Maple Ridge Burrards 10 at Victoria Shamrocks 9 recap

Maple Ridge Burrards 10 at Victoria Shamrocks 9

Burrards take first of home and home in BC Capital in exciting 1 goal game on Friday

Written by Justis Doucet

Victoria - Friday night's matchup with the Maple Ridge Burrards was one that many 'Rocks fans had circled on their calendars since the release of the 2017 schedule. It was the first of a home and home with Maple Ridge which will wrap up Tuesday night on the mainland. Victoria took the opening matchup 12-10 in Maple Ridge in the first meeting between the teams since last year's WLA Final.

The Rocks started the game firing on all cylinders, scoring the game's first three goals. Rhys Duch opened the scoring in his return to the lineup eight minutes in, then Mike Triolo extended the lead just thirty-one seconds later. Chris Wardle made it 3-0 two minutes after Triolo's marker. Maple Ridge then responded with three of their own, with goals from Matthew Dinsdale, Ben McIntosh, and Garrett McIntosh over a span of six minutes. The 3-3 tie was short lived, as Corey Small put the home side back in front thirty seconds later, and Victoria held a 4-3 lead after the first period.

Maple Ridge tied the game forty seconds into the second before Mike Triolo put the Shamrocks back in front with his second of the night. Ben McCullough then received a stretch pass from Aaron Bold and stepped into a shot from the slot in transition beating Frank Scigliano for his first of the season. It was also the first point of the season for Bold, and the lead was extended to 6-4. Dan Taylor scored his second of the period to bring the Burrards back within one with 6:25 left in the period. Triolo finished off the hat trick in the final minute of the second period, taking a pass from Duch and beating Scigliano to make it 7-5 Victoria. The 'Rocks took the two-goal lead to the dressing room after forty minutes with the shots twenty-three aside.

The teams traded chances in the third period until Corey Small took a shot that hit a defender and fooled Maple Ridge netminder Frank Scigliano and barely rolled across the line to make it 8-5. The Burrards wouldn't go away, scoring twice in three minutes to make it a one-goal game. Then the WLA's second leading scorer tied it at 10:37. The Burrards scored twice more in the next thirty seconds to take a 10-8 lead with nine minutes to go. The league's best power-play got a chance to trim the deficit with six minutes left and Josh Fagan beat Scigliano as the penalty was winding down to make it a 10-9 game. It now marks three straight games with a goal for Fagan after not scoring in his first five games. Aaron Bold made a great play with thirty seconds left coming out of his goal and forcing a turnover at the back of the net so Victoria could call timeout. The Shamrocks had their chances to tie the game but could not find the equalizer.

Maple Ridge took home a 10-9 win, evening the season series at one apiece with the third and final meeting on Tuesday in Maple Ridge.  Mike Triolo was the game's first star with three goals and an assist and Corey Small was the third star with two goals and two helpers. Maple Ridge's Mike Mallory was the game's second star with a pair of goals.

In the first intermission, the Shamrocks rose another banner into the rafters of The Q Centre, the number five of Ranj Dillon. Dillon started his Senior Shamrocks career in 1964 and won rookie of the year. Three years later was the WLA scoring champion with 95 points in 29 games, a first team all-star, and league MVP. The next season he set his career high in goals (44), assists (72), and points (116).  After losing the 1978 Mann Cup to Peterborough in seven games, Dillon leads the 1979 'Rocks to their first Mann Cup Championship in twenty-two years. That was the final season of his career, scoring 22 points in 14 games. Over his career, Dillon scored 450 goals, 788 assists for 1238 points in just 453 games, was a league all-star seven times and was voted winner of the Maitland Trophy for sportsmanship three times.

Complete Game Stats: http://westernlacrosse.wttstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=3102263

Victoria Shamrocks player stats: http://bit.ly/2qAWxOo

Game Photos (credit Jay Wallace): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u5haq9wqx3g55wr/AADV-RGPzRAEjz6faiIdvrsqa?dl=0

Next game: (AWAY) Tuesday June 27th Victoria Shamrocks at Maple Ridge Burrards, 7:00pm, Planet Ice arena

Next HOME game: Friday June 30th vs Nanaimo Timbermen, 7:30pm at The Q centre presented by View Royal Casino, Tickets HERE or 250-478-7625.