The Western Lacrosse Association playoff race is going to be a beauty, and the Nanaimo Timbermen are right in the thick of things.
The Coastal Windows Timbermen senior A team (4-4-2) plays a key road game tonight (July 6) against the Langley Thunder (5-5-1).
"We need those two points," said Art Webster, coach of the T-men. "We've got to keep pushing forward."
Nanaimo is coming off a 10-8 win over the Maple Ridge Burrards on Saturday. That victory briefly vaulted the Timbermen into third place in the WLA, but they have since dropped back to fifth, while the Thunder have taken over third place.
"They're starting to play real good, they've beat all the top teams and they're stringing wins together," said Matt Wray, T-men transition player. "They're a hard working team so we've got to outwork them and shut down their big gunners and that's what we've got to do from the first minute on."
The T-men and Thunder have yet to meet in 2011, so Nanaimo will be looking to strike the first blow in the season series, said defender Sterling Mitchell.
"They've got a bunch of new players and a young, fast team so we've got to come ready to play hard for 60 minutes," he said.
GAME ON … Tonight's contest starts at 7 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre and will be webcast live at www.langleyeventscentre.com. The T-men then take on the Coquitlam Adanacs (4-8) on Saturday on the mainland. Next home action at Frank Crane Arena is July 16 versus the Thunder.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com