The song Gloria by Laura Branigan reverberated loudly in a loop in the Victoria Shamrocks鈥� dressing room following their fourth consecutive Western Lacrosse Association victory, and fifth win in six games, Friday night at The Q Centre.
The reference to the St. Louis Blues worst-to-first Stanley Cup theme song is not meant to be subtle. The Shamrocks, who began the season 0-3, have embraced that storyline wholeheartedly.
鈥淲e鈥檙e taking a page out of the St. Louis book,鈥� said rookie Shamrocks sniper Chris Boushy, who scored two goals in the 8-5 victory over the Langley Thunder.
Victoria extended its winning streak the hard way. The last-place Langley Thunder (2-9) made the Shamrocks (5-4) earn it.
Victoria rode a staunch defence, and the timely goaltending of Cody Hagedorn, to victory before about 1,500 fans.
鈥淭he song worked for St. Louis,鈥� quipped Hagedorn.
It wasn鈥檛 the quantity, but quality, of Hagedorn鈥檚 33 saves in a game that wasn鈥檛 decided until late in the final period.
鈥淎 goalie鈥檚 job is to give your team a chance to win,鈥� said Hagedorn. 鈥淎nd a big part of that is standing tall in the third period when it鈥檚 on the line.鈥�
Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes, a former goaltender, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting that big save when you need it. Langley worked its butt off but our goaltending and defence was great tonight.鈥�
National Lacrosse League pro great Dane Dobbie, the all-time leading scorer in Calgary Roughnecks franchise history, was not in the Langley lineup. Mind you, the Shamrocks were missing four of their top snipers 鈥� Jesse King, Tyson Gibson, Casey Jackson and Rhys Duch.
Victoria native Brad McCulley, from the Junior Shamrocks and NCAA Div. 1 Robert Morris, showed why the Thunder made him the third overall selection in the first round of the 2019 WLA draft. McCulley had a goal and assist in the first period as Langley had Victoria deadlocked 3-3.
Connor Robinson, the NLL Saskatchewan Rush pro and former sa国际传媒 Junior A League MVP, put Langley into the lead in the second period. But transition-standout Steve Priolo, pouncing on a rebound, and Boushy, on a fine balancing act on the crease line, sent the hosts into the second break with a 5-4 lead.
Dylan Kinnear, on Langley鈥檚 first power play of the night, levelled it 5-5 with his second goal of the game. Josh Fagan, on a sharp assist from Chris Wardle, scored his second goal of the game at 7:45 of the third as Victoria regained the lead. A power-play goal by Keegan Bell, Victoria鈥檚 first-round pick in the 2019 WLA draft, put Victoria ahead by two. Then Boushy, on a one-handed back hand, scored perhaps the goal of the season to close out scoring.
Cole Pickup, the 2018 first-round draft pick, had two goals for the Shamrocks.
The Shamrocks begin a string of five consecutive road games that will likely define their season, beginning today at Queen鈥檚 Park Arena in New Westminster, against the Salmonbellies.
