Right now, the Nanaimo DBL Timbermen are still a goal or two behind the league’s best team. They hope to make up that difference by playoff time.
The senior B T-men (10-7) lost 9-8 to the first-placed Valley Rebels on Sunday at the Nanaimo Ice Centre, a day after defeating the Royal City Capitals 17-10 at the NIC.
The results leave the Timbermen in fourth place in the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association, but just four points out of first.
“We’re not really too worried that we’re not able to compete with these teams,” said Mike Maughan, coach of the DBL T-men. “It’s just a matter of getting our game sorted out before playoffs, when it matters … We have flashes where we're good and then some parts where we've got a lot of stuff we still need to work on."
On Sunday the Rebels broke open a third-period tie to go up by three, but the Timbermen scored twice in the dying moments to make things interesting.
“The guys battled really hard,” Maughan said. “Even when we were down three goals near the end of the game there, we didn’t quit.”
Shawn Swanson had two goals and Rick Fields, Shane Chalker, Ryan Dietterle, Kyle Noble, Ryan Clark and Jon Diplock scored the others. Pat Mallough tended goal.
The night before against the Caps, Diplock had five goals and three assists, Ryan Forslund had a hat trick and Noble and Swanson had a pair of goals each. Other scorers were Gabe Sutherland, Ben Stebbins, Fields, Matt Maughan and Isaac Thomas and Ray Hodgkinson was the winning goalie.
GAME ON … The DBL T-men play the Ladner Pioneers tonight (July 12) on the road, then play their final home game of the regular season Sunday at 5:30 p.m. against the Langley Warriors … The team has signed junior A Timbermen players Bryan Dougan, Alex McDougall, Mark Hilker and Evan Benham … The senior B T-men unveiled their new away jerseys on Sunday at home. The jersey gives added prominence to longtime title sponsor DBL Disposal. "It gives back to DBL a bit," said Swanson, the team's general manager. "I think they look pretty sharp … We love 'em."
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