The opponents couldn鈥檛 be more disparate this weekend for the Victoria Shamrocks.
The Langley Thunder (2-8) come into The Q Centre tonight sitting last in the Western Lacrosse Association. The Shamrocks will cross the strait for Saturday鈥檚 game against the Salmonbellies at historic Queen鈥檚 Park Arena in New Westminster. The 鈥橞ellies are 6-2 on the floor but 5-3 in the standings after having a win against the Nanaimo Timbermen taken away because of the use of an ineligible player.
鈥淚 hope it鈥檚 not two different results,鈥� quipped Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes, about the difference in weekend opponents and venues.
鈥淲e need to have the mindset that we need to take care of Langley [and not look ahead to New Westminster],鈥� said Heyes.
Especially since the Thunder won the first meeting this season against Victoria at The Q Centre. That is not forgotten in the Shamrocks camp.
鈥淲e owe them one,鈥� said Heyes.
Also noted is the Thunder鈥檚 plucky effort on Wednesday night as Nanaimo needed to rally from a 10-7 third-period deficit to win 11-10 in overtime at the Langley Events Centre.
That result didn鈥檛 do Victoria any favours as it left the Shamrocks, currently sitting out of a playoff position, in fifth place and two points behind the tied-for-fourth Timbermen and Salmonbellies, with Nanaimo holding a game in hand.
The Shamrocks (4-4) were a pre-season favourite and have won three consecutive games, and four of their last five, but may yet pay dearly for their surprising 0-3 start. WLA teams only play 18 regular-season games, so every game matters.
Langley star Dane Dobbie, who had three goals and seven points in Wednesday鈥檚 overtime loss to the Timbermen, will bear watching tonight. Dobbie is the all-time franchise leading scorer for the defending professional National Lacrosse League-champion Calgary Roughnecks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 basically Dane Dobbie and a bunch of young guys,鈥� said Heyes, about the Thunder.
鈥淒obbie is not a physical specimen but just a pure lacrosse player.鈥�
And with Langley likely to miss the playoffs, a player who will be highly sought after as the WLA trade/loan deadline looms Monday.
Heyes confirmed the Shamrocks are actively in the hunt, but probably so are all the other playoff-contender teams.
鈥淚f we can get a Dane Dobbie and make our team better, why not?鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy with what we have. But come playoff time, you need depth.鈥�
It all depends on the asking price for a rest-of-the-season loan deal for Dobbie, which could be steep with Langley holding the cards.
Another player of trade/loan interest could be NCAA Div. 1 Robert Morris player and former Junior Shamrocks star Brad McCulley, selected third overall in the first round of the 2019 WLA draft by the Thunder.
鈥淲e need not get distracted by trade talk or the Saturday game in New Westminster,鈥� warned Heyes.
It鈥檚 first things first tonight against Langley.
鈥淲e鈥檙e 4-4 and probably need to get to 10 wins to make the playoffs,鈥� said the Victoria skipper.
The Shamrocks quest must continue without star snipers Jesse King, away helping Hong Kong prepare for the 2019 world box lacrosse championships coming in the fall at the Langley Events Centre, and the injured Casey Jackson and Tyson Gibson.
But an emerging freshman class more than made up for those absences in the 14-6 victory over the Coquitlam Adanacs in Victoria鈥檚 previous game last Friday.
Chris Boushy and Larson Sundown from New York state both recorded hat tricks with five assists for Sundown and three by Boushy. Fellow rookies Marshal King added a hat trick and two assists and Keegan Bell two goals and two assists. Victoria鈥檚 2018 first-round draft pick, Cole Pickup, technically also a rookie after sitting out last season, had a goal and four assists.
The 21-year-old Boushy is showing why he was such a prolific scorer in Ontario Junior A with the Burlington Chiefs and why he got a shot in the pro NLL this past winter with Calgary and the Rochester Knighthawks. Sundown, equally squirmy in front of the net, made the NCAA Div. II championship game this spring against two-time defending champion Merrimack at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. King is a dynamic playmaker out of the Junior Shamrocks and NCAA Div. 1 Drexel.
鈥淭hose [rookies] really share the ball with great passing and are starting to feel really good about their games,鈥� said Heyes.
鈥淭hey enjoyed themselves in last week鈥檚 game and you could see it with the smiles on their faces. It just clicked for them.鈥�
It will need to again this weekend.
