Victoria Shamrocks coach Bob Heyes tried to put it into a context Canadian sports fans might better understand: 鈥淚f this was hockey, it would be Crosby versus Ovechkin . . . simply, the two best in the world going at it.鈥�
He was referring to Joe Resetarits and Robert Church.
The Victoria Shamrocks鈥� Resetarits recorded three goals and five assists in leading the fourth-seed Shamrocks to a riveting 12-10 Western Lacrosse Association victory and 3-1 lead over the top-seed Burnaby Lakers in their best-of-seven semifinal playoff series.
Church, like Resetarits a former NCAA Div. 1 standout and now an NLL pro, scored four goals on an amazing 13 shots for Burnaby.
鈥淚t鈥檚 playoff lacrosse. Both teams want it. But we dug a little deeper,鈥� said Resetarits.
The native of New York state is in his first season with the Shamrocks and was blown away by the deafening din created in The Q Centre by a midweek crowd of 1,622 that was on edge most of the night.
鈥淭his is like playing in winter [pro NLL]. Knowing that these fans are behind you makes you want to play even harder,鈥� said Resetarits
It was a game of swings as Victoria eclipsed a 2-0 Burnaby lead with six unanswered goals. The Lakers, however, answered with three consecutive goals of their own.
Burnaby led 8-7 early in the third period before the streak-happy Shamrocks laced into the Lakers with three straight goals. But the Lakers wouldn't go away and it took a breathless floor-length goal into an empty net by speedy rookie Danny Smith with 12 seconds remaining to truly clinch it for Victoria.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never boring. It was a great gut check for us,鈥� said Heyes.
鈥淲e battled back early, after giving up the first two goals, and that was the key.鈥�
So was the play of Victoria goaltender Aaron Bold, who squared up and stood his ground, against an onslaught of 51 shots by an offensively-loaded Burnaby club.
鈥淭here was 100 per cent buy-in . . . and the energy and work ethic that creates is always the payoff for us,鈥� said Bold.
The Shamrocks got 48 shots on Burnaby goaltender Eric Penney.
Casey Jackson had two goals and three assists for Victoria, Corey Small a goal and five assists, Mike Triolo a goal and three assists, Steve Priolo a goal and two assists, Evan Messanger and Chris Wardle a goal and assist each, and Sheldon Burns a goal.
Game 5 is Friday at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby. If required, Game 6 would be Sunday at The Q Centre, and Game 7 Tuesday in Burnaby.
