The Nanaimo DBL Timbermen showed some resolve during the first week of the season.
The city’s senior B lacrosse team lost its home opener 18-8 on Thursday to the Port Moody Thunder, but one night later Nanaimo turned things around and thumped the North Shore Indians 16-9 on the mainland.
“We found our mojo,” said Shawn Swanson, veteran player.
Friday’s outcome was remarkable in that the DBL men trailed by scores of 4-1 and 6-3. A goalie change at that point helped spark the team and Nanaimo outscored North Shore 10-1 in the third period.
Jordan Jarvis led the offence with five goals and three assists, Jon Diplock scored four goals and Joey Fendick had a hat trick to go with three assists. Gabe Sutherland picked up a goal and five helpers and other scorers were Ryan Dietterle, Nick Agius and Swanson. Pat Mallough was the winning goalie and was supported by “very, very smart defence,” said Swanson.
It was a marked turnaround from the previous night at the Nanaimo Ice Centre, where coach Mike Maughan said there were some mistakes and miscommunication in the back end.
But it was largely a rough first period in that game that sunk the DBL Timbermen.
“We got behind early; that can be attributed to jitters,” said Maughan. “You get behind like that and it’s kind of hard to build your way back out of that.”
Defender Kyle Couling said the players showed better teamwork and more aggression as that game went on and said the T-men would be able to build off of it.
“A lot of new faces, a lot of guys that don’t know each other and I like the way we came together by the end of the game,” he said.
Diplock scored four goals in that one, Joey Fendick had a goal and an assist and Couling, Ryan Clark and Shane Chalker were the other scorers. Tony Wyse suffered the loss in goal.
GAME ON … Nanaimo plays Port Moody on the road Monday (May 7). The team’s next home game is Saturday (May 12) against the Langley Warriors at 7 p.m. at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
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