The senior B Nanaimo Timbermen need to turn things around tonight.
The West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association finals have reached the do-or-die stage for the Timbermen, who trail their best-of-five series against the Langley Warriors, two games to none.
The Warriors won Game 1 in Langley 7-4, then doubled up the T-men 6-3 in Nanaimo, setting up a Game 3 on Thursday (Aug. 11) back at the Langley Events Centre.
“You’ve got to dig deep and everybody’s got to come together and be at their best,” said Mike Maughan, the team’s coach. “You’ve got to perform to your absolute best … We’ve got to make sure everybody’s prepared to lay it all out on the floor.”
The Timbermen are prepared to go try to win on the road. Team captain Jon Diplock pointed out that Nanaimo won two big games on the mainland in the semifinals, so players can draw from that experience.
“It doesn’t really matter where you’re playing, just as long as you play your game,” he said. “It’s the same floor, it’s just different people cheering.”
Maughan said his team will make sure it has the right kind of mental focus for a must-win game. The Timbermen have to be prepared to face adversity, he said.
“We’ve been trailing against a good team, so frustration can mount, but it’s how you react … and how you try to overcome it. Things don’t go your way a lot of the time, but you can let that be your downfall or you can kind of battle through and try to find ways around it.”
Diplock said his team understands what’s at stake and thinks the Timbermen have the sort of players who can raise their game when it matters most.
“We’ve battled hard all year and fought to get here, so we’re not just going to be pushed over,” he said.
GAME ON … Game 3 starts at 7 p.m. in Langley. The game will be streamed live online and at Carlos O'Bryans pub on Stewart Ave. For more information, please see the senior B Timbermen Facebook page … Game 4, if necessary, would be Saturday (Aug. 13) at 5 p.m. at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
Senior B lacrosse finals Game 3 webcast from Langley will be shown live tonight (Aug. 11) at 6:45 p.m. at Carlos O'Bryans pub. #lacrosse
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) August 11, 2016