With his Victoria Shamrocks trailing 3-0 with less than five minutes remaining in the first period Sunday at the Q Centre, head coach Bob Heyes knew the game was at the tipping point.
His charges responded with five unanswered goals in a furious scoring splurge in the final four minutes to head into the first break leading the suddenly reeling New Westminster Salmonbellies by two goals.
Adding three goals to start the second period, Victoria was well on its way to an 11-5 victory to tie the best-of-seven Western Lacrosse Association championship series 1-1 before 1,941 fans.
鈥淭here was a sense of urgency beginning to emerge 鈥� and I was thinking we can鈥檛 let this game get away from us,鈥� Heyes said of the early Victoria deficit in Game 2, following a 9-7 loss in New Westminster in Game 1.
鈥淏ut I also knew we can score in quick runs when we find the right combinations.鈥�
Which is exactly what the Shamrocks did Sunday.
鈥淲ith Rhys Duch back in the lineup [after the all-time career great sniper missed all of the seven-game semifinal series against the Burnaby Lakers], we were able to get our righty-lefty shooting combinations better balanced and New Westminster was not able to focus mostly on our left side,鈥� Heyes said.
鈥淚鈥檒l take the goals anyway they come. If they come in bunches, fine. It doesn鈥檛 matter when scoring happens. As long as it happens.鈥�
Game 3 is tonight at Queen鈥檚 Park Arena in New Westminster, Game 4 at the Q Centre on Friday and Game 5 in New Westminster next Sunday.
The Shamrocks must go the rest of the way without junior call-up Danny Smith, who left Monday for NCAA Div. 1 field-lacrosse play at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. The fleet-footed Smith was a factor in the semifinal series against Burnaby and also in the first two games of the final against New Westminster.
鈥淲e will miss Danny Smith鈥檚 speed. He was a great addition and was like the lacrosse equivalent of Pavel Bure. It takes the X-Factor out of our lineup,鈥� Heyes said.
鈥淎lthough they don鈥檛 have that speed, we have plenty of great veteran transition players like Tyler Hass, Steve Priolo and Sheldon Burns, to name a few, so that role is still well covered. I tell the players, it鈥檚 the little things that win games for us. When we take care of the little things, the big things 鈥� like goals 鈥� take care of themselves.鈥�
And Duch鈥檚 return is crucial regarding the latter.
鈥淗aving a fairly healthy Rhys Duch [the 2016 WLA scoring champion with a heady 101 points in just 16 games] back is key for us,鈥� Heyes said.
Duch had two goals and two assists Sunday, as did the equally gifted offensive threat and fellow NLL pro Joe Resetarits. WLA regular-season scoring champion Corey Small had three goals and three assists for the Shamrocks. Rookie Evan Messenger added a goal and two assists, along with Priolo. Casey Jackson and Hass added a goal each and Chris Wardle three assists and Smith two assists. Joel McCready led New Westminster with two goals.
Aaron Bold made 41 saves in goal for the Shamrocks and Alexis Buque 39 for the 鈥橞ellies.
The three stars were Small, Priolo and Bold.
The Salmonbellies have won a record 24 Mann Cup national titles since 1913, although not since 1991. New Westminster last won the WLA title in 2010, the last of a three-year run as league champions.
The Shamrocks are in their fifth consecutive WLA final, having won the league crown in 2013, 2014 and 2015, before losing to the Maple Ridge Burrards in last year鈥檚 final.
The WLA champion will host the best-of-seven Mann Cup against the Ontario Major Lacrosse champions. The Peterborough Lakers and Six Nations Chiefs are meeting in the best-of-seven Ontario final for the fourth consecutive year, with that series beginning tonight.
