The junior A Nanaimo Timbermen showed they're right there among the league's best.
The T-men lost 10-8 to the Victoria Shamrocks on Tuesday night in B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League action at Frank Crane Arena. The T-men led by as many as three goals in the second period and also led 8-7 early in the third. The contest was a one-goal game most of the third period until the Shamrocks got an insurance goal with a minute left.
"I felt we really should have won that game except for those little mental errors that seem to come with inexperience that are the difference in these tight games," said Kyle Couling, Timbermen coach.
The Shamrocks outshot the T-men 59-40, but Couling said his defence kept most of those shots to the perimeter.
"We can compete with them and beat them…" said Jeremy Roe, T-men captain. "Everyone knows we played great. It was just a few minor, minor things."
The result dropped the Timbermen back to .500 and the coach said those possible points were important in the standings.
"I think that slipped through our grasp and might bite us," Couling said.
Playing such intense lacrosse, however, could serve the team well moving forward, said Roe.
"Anyone watching, they can see, it's just way more heated than a regular game," he said. "There's just way more intensity; the rivalry is evident."
Brett Hawrys scored a hat trick for Nanaimo, Dane Sorensen had two goals and Connor Leies, Alec Molander and Cole Kryworuchka were the other scorers. Jerryd Jensen made 49 saves in defeat.
GAME ON … The junior Timbermen visit the Port Coquitlam Saints on Sunday (May 24).
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
Good junior A lacrosse game tonight, Shamrocks got past Timbermen 10-8. Article to come… #BCJALL #lacrosse #lax pic.twitter.com/KW2gwcG8va
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) May 20, 2015