The Victoria Shamrocks will compete for their fourth straight Western Lacrosse Association championship and a chance to defend their 2015 Mann Cup crown, but the stubborn Maple Ridge Burrards stand in their way.
Game 1 goes tonight at 7:45 at The Q Centre before moving on to Game 2 on the mainland on Friday and back to the Island on Sunday for Game 3, both at 6 p.m.
Victoria outlasted Burnaby in seven games in the semifinals, while the Burrards trumped New Westminster in five and have sat for a week, which some prognosticators suggest turns this into advantage Maple Ridge.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e very set offensively and have an outstanding goaltender. Look at our lineup, with our injuries, we鈥檙e the underdogs here,鈥� said Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes. 鈥淩egardless of what people are going to want to say, we鈥檙e the underdogs going into this. It鈥檚 going to be a tough series.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e been sitting, but they鈥檙e also focused. All the BS that went down earlier this year about them having the peace bond placed against them 鈥� they鈥檙e focused and they鈥檙e going to want to prove to everybody that they can play lacrosse and do it on their own terms.鈥�
The intimidating Burrards were slapped with a $25,000 bond by the league following a game against the Burnaby Lakers on May 29 in which 16 penalties were levied with 15 seconds remaining in overtime. Citing a history of late-game brawls, the league took action and the two sides later came to an undisclosed agreement and Maple Ridge鈥檚 season carried on.
But that was then and this is now as the Shamrocks attempt to become the first WLA team to win four straight championships since Victoria did it five times from 2002-06.
New Westminster played in six straight finals from 2006-11, winning in 2008-10.
鈥淢aple Ridge is going to come out and punish us. We鈥檝e already been punished in this series physically, but we鈥檝e been there before,鈥� said Heyes, who has had to rely on junior call-ups through an injury-plagued post-season. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to regroup and get used to another arsenal that is very good offensively.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to play them on our terms. We鈥檙e well aware of what they bring. It鈥檚 no different than during the regular season and we鈥檙e well aware of what they have,鈥� Heyes added of the rugged Burrards.
Victoria won two of three meetings during the season 鈥� losing 12-10 in overtime at home, winning 12-10 in Burnaby and claiming the last matchup 14-8 on July 15.
Shamrocks sniper Rhys Duch led the league with 101 points during the regular season and has 40 points to pace the playoffs ahead of teammates Cory Conway and Corey Small with 29 and 28, respectively. Maple Ridge responds with the likes of Riley Loewen, Ben McIntosh, Mike Mallory, Dan Taylor, Jarrett Davis and goalie Frankie Scigliano.
And they are rested.
鈥淭hey most definitely have an advantage with the rest, but we had three days off. I know we took a lot of injuries, but we know what to expect and I think we have enough to beat them. It鈥檚 going to be a heck of a series. It鈥檚 going to be rough,鈥� said Victoria鈥檚 Jeff Shattler, who was here for the 2013 championship win, but not the last two.
鈥淚t would be nice to carry on that tradition; the fans are amazing and we want to do it for them and our guys in the room.鈥�
But Conway, who led the Shamrocks with 15 points in the last two games against Burnaby after returning from injury, insists the rest will not be an advantage for Maple Ridge.
鈥淲e鈥檙e focused and every game is huge. Like this last series just showed us, we鈥檙e not taking anything for granted. We鈥檙e going to keep working and, hopefully, the results come,鈥� he said.
