Steve Priolo had a decision to make after his freshman basketball season in CIS (now U Sports) for the University of Windsor Lancers, when that summer he was selected 21st overall by the Buffalo Bandits in the 2009 pro National Lacrosse League draft.
The Victoria Shamrocks can count themselves fortunate he chose lacrosse. Priolo embodies all the aspects of the game that have allowed the fourth-seed Shamrocks to take a 3-1 lead over the top-seed Burnaby Lakers in their Western Lacrosse Association semifinal playoff series heading into Game 5 tonight at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby.
The Shamrocks can鈥檛 match Burnaby鈥檚 offensive depth. So they have neutralized it with a smothering approach that relies more on work ethic and hustle than it does fancy behind-the-back shots. For that, you need two-way transition players, which the Shamrocks have in abundance. This is a completely different style team than the highly-skilled unit that won the Mann Cup national title in 2015. Priolo was on that Shamrocks team, showing he fits in with any approach.
鈥淸Priolo] is better than he was two years ago,鈥� said Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes.
鈥淗e has turned into a great leader and calming influence and is tremendous on defence and transition.鈥�
It鈥檚 in those latter two aspects of the game in which the six-foot-five, 235-pound Priolo truly excels.
鈥淚鈥檓 always thinking defence first,鈥� said the 28-year-old from Ontario, who was a star in basketball at Holy Cross Secondary, and also in Junior A lacrosse for his hometown St. Catharines Athletics.
Chief among the defensive assignments is not to allow NLL pro and former Drexel NCAA standout Robert Church to get 13 shots for the Lakers, as he did Wednesday, in scoring four goals in Victoria鈥檚 pulsating 12-10 victory in Game 4 at the Q Centre.
鈥淚f Church is allowed to come over the top, that ball is going in the net,鈥� warned Priolo, who represented sa国际传媒 at the 2015 World Box Lacrosse championship in Syracuse and Buffalo.
鈥淲e have to take away Church鈥檚 time and space.鈥�
Also on both the 2015 Mann Cup-champion Shamrocks and world championship gold-medallist Canadian team that year with Priolo was goaltender Aaron Bold, who is another storyline in the Victoria-Burnaby playoff series. The NLL pro Bold has been solid.
鈥淲hen [Bold] is on, it means everything to us,鈥� said Shamrocks sniper Joe Resetarits, who had an eight-point night in Game 4 on Wednesday, including a hat-trick.
鈥淲hen he鈥檚 on, we鈥檙e winning.鈥�
The American Resetarits, a Rochester Nighthawks NLL pro and former Albany NCAA star in his first season with Victoria, said the Shamrocks need to be wary tonight: 鈥淏urnaby is going to come out with nothing to lose.鈥�
Victoria skipper Heyes concurred: 鈥淭he fourth win is always the toughest to get. We are going to have to match the Lakers鈥� desperation.鈥�
Just keep on keeping on, said Bold: 鈥淲e have been riding on emotion. We have to keep it going and trust in each other, our systems, and our coaches.鈥�
If required, Game 6 would be played at The Q Centre on Sunday evening, and Game 7 in Burnaby on Tuesday.
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