While it was great to see veterans聽 such as Scott Ranger, Rhys Duch and Dan Dawson clutching the Mann Cup during ceremonies on the floor at The Q Centre on Friday night, the younger Victoria Shamrocks also played huge roles in finally securing the national title.
Jesse King, 23, and Karsen Leung, 25, both scored two goals in the clinching 12-6 win over the Peterborough Lakers.
Leung got them started with back-to-back transition goals to make it 3-0 after Corey Small, who was named the Mann Cup鈥檚 most valuable player, tallied the first just 50 seconds in.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 even express the feelings right now. Growing up here, watching the Shamrocks win the Mann Cup and now to be able to do it myself with these guys 鈥� unbelievable,鈥� said Leung. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such a great group of core guys in there and it makes it all that much more special.鈥�
As was Leung鈥檚 performance.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been trying for the last two years to do this and it finally happened. I was lying in bed [Friday] thinking, what if? I was so fired up, thinking we need to do it tonight. End it.鈥�
King had the same feeling.
鈥淚鈥檝e been watching this team since back in Memorial Arena. I watched Matt Roik as a starter [goalie] and now he鈥檚 here in a fill-in role, who did what he needed to do and we did what we needed to do,鈥� said King.
While Leung鈥檚 goals came early, King鈥檚 came late. After the Lakers closed it to 6-4 after two periods, King scored 30 seconds into the third period and four minutes later for an 8-4 lead.
鈥淎bsolutely, it feels good,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 like to think that I try to be as energetic as possible and upbeat as possible because I鈥檓 a bit of a younger guy still. I鈥檓 extremely happy.鈥�
King leaves today to finish his degree at Ohio State University and is expected to be a top pick in the National Lacrosse League draft in two weeks.
TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO
Two Shamrocks have now won two major championships this year as goalie Aaron Bold and defenceman Ryan Dilks added the Mann Cup to their previous NLL crowns with the Edmonton Rush (who have since moved to Saskatoon).
The pair will go for a rare triple as they represent sa国际传媒 at the world championship this month.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 goal No. 2 of three. I鈥檓 exhausted, but it feels good right now,鈥� said Bold, who returned to his native Victoria for this Mann Cup run. 鈥淰ictoria is an amazing city and one day I will retire here.鈥�
Bold鈥檚 lifemate, Michelle Fines 鈥� who is battling Stage 4 cancer 鈥� was in Victoria for the past couple of weeks, which made this run even more special for the Shamrocks family.
Bold and Dilks will be joined at worlds by Shamrocks teammates Dan Dawson (sa国际传媒鈥檚 captain) and Steve Priolo.
SCENE AND HEARD:
Shamrocks defenceman Rory Smith won his third straight Mann Cup ring after winning with Six Nations in 2013 and 2014. His brother, Brendan, a defenceman with the Detroit Red Wings, was in Victoria for most of the week to share in his brother鈥檚 win. Rory, an instrumental part of the season, missed the last two games due to injury.
