With just three regular-season games remaining and first place implausible, the 9-6 Victoria Shamrocks will attempt to snap out of a greasy skid of three losses in their last four outings.
The Shamrocks, hanging on to second place in the Western Lacrosse Association, will entertain the New Westminster Salmonbellies tonight before setting off to Langley on Saturday 鈥� a repeat of opponents from last week鈥檚 back-to-back losses, only in opposite arenas.
鈥淪ame scenario,鈥� said Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes. 鈥淚 think if we took care of last week, this week would have taken care of itself. Now, it鈥檚 about placing ourselves to where we want to be [standings wise].
鈥淢ore importantly, it鈥檚 about finding our game for these last few.鈥�
Because somewhere along the line these last two weeks, the Shamrocks lost an edge to their game, having dropped two straight for the first time this season and two consecutive games at home as well.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to look too far into it,鈥� said captain Scott Ranger, who hopes to get his team back on track starting tonight at 7:45 at Bear Mountain Arena. 鈥淲e got out-played in both games last week and the results were two losses.
鈥淲e need to get back to the basics and work on fundamentals 鈥� get to loose balls and once we get back on track, we鈥檒l be all right,鈥� he insisted.
鈥淪ure, home-floor advantage is something we were looking at, but making the playoffs and finding our game and making sure we peak at the right time is what we鈥檙e most concerned with.鈥�
Catching Langley is still the goal. The two-time defending champions are four points up on Victoria.
鈥淲e looked at that as our goal to get to first. We would need some help now, but we can control a little of that on Saturday against Langley by beating them,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not the end of the world.
鈥淲e just have to take care of these next three games. That鈥檚 the way we build towards the playoffs, through these next three.鈥�
To do that they will require a much better offensive performance than last Friday鈥檚 11-6 loss at home to Langley.
鈥淚鈥檓 very happy with how the defence has played, along with the goaltending,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淭he offence, I think, has had flashes where it鈥檚 been good and there are others where it鈥檚 been frustrating. It鈥檚 still a going concern, but I鈥檓 confident we鈥檒l sort it out.鈥�
And Ranger, who missed a pair of games due to injury, is a big part of it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating,鈥� Ranger replied when asked if the offence has struggled with meshing. 鈥淭here鈥檚 only one ball and some guys like to have the ball in their stick. It鈥檚 about adapting. We鈥檝e got a good squad up front, a lot of pride in every one of us, and we鈥檙e going to be battling and doing the little things, which is most important right now.
鈥淲e have to re-focus and get back to work,鈥� stressed Ranger. 鈥淢ost important, it鈥檚 about finding our game. We鈥檙e going to have to beat two good teams in the playoffs anyway, so find our game and get it back on track. That鈥檚 the No. 1 thing.鈥�
