Sure, the junior A Nanaimo Timbermen lost to the last-placed team.
But with the season only halfway through, the juniors know it isn’t the last game that matters – it’s the next one. The T-men (3-8) realize now, more than ever, the need to respond to adversity.
The answers, said team captain Glenn Foley, lie in the Timbermen locker room – they’ve just got to find those answers.
“I know with the talent and with the ability and with the coaching staff we have, we can do it,” he said.
Some of the frustrations come from inconsistency. Leading up to Sunday’s 12-8 loss to Port Coquitlam, the Timbermen thought they played well in a one-goal win over Delta and a one-goal loss to Victoria.
“The previous two games we played like a team,” said Nirmal Dillon, assistant coach. “Now we’re right back where we were at the beginning of the season. I just don’t understand this team.”
Cody Bremner, veteran player, said he saw no intensity and very little effort in Sunday’s loss.
“If we put in effort we’re a good team, we can play with anybody,” he said. “But when we don’t bring the effort we aren’t a good team.”
The Timbermen have had different lineups every game due to a variety of reasons, but Foley said that’s no excuse.
“We’ve all played on different teams, different coaches, different atmospheres,” he said. “In training camp and the first few games you can kind of get the rough patches out, but by now, [11 games] into the season, we need to start putting wins together.”
The loss to PoCo, said Dillon, hurts Nanaimo’s playoff hopes.
“We’ve got to start winning or we’re going to have a lot of trouble,” he said.
Bremner said the road is harder now, but still manageable.
“We still control our own destiny,” he said. “But we’ve got to be able to bear down and win those important games, not just get up for the good teams.”
GAME ON … The Nanaimo Timbermen junior A lacrosse team plays the Burnaby Lakers Sunday (June 12) on the road. The next home game at the Nanaimo Ice Centre is June 19 against the Coquitlam Adanacs.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com