Shamrocks Lock Up Top Spot

It was a match-up of a couple of the top teams in the league Saturday at the Q Centre as the Victoria Shamrocks took on the third-place Maple Ridge Burrards but it turned into a no-contest as the Rocks ran away with an 18-7 victory to lock up their spot atop the league standings. The Shamrocks led by period scores of 5-2 and 13-5 en route to the win.

Ryan Atkinson got the start in goal for Victoria while Karter Williams was between the pipes for the visitors.  The Rocks got on the board first, Liam Phillips tallying just 59 seconds in on a run to the net.  They made it 2-0 on Casey Wilson’s goal at 1:32, a shot from just inside the dotted line that went in off the post.  At 3:17 Owen Russell added another for the home team, in close on a run and at 5:09 Isaac Swan connected  on a tic-tac-toe passing play in close to make it 4-0.  Maple Ridge finally found twine at 5:21, Trevor Gobillot getting in close.  Garrett Wicks restored Victoria’s 4-goal lead at 8:41, winning a loose ball battle and going in alone.  Jaden Schellauf managed to get one back for the Burrards, tallying shorthanded at 14:54. That was how the period ended, Victoria holding a 5-2 lead in a period that saw just 1 minor penalty called.

Maple Ridge opened second period scoring at 2:57 but Victoria went on a 7-goal run before the Burrards would again find the back of the net.  Phillips picked up his second of the game unassisted at 3:13, getting in close. The team’s leading scorer, Patrick Dodds, made it 7-3 at 5:26 from outside the dotted line.  Angus Connorton extended the Victoria lead off a turnover at 7:21 and a power play marker at 10:13, the second of the game for Wilson made it 9-3 on a quick stick from the side of the crease.  At 12:18, defender Jake Tomer picked up a loose ball and ran in alone before Victoria picked up a couple more power play goals.  The first came at 12:34 from Denton Macdonald off the goaltender into the top corner.  That signalled the end of the night for Williams as he was replaced in goal by Ivan Rojas.  Brody Black added the other power play goa lat 14:06 in close.  The teams traded goals, the Burrards’ Adam Vetteri scoring unassisted at 14:56 off a rebound in front, Wicks picking up his second of the game in the same manner as his first, picking up a loose ball and breaking to the net.  Parker Johnson replied for Maple Ridge with a buzzer beater from the dotted line.  That made the score 13-5 for the home team after 40 minutes, as the game had slipped into a traditional penalty-filled game which would deteriorate more in period 3.

Victoria scored first in the final frame, Macdonald picking up his second of the game at1:45, finishing off some great passing around the net.  Maple Ridge replied at 3:10 with a power play goal from Drew Kask getting in close but Swan picked up his second of the game for the Rocks, also with the man advantage at 6:25.  Four more goals would occur in the second half of the period, all on special teams. First Dodds picked up his second on the power play at 11:46 from outside the dotted line.  The visitors got a shorthanded marker from Mason Morais at 12:07 before Phillips collected his hattrick marker for the Shamrocks on the power play at 17:13, getting in close andJonathan Boyd got another with the man advantage at 18:27 with a quick stick from the side of the crease.

Patrick Dodds led Victoria’s attack with 2 goals and 5 assists while Liam Phillips had the hattrick and 1 helper.  Denton Macdonald and Casey Wilson each contributed a pair of goals and 3 and 2 assists respectively.  Isaac Swan and GarrettWicks also had two goals with singles coming from Jake Tomer, Angus Connorton,Owen Russell, Jonathan Boyd and Brody Black. The victory gives Victoria 29 points, 3 more than second place Coquitlam with each team having just 1 game left in the regular schedule.  Maple Ridge has 22 points with 2 games left and Port Coquitlam right behind with 21. Victoria’s one remaining game is a return match against the Burrards next Saturday, July 7 and they are unreachable in top spot so will face the 8^thplace team in the playoffs, currently the Richmond Roadrunners who lead 9^thplace Nanaimo by 2 points with each team having 1 game left.