VICTORIA 12
NANAIMO 7
听
Mike Triolo should come with instructions: Break glass in case of Victoria Shamrocks penalty emergency 鈥� that鈥檚 when Triolo really comes to life on the floor.
The six-foot-eight, 245-pound Victoria forward has proved to be an exceptional ball ragger and killer of the clock this Western Lacrosse Association season when the Shamrocks are short-handed. It鈥檚 hard to take the ball away from the native of Scarborough, Ont., the tallest player selected in the 2015 pro National Lacrosse League draft when he went in the third round to the Buffalo Bandits.
But Triolo took it to another level, into the offensive zone, Friday night before 1,995 fans at the Q Centre. Three of Triolo鈥檚 four goals in the 12-7 victory over the Nanaimo Timbermen were scored short-handed. The Shamrocks had only one previous short-handed goal on the season. Triolo had a five-point night and has 14 goals and 37 points on the season and is sixth in WLA scoring.
The points factory known as Corey Small, WLA leader in both goals with 26 and points with 63, had three goals and four assists for seven points Friday.
The dynamic NLL Vancouver Stealth pro is the runaway WLA points leader. Next best in points is Eli McLaughlin of the Burnaby Lakers, way back in the upper-bowl seats with 39.
Casey Jackson, acquired in an off-season trade that is paying off handsomely for the 鈥橰ocks, scored three goals and added two assists. The former Victoria Junior Shamrocks star, who was drafted by the Lakers and played four productive seasons in Burnaby, is having a standout year back in his hometown and is second in WLA goals behind Small with 22, despite missing three games with a pulled hamstring. Jackson is tied for third in league scoring with
38 points. You would never know he sat out last season, after being traded by Burnaby to Nanaimo. The Shamrocks obtained his rights from the Timbermen in exchange for a second-round
2018 draft pick.
Cody Nass added a goal and three assists for the Shamrocks and Josh Fagan notched a goal and an assist. Six-foot-one Victoria-native Jake Cullen scored the hat-trick for Nanaimo and Chase Fraser the brace.
Aaron Bold made 40 saves in goal for the Shamrocks, who led
4-0 after the first period and 7-5 after the second, and Peter Dubenski 42 for the Timbermen.
Victoria moved its record to
7-3-1 while the Timbermen dropped to 3-7-1. Nanaimo has made the playoffs only once, in 2007, in the 12 seasons since re-entering the WLA in 2005. The Timberman are trying to avoid missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season, but are in sixth place and four points adrift of the fourth and final post-season berth.
Victoria, which beat Nanaimo 16-9 on June 18 at Frank Crane Arena in the Harbour City, leads the Island derby 2-0. The rivals close out their regular-season account at Frank Crane on July 15.
The Shamrocks turn their attention to bottom-dwelling Langley Thunder (1-9) for a home-and-home set Wednesday at the Langley Events Centre and Friday at the Q Centre.
BOXLA BITS: The late Lawrie Smith, volunteer for the Shamrocks for more than five decades, was honoured with a moment of silence before Friday鈥檚 game and his family took part in the ceremonial opening face-off . . . Among those in attendance Friday was Premier-designate John Horgan, an avid Shamrocks fan..
