Shamrocks Keep Rolling Along

The Tier 1 Junior ‘B’ Shamrocks kept their perfect season rolling along with an 11-9 home floor win over the visiting Delta Islanders Saturday.  It wasn’t pretty but the two points are appreciated.

Starting goaltenders were Angus Snow for the Rocks and Kaden Ward for Delta.  The visitors jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as Zachary Milne scored unassisted just 46 seconds into the opening frame.  That was followed by a power play marker off the stick of Richard Bailey at 1:44, just 8 seconds into the man advantage.  Victoria replied at 3:53, Brett Bridges connecting on a hard overhand shot from outside the dotted line.  Bailey restored the visitors’ 2 goal lead on another power play at 7:59, a shot from the side of the net that managed to get by Snow who got a piece of it.  The Shamrocks responded with a 4-goal run.  First it was Koen Block finding twine at 11:25 to pull the home team within a goal.  That marker came late in the 30-second clock and in off the Delta goaltender.  He followed up with his second of the contest just 21 seconds later with a hard overhand shot from outside the dotted line that knotted the score at 3.  Victoria added a power play goal of their own at 15:28 on a sidearm shot by Bridges and he added his third of the period at 16:59 to put the home team up by a pair, 5-3, heading into the dressing room after 20 minutes.

The teams traded power play goals to start the middle frame, Delta getting a goal off the stick of Logan Cote at the 3-minute mark, in close with a Victoria defender draped over him.  Victoria responded with their own man-advantage goal at 8:54, that coming from Bridges, his fourth.  The Islanders replied with a 3-goal run as Turner Anderson at 9:46 pulled the visitors within a goal.  That was followed by an unassisted tally from Isaiah Gill at 16:17 and Nico Medd gave the Delta team a 7-6 lead at 17:11.  It took very little time for Victoria to reply, Evan Law drawing the home team even at 17:32 and Sean Clark restoring the Shamrocks’ lead at 18:16 to end the period.  It was a close one, the boys in green leading 8-7 after 40 minutes.

As in previous games, special teams played a big role in the final period as the scoreboard was lit up in penalties much of the time.  Victoria opened up a 2-goal lead on Law’s second goal of the game on a 4-on-3 power play.  That was followed by Ryan Lowe’s shorthanded marker at 11:25 to open up a 10-7 lead for the Rocks.  Delta came back with a pair of power play goals once again, Cian Currivan connecting at 12:15 and Anderson picking up his second of the game at 13:19.  Victoria was able to hold them off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game and managed to score one more, Law getting the hat trick at 18:07 to wrap up the win.

Brett Bridges led all scorers with 4 goals and 5 assists.  Evan Law chipped in the hat trick and a pair of assists while Koen Block added a pair of goals and an assist, Ryan Lowe had a goal with 3 helpers and Sam Strother had a 4-point night, all assists.  The Shamrocks travel to New Westminster Sunday to face the Salmonbellies and return to the Q Center next Saturday, June 18 to host the Burnaby Lakers in a 1:00 pm start.

Meanwhile, the Junior ‘A’ Shamrocks will be in action at the Q Center this Tuesday, June 14 when the visitors will be the Nanaimo Timbermen.  Game time is 7:30 pm.