The Victoria Shamrocks are on the hunt in Burnaby tonight, hoping to bag a two-game lead in the Western Lacrosse Association semifinals. After opening the best-of-seven series against the Lakers with a 12-8 victory at Bear Mountain Arena last Wednesday, the 鈥橰ocks would like nothing better than a repeat performance.
For Shamrocks goaltender Matt Vinc, getting past the Lakers would be one step closer to winning a Mann Cup, about the only championship he doesn鈥檛 have in his trophy case.
鈥淚t鈥檚 eluded me so far,鈥� said Vinc, the 2013 goaltender of the year in the National Lacrosse League, the only goalie to win three times.
Among his long list of career highlights, Vinc has won the last two NLL championships with the Rochester Knights, took the Minto Cup junior crown in 2001 and 鈥�03, and won the World Indoor Championship with Team sa国际传媒 in 2011. But despite six seasons with Six Nations in Ontario 鈥� Brampton now holds his rights 鈥� the 31-year-old has always wanted to play in the WLA, and this was the year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a great experience,鈥� said Vinc, a high-school teacher in St. Catharines, Ont. 鈥淲hen I decided to come out here, I wanted to play for a team rich in tradition, and that鈥檚 exactly what I came to.鈥�
Vinc has had to make a few adjustments, such as gauging ball movement on concrete floors rather than artificial turf and adapting to a slightly different style of play. Whereas players in the East tend to be a little older and more entrenched in a five-on-five game plan, the West is younger and faster.
鈥淚 think the West plays a little bit more run and gun. There are a lot of great athletes out here,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ut here, a lot of young guys are getting the job done. As a goalie, you鈥檝e just got to ease into it.鈥�
It鈥檚 a fitting observation, considering Burnaby is one of those young, run-and-gun teams that likes to score in transition. Vinc said the Shamrocks鈥� whole roster needs to put stoppers on high flyers like speedy rookie Robert Church, who had three goals and two assists in Game 1. It鈥檚 not just up to the defence, and no lapses are affordable.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to maintain our composure. When we lost down the stretch, we lost that composure for only a few minutes, and it cost us,鈥� he said, thinking back to Victoria鈥檚 two losses to the Lakers during the regular season.
鈥淚 know they play well at home, and I know they鈥檙e going to try to claw their way back,鈥� Vinc said, adding it鈥檒l be important for the 鈥橰ocks to keep their talented offence on the floor and take some of the air out of Burnaby鈥檚 ball. After all, the Mann Cup is sitting on the horizon.
鈥淚 hope it comes together and we get it done.鈥�
Game 3 is back at Bear Mountain on Friday, starting at 7:45 p.m.
In the pocket: The Langley Thunder had a one-game lead over the Coquitlam Adanacs in the other semifinal series, heading into Game 2 on Tuesday night. They鈥檒l play the third game in Langley on Thursday. 鈥� The eventual WLA winner will play host to the best-of-seven Mann Cup national championship, beginning Sept. 6. 鈥� Either the Peterborough Lakers (2012, 鈥�10, 鈥�07, 鈥�06) or Brampton Excelsiors (2011, 鈥�09, 鈥�08) have won the Cup for the last seven years. 鈥� The Shamrocks, playing at home, were the last WLA team to take the crown, in 2005.
