Shamrocks Topple Timbermen

The Tier 1 Junior B Shamrocks sit alone in first place with a perfect 8-0 record, toppling their island rivals, the Timbermen 15-12 Tuesday at the Q Center.  Nanaimo suffered just its second loss after splitting a pair of games on the weekend and fall to 7-2..

Angus Snow got the start for Victoria in goal while it was Keegan Okino guarding the crease at the other end of the floor.  Nanaimo got on the board first, Greyson Thompson finding twine at 2:48 but the Rocks replied with an unassisted marker from Adam Bailey at 7:15 to knot the score at 1 with a hard shot from the dotted line.  Just 21 seconds later Brendan Jamieson restored the T’Men lead and that was followed by a shorthanded goal from Thompson, his second of the contest at 11:39 to make it 3-1 for the visitors.  Cohen Heavenor brought the home squad within a goal on the power play at 12:07 with a low shot from the dotted line and the teams traded goals before the period ended.  Nanaimo pulled ahead by a pair when Matthew Boas tallied at 13:39, in close and putting the ball over the goaltender.  Ryan Lowe replied for the home team at 19:54 as the Timbermen took a 4-3 lead to the dressing room after 20 minutes.

Special teams factored in during period 2 as the Shamrocks scored a pair of power play goals to get things started.  Koen Block scored both goals, the first coming just 26 seconds in and following up with his second at 1:39 finishing off some tic-tac-toe passing in close, giving the Rocks their first lead of the contest.  It was short-lived, however, as Nanaimo answered at 4:21 with a hard shot from outside the dotted line on a delayed penalty call to Victoria.  They then rattled off the next 3 goals to go up 8-4 as Jamieson picked up his second right off the ensuing faceoff.  At 6:12 Ty Pilkington added another in close and Luke Dry scored on a power play at 9:20.  The Rocks got on a bit of a roll themselves beginning with Sean Clark’s goal at 10:03 with a bit of a floater from the dotted line.  That cut the lead to 2 goals and Sam Strother erased that lead with a pair of goals at 11:17 from the slot and at 15:32 from the side of the net.  The teams again traded goals before period 2 ended, Nanaimo getting a goal from Jamieson at 16:10, shorthanded but Strother collecting his hat trick marker on the power play at 16:26.  At 17:24 Reid Johnson again put the visitors ahead by a goal with a bouncer from outside the dotted line but Strother picked up his fourth goal of the game at 18:32 off a scrum in front.  That made it 10-10 after 40 minutes.

The third period was all Shamrocks as they outscored the Timbermen 5-2 including the first 4 goals of the period.  Block picked up his third of the contest at 2:11, a goal that dribbled across the line.  Kurtis Gilbault gave the Rocks a 2-goal lead at 3:26 and Zach Sagodi added another for the home team at 5:23 on a break.  An unassisted marker from Victoria’s Jason Jones, on the power play at 5:44 gave the Rocks all they needed for the win, although Nanaimo tried to mount a comeback with a pair of goals at 11:52 and 18:57 before Matthew Hermson rounded out the scoring at 19:59 with the Nanaimo goaltender on the bench for the extra attacker.

Sam Strother led Victoria’s attack with 4 goals and an assist.  Koen Block added a hat trick and a pair of assists

Next up for the Tier 1 Shamrocks is a home game Saturday at the Q Center when they will host the Richmond Roadrunners at 1:00 pm.  That will be followed by the Junior ‘A’ Shamrocks taking on the Delta Islanders at 4:00 pm.