VICTORIA 10
COQUITLAM 6
听
Vancouver Islanders may have to wait until the sa国际传媒 Day weekend for official fireworks, but there was a definite, albeit quick, offensive explosion on Friday night as the Victoria Shamrocks opened up the Western Lacrosse Association season with a bang before 2,142 fans at Bear Mountain Arena.
The locals opened up a 4-0 lead 12 minutes into the first period and managed a 10-6 victory over the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs on the start of Victoria Day weekend.
With big-name newcomers such as Scott Ranger 鈥� who donned the captain鈥檚 C 鈥� and Cory Conway in the Shamrocks鈥� lineup for the first time, along with other off-season acquisitions Nolan Heavenor, Mitch Jones, Dylan Evans, Tyler Burton and Scott Carnegie, it was local draft pick Adam Brown who took all of 31 seconds to record the first goal.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better start, just cut from the corner, Conway found me. I didn鈥檛 have an angle, just threw a backhand and prayed and it went in,鈥� said Brown, who was elated with the first tally. 鈥淚 was pretty happy with myself. I was jumping for joy.鈥�
Jones, Ben McCullough and Michael Pires also scored in the opening period and Jones was then rudely attacked near the players鈥� bench by his brother Jason Jones of the Adanacs.
Ranger eventually bagged three goals while Jones had a pair for Victoria. Karsen Leung and Corey Small also scored for the Shamrocks, who led 5-0 before Travis Cornwall finally got the Adanacs on the scoreboard at 3:49 of the middle frame. Jason Jones, Matthew Dinsdale, Jesse Guerin, Ryan Johnson and Jimmy Delaney also scored for Coquitlam.
Conway 鈥� who led the WLA in assists last season with 56 鈥� had seven helpers on the night for Victoria, while Small had four assists.
But it was nice to see Brown, whose dad, Bob, and uncle, Rick, played for the Shamrocks, get the first one.
鈥淕ood for Adam, with his dad who used to play and his uncle, it was kind of a fitting thing,鈥� said head coach Bob Heyes. 鈥淗e worked his butt off to get here and he moves around well, just the type of guy we need to get it going.
鈥淚t was a good start,鈥� added Heyes. 鈥淭he first period showed us some stuff, but they battled back.鈥�
Ranger led the WLA in scoring last season with 55 goals and 37 assists in Nanaimo, ahead of Small, who had 42 goals and 38 assists in one less game. Conway, was fifth in league scoring with 12 goals and the 56 assists also in Nanaimo and, like Ranger, asked to be traded in the off-season. He returned home to his native Victoria, where Ranger played as a junior.
Coquitlam goalie Nick Rose, the most valuable player in the WLA last season, left the game after one period, replaced by Adam Shute.
Matt Flindell earned the win in net for Victoria, making several key saves during a lull in the second period and again in the third.
CLOVER POINTS: The Shamrocks were without Jeff Shattler, who has not arrived in town yet, but is expected next week as Victoria travels to New Westminster on Thursday and then returns to play host to Burnaby on Friday. Also out were Matt Vinc, Rhys Duch, Tyler Hass, Greg Harnett, Mitch McLaren and Rhys Jones. The Adanacs were without 2012 leading scorer and Shamrock killer Dane Dobbie.
