The Victoria Shamrocks are in perfect position, looking to secure a third straight trip to the Mann Cup and head coach Bob Heyes likes the lofty perch from where his team sits, up 2-0 in the best-of-seven Western Lacrosse Association final.
鈥淭hat was a driver鈥檚 seat game,鈥� he said of Monday鈥檚 come-from-behind 10-9 victory over the New Westminster Salmonbellies. 鈥淚f they had pulled that out it was even and it doesn鈥檛 take a rocket scientist to know it was a huge game. It gives us the mental edge and they know that now.
鈥淭hey know we can come back,鈥� he said of bouncing back from a 9-6 deficit after two periods. 鈥淏ut it was also a good learning lesson for us. We have to be ready for that push. It鈥檚 not going to be an 11-3 game all the time and that鈥檚 a good team.鈥�
The Shamrocks won Game 1 by that lopsided 11-3 margin, but Game 2 was more of a gritty, character victory 鈥� a mix of stellar goaltending from Aaron Bold at an invaluable time, tenacious defence, timely goals from secondary scorers and the game-winner from captain Scott Ranger.
Now they focus on Game 3 tonight at 7:45 at The Q Centre in which the Shamrocks can set the hook into the Salmonbellies and prepare to reel them in. The locals have now won six straight post-season games and eight overall.
Corey Small and Rhys Duch were kept relatively in check for the first time this post-season, but the Shamrocks still managed the win thanks to three goals from Ranger and a pair from Karsen Leung.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that balance that we have,鈥� Heyes said of the scoring. 鈥淪ure, a lot of our points have come from Smallsy and Duchy, but sometimes we have to find other ways. Scott Ranger does it and with Jesse King out we have to find other ways.鈥�
King 鈥� who left Game 1 early after rolling his ankle 鈥� was not in the lineup on Monday, replaced by Chris Wardle.
鈥淐hris Wardle gives us a different look,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淛esse is an impact player and when he鈥檚 not there it makes it easier to defend, but Wardle has a great inside game. Yeah, the scoreboard shows Smallsy and Duchy didn鈥檛 have as many points, but our transition game came up big. We rode that.鈥�
Leung gladly accepted a pair of long outlets from goalie Bold to score off transition and Bold added a third assist on a similar pass to Dan MacRae.
鈥淲e鈥檙e winning in many different ways and showing resiliency in doing it,鈥� stressed Heyes, who is in love with many aspects of his team鈥檚 game 鈥� tough, aggressive defence; solid goaltending; and scoring as his team is averaging 12 goals for in six playoff games while allowing under six.
鈥淩ory Smith was solid. He plays solid, physical, playoff lacrosse. That鈥檚 something we saw the last two Mann Cups,鈥� he said of the former Six Nations Chiefs defender. 鈥淲e鈥檙e feeding off that intensity and there is a story emerging here and that鈥檚 Aaron Bold is phenomenal. His experience has shown here. He doesn鈥檛 panic.鈥�
Especially in a tough scenario Monday, down by three after surrendering five goals in the final seven minutes of the second period.
CLOVER POINTS: King was being reassessed on Tuesday and, now up 2-0, Heyes is not hard-pressed to throw him back in. 鈥淚f [Monday] had been a Game 7, he would have played,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥� Bold was not credited with his last two assists but that should be officially changed. Ranger was given two assists, but the second was the goal in which Bold fed Leung for his second.
