Coming off what he describes as his team鈥檚 two best efforts of the season, Victoria Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes is hoping for the same tonight and Friday.
The 8-2 and Western Lacrosse Association-leading club is in New Westminster tonight at 7:45 to face the always tough Salmonbellies (7-3) on their wooden floor. Victoria then returns home on Friday to entertain the Langley Thunder at 7:45 p.m. at The Q Centre.
There is plenty at stake tonight as a Shamrocks win would give them a seasonal series clinching win against the Salmonbellies and improve their hopes at first place overall come playoffs.
鈥淥ur last two were definitely our best of the year,鈥� Heyes said of impressive back-to-back 18-8 and 15-3 victories over New West and Coquitlam last week.
Heyes would love to see more of the same in this two-games-in-two-nights set, but the Shamrocks will have to do it without goalie Aaron Bold and sniper Dan Dawson.
鈥淛ust getting everybody in [the lineup] was important the last two. Having Aaron Bold and Dawson there, those are impact guys who we sought out and got,鈥� added Heyes. 鈥淭hose have been two key guys. Plus adding guys like [Steve] Priolo and a few other guys make us a different looking team, on the bigger side.
鈥淭here鈥檚 the potential there if the you-know-what hits the fan, we鈥檒l be better prepared for it.鈥�
Priolo is a rugged six-foot-five defender who adds even more toughness to the Shamrocks鈥� lineup, which secured Rory Smith in the off-season.
鈥淸Priolo] is excited about playing in that arena Thursday with that wood floor. It鈥檚 a unique thing,鈥� Heyes added of the recent recruit.
鈥淭his would also win us the season series and I want that. That鈥檚 our first goal and we want to be in first place,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淔ourteen wins should do that, so we still have six to go. Thursday is a big game and then there鈥檚 the back-to-back so you never know what鈥檚 going to happen in back-to-backs.
鈥淟ook at last week, 18-8 and 15-3. But this will be tougher. New West will be tougher at home and with Langley you never know what you鈥檒l get with them. They鈥檒l go out and beat New West one night and lose to whomever the next.鈥�
CLOVER POINTS: Dan MacRae is out game-to-game with a lower body injury and the now No. 2-ranked Shamrocks got down to their final 25-man roster on Wednesday. Derek Lowe was released last week and Mitch McLaren is on injured reserve. 鈥淚 put in my shopping list early and, really, everything has come in 鈥� from an A1 goaltender to the best defence in sa国际传媒 with the addition of MacRae and Priolo filling that. We have some huge guys on offence and you always want to have depth everywhere,鈥� said Heyes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e where we want to be with [No. 1] Six Nations and Peterborough, out east, stacked as well.鈥�
