After a previous four-game (3-1) stretch against likely non-playoff teams, the Victoria Shamrocks (10-4-1) will close out the Western Lacrosse Association regular season against three playoff-bound teams.
The run begins tonight in Burnaby against the Lakers (8-5-1).
鈥淥ur first goal was accomplished, to make the playoffs, and now we play the other three big guns to decide seeds . . . and this is key because home-floor advantage means less travel in the end,鈥� said Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the core of our focus now. We will likely meet Burnaby or New Westminster in the first round, so this will be good preparation for the playoffs against a full-roster Burnaby team that has all its pro players back now.鈥�
The teams met in last year鈥檚 first round with the Shamrocks outlasting the Lakers in seven games.
The Lakers have never won the WLA crown and never played in the Mann Cup national championship.
鈥淭hey have all the tools but have not taken that next step,鈥� said Heyes.
It is the Shamrocks鈥� job to prevent that next step from being taken by the Lakers.
Victoria closes out the season next Thursday in New Westminster and next Friday at home to Burnaby at The Q Centre.
It is a foregone conclusion Corey Small of the Shamrocks will win the WLA scoring championship. The Victoria sniper has 78 points with nobody else past the low 50s. The next closest Shamrocks player is Casey Jackson with 52 points. Eli McLaughlin leads Burnaby with 50 points while Robert Church has 46.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
