Bob Heyes would much rather get back to just playing lacrosse.
The shenanigans of Game 2 are not what the Victoria Shamrocks head coach wants to see in today鈥檚 Game 3 at home at The Q Centre as the Maple Ridge Burrards come calling, down 2-0 in the Western Lacrosse Association best-of-seven semifinals.
The Shamrocks 鈥� after 13-9 and 12-5 victories 鈥� are in control, but the style of play was totally out of control in the third period of Wednesday鈥檚 chippy win on the Mainland.
One-game suspensions were handed out Friday to Maple Ridge鈥檚 Nick Stone and Victoria鈥檚 Jon Harnett, while Burrards team manager Wayne Funk was also tossed for three games.
League commissioner Ernie Truant is expected to review several more video clips as the teams submit what they believe were factors that might have been overlooked in what became an out-of-control, physical affair.
鈥淚 thought there were going to be more [suspensions] and it鈥檚 still a situation that could explode,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淏ut my mind-frame is, let鈥檚 go out and play lacrosse and put the ball in the net. We would much rather play lacrosse and if they can beat us playing lacrosse, then so be it.鈥�
Up 8-3 after the second period (which included one fight), the game got out of hand in the third with 11 major penalties and 11 game misconducts called.
Victoria鈥檚 Greg Harnett took a head shot that needed medical attention 鈥� he could miss today鈥檚 game due to injury 鈥� and the Burrards weren鈥檛 happy about a Daryl Veltman high-sticking major that also got him tossed after he recorded a second-period hat-trick.
鈥淒o we really want to play lacrosse like this?鈥� asked Heyes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not good for the game. There is a lot of stuff that isn鈥檛 being called, like cross-checks in the knees and hips.
鈥淥ur guys aren鈥檛 choirboys, but what I鈥檓 saying is we鈥檇 rather play a straight-up game,鈥� stressed Heyes.
On the floor, the Shamrocks have dictated play through five of the first six periods. After opening up a 5-1 lead in the first six minutes of Game 1, Victoria did surrender four goals as the teams went to the dressing room tied 5-5. But since that point, the 鈥橰ocks have rolled, out-scoring the Burrards 20-9.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of different things,鈥� Heyes said of the success. 鈥淥ffensively, we鈥檝e been patient. We鈥檙e making good decisions in transition, which is keeping the ball in our sticks. [Goaltender] Aaron Bold is back in a groove and our defence is the key to our game.
鈥淲e play a tough defensive game that wears you down and then we run on you,鈥� said Heyes, who wants that to continue in Game 3 before the teams return to Maple Ridge for Game 4 on Sunday at 5 p.m.
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