The New Westminster Salmonbellies were so concerned about their 0-2 start, they pulled a Gordie Howe and dressed 52-year-old Western Lacrosse Association legend Russ Heard on Friday night.
It didn鈥檛 work. The 鈥橞ellies fell to 0-3 after an 11-9 loss to the Victoria Shamrocks (2-0) before a near-capacity crowd at The Q Centre.
Chris Wardle鈥檚 fifth goal of the game, at 18:22 of the third period, was the winner. Ben McCullough scored the insurance into an empty net.
鈥淲e have a multi-talented team and everyone can step up when they need to,鈥� said Wardle, the 23-year-old Colorado Mammoth pro player out of Victoria.
鈥淚 just happened to be the one who was open tonight. It鈥檚 all credit to the guys who got me the ball.鈥�
Heard, an assistant coach for the Salmonbellies, was pressed into action to put some more fire into the 鈥橞ellies belly. It seemed the motivational ploy to play Heard 鈥� who has 1,022 career Senior A points and his No. 9 jersey retired by the Burnaby Lakers 鈥� might work as New Westminster built a 7-4 lead. In keeping with the throwback-night theme, Justin Goodwin scored that seventh goal for New Westminster at 14:17 of the second period on the old hidden-ball trick executed to perfection.
But the Shamrocks rallied. A short-handed goal by defensive specialist Tyler Burton, returning from his pro commitments with the Calgary Roughnecks, tied the game 7-7 at eight seconds of the third period. Wardle gave Victoria the 8-7 lead on the power play at 8:10 of the third. After Dane Sorensen鈥檚 second goal of the game tied it for New Westminster at 15:02, Rhys Duch restored Victoria鈥檚 lead at 15:19 with his second goal of the night. But the pesky Bellies wouldn鈥檛 go away and tied it 9-9 at 17:10 through Goodwin鈥檚 third goal of the game.
The matchup was a reprise of the best-of-seven 2015 WLA playoff final, swept by Victoria en route to the Mann Cup national title.
Cole Pickup, brought up from the Junior Shamrocks, scored his first career WLA goal on a four-point night with three assists.
鈥淕rowing up in this building, you dream about that first senior goal with the Shamrocks,鈥� said Pickup, also a junior hockey player with the Victoria Grizzlies.
鈥淧laying with guys as skilled as they are on the Shamrocks, it鈥檚 pretty easy to put the ball in the net. They made my job easier tonight.鈥�
Cory Conway, who set WLA records for points (17) and assists (15) in a single game in the season-opening 18-6 victory over the Nanaimo Timbermen, had four assists Friday. Duch, who had 12 points in the first game, had four points against the 鈥橞ellies. The other Victoria goal came from Thomas Moffat.
Brett Dobray led New Westminster with two goals and three assists.
The former Burnaby great Heard, playing his first game with the Salmonbellies, picked up an assist Friday to add to his career total.
New Westminster lost its first two games 7-5 against the Coquitlam Adanacs and 14-10 in overtime against the Timbermen.
The Shamrocks continue their Island derby with a game tonight in Nanaimo against the T-Men (1-1).
POINT SHOTS: The Shamrocks were missing sniper Corey Small due to an upper-body injury.
