11-9 on goals 46 seconds apart from Rhys Duch and Corey Small with just 2:11 remaining. That鈥檚 when it went sideways.
Jeff Shattler led the way again with four goals and an assist, but the Shamrocks wasted one-goal and six-assist outings from both Small and Cory Conway. Duch had two goals and three assists. Ethan Garland, Cole Pickup and Chris Wardle scored one each.
鈥淣ot ideal. You should be winning the ones at home, especially with the fans we have coming out and supporting us,鈥� said Small. 鈥淚t鈥檚 usually really good momentum for us, but it鈥檚 one of those series where we can鈥檛 keep a lead 鈥� either team.
鈥淎ll we can do is re-group and focus on [today]. Up two with a minute or so left, we may have relaxed a little bit and in the playoffs you can鈥檛 do that.鈥�
The Burrards showed plenty of character fighting back and doing whatever it took to win a game.
鈥淲e fought through some stuff and our big-name players stepped up,鈥� said head coach Rob Williams, who was named WLA coach of the year late Sunday night. 鈥淥ur defence stepped up in the third and Scigs [goalie Frankie Scigliano] shut the door in the third. It was a huge character win.鈥�
Riley Loewen had three goals and three assists for the Burrards and Ben McIntosh had two goals and three helpers, including the game-winner as he cut through the middle and beat Cody Hagedorn at 5:56 of overtime.
Mallory had two goals, including the OT insurance marker, and Colton Porter (empty-netter), Connor Goodwin (on a bad bounce) and Lyndon Knuttila had one each.
Scigliano made 40 saves, including all six in OT, while Hagedorn made 43.
Game 4 starts tonight at 7:45 at Planet Ice before the teams return to The Q Centre for Game 5 on Wednesday at the same time.
