Shamrocks roll into Langley to face Thunder
GAME DAY: VICTORIA AT LANGLEY, 7 P.M.
The Langley Events Centre, known for its striking use of wood beams, is a go-to hive of athletic activity and hosts everything from the B.C. high school basketball championships annually to Trinity Western basketball and volleyball games in U Sports.
While the building is one of B.C.’s most successful sports facilities, many of its tenants have recently struggled. The Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League have missed the playoffs with regularity. After three consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, the Vancouver Stealth finally broke even at .500 this year and qualified for the pro National Lacrosse League postseason. But the Langley Thunder, the Event Centre’s Western Lacrosse Association tenant, is going nowhere this season at 1-9 after finishing 3-15 last season.
The second-place Victoria Shamrocks (7-3-1) head to the Langley Events Centre tonight to face the lowly Thunder. The form chart indicates a soft spot on the schedule for the ’Rocks, but any good team knows to be wary of anybody.
The Shamrocks will not have to be reminded they needed a goal from draft-pick and rookie Cody Nass with five seconds remaining to take a 10-9 victory over the Thunder in the season opener at The Q Centre in Colwood.
Victoria will also know to be well aware that J.P. Kealey of the Thunder scored a hat-trick against them and that the former NCAA Div. 1 Robert Morris University field-lacrosse star from Ottawa is tied for third in WLA scoring with 38 points.
“The race in the standings is close for us and every game counts for a lot. There are no guarantees yet for playoff spots and you can’t look past anybody,” said Shamrocks GM Chris Welch.
Shamrocks head coach Bob Heyes concurred.
“Langley is a young team that has played everybody tough and has come close in a number of games,” added Heyes.
“We estimate we will need a minimum of 10 wins to get into the playoffs and these two games this week [Langley and Victoria meet again Friday night at The Q Centre] would get us close. So these are big games we can’t afford to look past.”
The Langley Events Centre is a place Shamrocks’ players Corey Small, Jon Harnett and Rhys Duch, who play in the NLL for the Stealth, know well. Although it will be strange for them to be in the visitors dressing room tonight. Evan Messenger, Victoria’s top pick in the 2017 WLA draft, also plays in the NLL for the Stealth but hasn’t suited up yet for the Shamrocks due to an ankle injury incurred during a Stealth playoff game.
Heyes said Messenger, selected seventh overall in the first round out of the Delta Islanders junior team, is close to full health and could make his Shamrocks debut either tonight in Langley or Friday at The Q Centre.
“Messenger will take warm-up [tonight] and be a game-time decision,” said Heyes, who added he definitely expects to see his prize rookie in the lineup at home Friday.
The veteran Duch, however, will again sit out tonight as nagging injuries have limited the dangerous sniper to only spot duty so far this season. Missing his linemate Duch, however, hasn’t slowed Small this season as the dynamic points machine leads the WLA in both goals with 26 and points with 63. Next best in points is Eli McLaughlin of the Burnaby Lakers, way back in the cheap seats with 39.
“We often hear how playing with Rhys [Duch] benefits Corey [Small], but we always knew Corey was a world-class talent with or without playing alongside Rhys,” said Welch. Small is proving it this season. “Duch and Small have had the Gretzky-Kurri dynamic duo thing happening, but this year, Corey Small is proving he can play with other people and also manufacture points on his own,” said Heyes.
“Corey has taken the bull by the horns this season.”