The fourth-seed Nanaimo Timbermen gave a good account of themselves before nearly 1,000 fans on home floor in the Western Lacrosse Association鈥檚 Island derby Thursday night at Frank Crane Arena.
But it still wasn鈥檛 enough to unseat top-seed Victoria as the Shamrocks scored the final three goals of the game in the third period to defeat the T-Men 9-7 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven WLA playoff semifinal series.
Victoria led 5-3 after the first period but was blanked in a second period in which Jon Phillips scored the lone goal on the power play to pull the Timbermen to within 5-4.
Jesse King, on the first possession of the third period and unassisted, made it 6-4 for Victoria at just 32 seconds. Former Junior Shamrocks Brody Eastwood and Braylon Lumb tied the game for Nanaimo and then Ryan Sheridan put the hosts into the lead before the third frame was four minutes old.
That proved hard to hold as King, with two goals on the power play, and rookie find Chris Bousy unassisted, gave Victoria a two-goal lead by 14:58 and which held until the end.
King, the NLL pro and former Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA field star, finished with a hat-trick. Sophomore sniper Tyson Gibson had the brace for the Shamrocks. Transition standout and NLL Rochester Knighthawks pro Graeme Hossack, rookie Larson Sundown and veteran sniper Chris Wardle scored the other Shamrocks goals.
Nanaimo starter Charles Claxton, chased from the crease in Victoria鈥檚 11-4 Game 1 victory, regrouped well and almost stole the show with 48 saves for Nanaimo.
Former Timbermen goaltender Pete Dubenski continued his WLA comeback-storyline-of-the-year by blocking 40 shots for the Shamrocks.
Game 3 is Saturday night at The Q Centre in Colwood and Game 4 on Monday back at Frank Crane.
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