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December 5, 2011
SHAMROCKS JUNIOR A - COACHING ANNOUNCEMENT
The Junior “A” Shamrocks are pleased to announce the appointment of Larry Smeltzer to the position of Head Coach.
Larry has been on the support staff of both the Junior and Senior Shamrocks the past few years, and brings a vast array of experiences to his new position.
Larry is a member of both the Canadian and the Ontario Lacrosse Halls of Fame. In his last coaching position he was the “Coach of the Year” in the OLA Senior A League. Larry has won two Mann Cups, an NLL championship, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal and a Sr. B Championship.
Ron McQuarrie will be the Assistant Coach with Nirmal Dillon, Jim Gow, Rod Bannister and Matt Flindell rounding out the staff so far, Larry is still working on a position or two.
Nirmal and Rod are also members of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Ron is the Vice President of Performance Programs with the BCLA and along with Rod and Jim, led the Intermediate A Shamrocks to the Provincial Title in 2010. Nirmal, a Victoria product, is also a member of the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. He played on a Minto Cup-winning Victoria JR Shamrocks Team, and Coached that last Minto Cup-winning Victoria Team. He also coached the SR Rocks to 2 Mann Cup victories. Rod was the most valuable player in the 1977 Minto Cup with the champion Burnaby Cablevision team in the first of 3 consecutive wins. Rod also played on 3 Mann Cup winning Teams and was an Assistant Coach with the JR Rocks in the past.
Matt is currently a Goaltender with the SR Shamrocks and will bring his experience in the 2008 Minto Cup to the players, as we move towards our goal of again being at the Minto Cup Tournament this year in Whitby Ontario.
Rod Wood
General Manager
Victoria Jr Shamrocks
250-744-4963
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The Junior “A” Shamrocks are pleased to announce the appointment of Larry Smeltzer to the position of Head Coach. Larry has been on the support staff of both the Junior and Senior Shamrocks the past few years, and brings a vast array of experiences to his new position. Larry is a member of both the Canadian and the Ontario Lacrosse Halls of Fame. In his last coaching position he was the “Coach of the Year” in the OLA Senior A League. Larry has won two Mann Cups, an NLL championship, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal and a Sr. B Championship. Ron McQuarrie will be the Assistant Coach with Nirmal Dillon, Jim Gow, Rod Bannister and Matt Flindell rounding out the staff so far, Larry is still working on a position or two. Nirmal and Rod are also members of the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Ron is the Vice President of Performance Programs with the BCLA and along with Rod and Jim, led the Intermediate A Shamrocks to the Provincial Title in 2010. Nirmal, a Victoria product, is also a member of the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. He played on a Minto Cup-winning Victoria JR Shamrocks Team, and Coached that last Minto Cup-winning Victoria Team. He also coached the SR Rocks to 2 Mann Cup victories. Rod was the most valuable player in the 1977 Minto Cup with the champion Burnaby Cablevision team in the first of 3 consecutive wins. Rod also played on 3 Mann Cup winning Teams and was an Assistant Coach with the JR Rocks in the past. Matt is currently a Goaltender with the SR Shamrocks and will bring his experience in the 2008 Minto Cup to the players, as we move towards our goal of again being at the Minto Cup Tournament this year in Whitby Ontario. Rod Wood General Manager Victoria Jr Shamrocks 250-744-4963
October 29, 2011
The Victoria Jr. Shamrocks have an opportunity to host the 2013 Minto Cup at Bear Mountain arena.
Therefore, we are seeking an expression of interest from the community in order to be able to evaluate whether or not to go forward with a bid.
We are sending this email to all lacrosse fans and friends we think may be interested in helping out.
We will be looking for volunteers to fill positions all the way from Minto Cup Chair to single shift helpers.
The Minto Cup is the pinnacle of Junior A Lacrosse in Canada and is played in BC every three years. It is a four team ten day tournament that typically runs from the second to last weekend in August through to the last weekend of the month. This past year it ran from August 19 to 28.
If you would like to become involved and hear more, we are holding an informational meeting on November 7 at the lower field house, Westshore Parks and Recreation (the pavilion right behind Bear Mountain Arena near the Lawn Bowling Greens) starting at 7:00 p.m.
At the meeting we will explain in more detail what we are looking for and answer any questions you may have. At the end of the meeting we will be asking for people to express their level of interest, if they are so inclined. No commitment is expected, however, the results of this meeting will help us determine whether to proceed with our bid.
We hope to see you all there.
The Executive
Victoria Jr. Shamrocks Lacrosse Association
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Oct 15, 2011
Joint Call for Expressions of Interest in Head Coach Positions
The Victoria Senior Shamrocks and the Victoria Junior Shamrocks are two teams with proud traditions and both teams are currently seeking exceptional head coaches who are committed to achieving excellence in the sport of lacrosse. At this time, the two teams are making a joint call for expressions of interest regarding their head coach positions.
Please submit via email your expression of interest, indicating whether it is for one or both positions, along with an up-to-date copy of your lacrosse resume to both of the following email addresses: ceyw@shaw.ca and gm@jrshamrocks.com
The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 4, 2011
Submissions received prior to the deadline will be reviewed and interviews with candidates may be necessary.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Chris Welch, General Manager, Victoria Senior Shamrocks, email: ceyw@shaw.ca, phone 250-889-6266
Rod Wood, General Manager, Victoria Junior Shamrocks, email: gm@jrshamrocks.com, phone 250-744-4963
Thank you.
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Oct 6, 2011
Reminder of the upcoming Texas Hold'em Jr Rocks Fundraiser
Not sure if any of you are poker players but we, The JR Shamrocks, are holding a fund raiser poker tournament on Saturday the 15th of October at the Six Mile Pub starting at 12:00 noon. Click here to the poster that has all the details. If you like poker, give it a try.
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Sept 24, 2001
Membership Deadline Looms
The deadline for becoming members of the Jr. Shamrocks Promotion Society is almost upon us. Applications can be obtained through the website at: http://www.jrshamrocks.com/contact/become-a-member/ or requested from myself jmhuckin@telus.net or Sherry Huckin, registrar at srhuckin@telus.net. Deadline is September 30. The AGM will be held in late October, exact date, time and details will be sent to all members following the September 30 deadline.
We need help to help the Jr. Shamrocks so please consider joining.
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July 24, 2011
Jr. Shamrocks Awards Presented
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks players, coaching and support staff, executive and some parents and fans got together Thursday, July 28 at the Cross Roads Bar and Grill to honour the award winners for 2011. Steve Lawrence and Ron Hampton served as emcees for the event. There is a lot of history wrapped up in some of these awards, many of which date back to the 1970’s. This year’s winners join some great names in the lacrosse world including Paul and Gary Gait, Kevin Aexander, Ranjit Dillon, Rick Brown and current Jr. Shamrocks coaches Jordan Sundher, Buck Stobart and Matt Flindell. Following are the 2011 player award winners:
Top Scorer: This year’s winner led from nearly start to finish and is a first-year player at the junior level – Brody Eastwood.
Archie Browning Award for Most Inspirational Player: This year’s winner brings an exceptional work ethic, has been asked to play both ends of the floor and has done so very capably – 2nd year player, Adam Brown
Rookie of the Year – A double winner this season – Brody Eastwood
PeeWee Bradshaw Memorial Award for Most Valuable Player: Veteran and team captain, Karsen Leung
Sportsman of the Year: This award presented to that player best deemed to combine sportsmanship and ability. This year’s winner plays hard every time out, is the kind of player every team needs, finished the regular season with 42 points and only 2 penalty minutes – second year payer and last year’s rookie of the year – Blair Pinnock.
Bill and Joan Munroe Trophy for Most Popular Player: This winner is chosen by the players and this year’s winner is another rookie – goaltender Cory Mayzes.
Top Defensive Player: You might say this is often the unsung hero award. This year, the recipient played box lacrosse for the first time after playing field lacrosse. As a 21 year-old, unfortunately it is also his last season of Jr. ‘A’, a strong defensive player and great in the face-off circle – Austin Powell
Best Conditioned Player: This year is the second in a row for this veteran who maintains a high level of personal fitness, another double winner – Karsen Leung
Steve Zellinsky Memorial Award for Most Improved Player Award: This is the newest of the Jr. Shamrocks team awards, given for the first time in 2008. It is presented to that player thought to have improved the most during the season. Another rookie is the winner for 2011 – defender Brandan Smith.
The team also paid tribute to its graduating players who will hopefully move on to careers in the WLA or NLL or elsewhere at the senior level: Karsen Leung, Ben Stebbins, Curtis McKinnon, Tyler Matheson, Mitch Meilleur, Luke Acton and Austin Powell.
In addition to the player awards, two service awards were also handed out as follows:
The Bill Russell Memorial Trophy Service Award is prevented to an individual or individuals who have provided outstanding service to lacrosse in general or the Jr. Shamrocks in particular. This year’s recipient has been a long-time fan, served on the executive for 5 years, 4 of those as the secretary of the now Jr. Shamrocks Promotion Society. In addition, she puts in a lot of time ensuring the booster booth inventory is maintained and game day runs smoothly. This year she has also taken on the role of scorekeeper for all Jr. Shamrocks home games – Sherry Huckin
The Bob Reid Merit Award is given to a player, executive member, team staff or volunteer for outstanding service to the Jr. Shamrocks. This year’s winner is well involved in the B.C.L.A. A couple of years ago he was an assistant coach with the Jr. Shamrocks but more recently he puts in lots and lots of hours as the Equipment Manager. You will find him at the rink 2 or more hours before any game and well in advance of all practices as well. This year’s well-deserving winner is Tim Craggs.
President Ron Hampton thanked the volunteers that make the Jr. Rocks machine run including timekeepers, announcers, penalty box assistants, the great ball boy, Kyle Johnston.
Team captains Karsen Leung, Ben Stebbins and Jake Emms also thanked the coaching and support staff, parents, executive and fans, ending the evening with the following sentiment. “We are going to Coquitlam and we’re going to give it everything we have.” That game, game 3 in their best-of-five semi final series, is being played Saturday at 2:30 pm.
July 24, 2011
Adanacs Coast to Game 1 Victory
by Janice Huckin
The Coquitlam Adanacs kept their unbeaten string alive as they took an 18-4 victory over the Jr. Shamrocks Saturday at Bear Mountain Arena in game 1 of their best-of-five semi final series.
The Rocks were coming off a couple of very excellent outings against the Nanaimo Timbermen in the quarter finals. One thing for sure, the Adanacs aren’t the Timbermen. On the other side of things, the Adanacs had been sitting for a couple of weeks but if they were rusty, it didn’t show. Starting goaltenders were Cory Mayzes for the home team and Steve Fryer for the visitors. The Rocks actually carried most of the play for the first five minutes of the opening period but were unable to put anything on the scoreboard. When Coquitlam struck, they struck quickly as former Jr. Shamrock Casey Jackson scored against his old teammates at 5:32. Just 7 seconds later, after the ensuing faceoff, Wesley Berg got in close and the A’s were up by a pair. At 6:10 Matthew Dinsdale scored a shorthander and suddenly it was 3-0. It took a little over 5 minutes for the next bunch of goals to happen. At 11:42 it was Travis Cornwall connecting, after a good penalty kill for the visitors. Jackson picked up his second of the contest at 12:53. At that point, having surrendered 5 goals on 6 shots, Mayzes was pulled and replaced by Cody Hagedorn. Before the period ended, Tor Reinhold and Dinsdale, with his second, on the power play had given the Adanacs a 7-0 lead. Shots on goal favoured the Adanacs by a 15-14 margin.
Hagedorn continued in period 2 and the Shamrocks picked up their play to score their first two goals of the game. Adam Brown picked up a shorthanded tally at the 2:38 mark and at 13:12 Wakefield scored on a breakaway when Hagedorn got an outlet pass to him on the fly. Unfortunately, the Adanacs replied with 3 goals before the period ended. Ben McIntosh scored on the power play at 13:52, a direct result of the Rocks not focusing and getting called on the back-over no-no. McIntosh got his second at 18:28 and Dinsdale picked up his third at 19:53, another power play goal for the Adanacs. The Rocks outshot the visitors 13-10 but were having problems finding the back of the net. In addition, the Rocks were tagged with 23 minutes in penalties in the period versus 6 against the Adanacs.
The third period saw the Adanacs out-score the home team by an 8-2 margin, Victoria getting goals from Blair Pinnock on the power play at 14:36 and Brody Eastwood at the 19:08 mark. Hagedorn gave way to Mayzes at the 8-minute mark but the onslaught would not be stopped.
Shea Wakefield and Brody Eastwood each picked up a goal and an assist for the Shamrocks. Jesse King and goaltender Cody Hagedorn each had 2-point nights with a pair of assists. Other goals came from Blair Pinnock and Adam Brown. If there was any other bright spot for the Rocks it would be Ben Stebbins winning 9 of 14 faceoffs.
For the Adanacs, scoring was well spread around as Wesley Berg finished with 7 points on 2 goals and 5 helpers, Matthew Dinsdale had 3 goals and 5 assists, Travis Cornwell had the hat trick and 6 helpers. Tor Reinholdt also picked up the hat trick and 1 assist while Ben McIntosh had 4 goals and 1 assist, Casey Jackson chipped in a pair of goals and a trio of helpers and Jackson Decker had the other goal and 2 helpers.
Games 2 and 3 of this series will take place in Coquitlam Sunday, July 24 and Saturday, July 30. Should a fourth game be required, it will take place Sunday, July 31 at Bear Mountain Arena.
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July 13, 2011
Rocks Take Game 1
by Janice Huckin
The playoffs are like a ‘new season’ and in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Nanaimo Timbermen, the Shamrocks looked like a new team as they rattled off a 16-9 victory at Bear Mountain Arena Tuesday.
Starting goaltenders were Cory Mayzes for the Shamrocks and Devon Winter for the T’Men. It was the defense getting things going for the home team as Mitch Meilleur raced down the floor and scored just 42 seconds into the opening period. It was Meilleur’s first goal as a junior. At the 6:14 mark, Jake Emms drove to the net with the teams playing 4-on-4 and put the Rocks up by a pair. A shorthanded breakaway goal by defender Ben Stebbins had the home team up 3-0 at 11:26 and that was how the first period ended. There was a steady stream of visitors from both teams to the respective penalty benches and the Shamrocks had an edge in shots on goal by an 18-11 margin. The team was moving the ball well and defensively they were frustrating the visitors into coughing up the ball and taking the outside shots.
The Shamrocks kept pressing in the middle frame and at 4:31 they were rewarded when Luke Acton dived across and beat Winter high to take a 4-0 lead. Nanaimo finally got on the board with a power play goal off the stick of Cody Bremner at 11:47, tucking the ball in from the edge of the crease. Victoria replied quickly, Jesse King finding twine at 12:36. It was only a matter of time before fisticuffs erupted and they came at the 15:35 mark when Mitch Meilleur won by a KO over Nanaimo’s Ryan Hanna. Back to the game, Karsen Leung picked up a pair of goals just 16 seconds apart, the first coming at 16:23 and the other at 16:39. Another Nanaimo power play succeeded at 19:33, Joey Fendick getting their second goal of the contest. This was a very strong period for Mayzes as he kicked out 15 of the 17 shots he faced while Victoria scored on 4 of their 11 shots. It was also very rough and chippy and Nanaimo lost their head coach Dave Bremner partway through the period. It could have been something he said.
The last period saw the two teams combine for 16 goals which is a little silly but it was entertaining for the fans. Nanaimo’s Bremner (the player not the coach) collected his second goal of the game at the 1:46 mark of the final period. But the Rocks picked up the pace and scored the next 6 goals in a little less than 4 minutes. First it was King tallying with his second at 3:09. At 4:33 Acton got his second and, not to be outdone, Emms picked up his second at 4:39. King connected again at 5:44 to get the hat-trick, shooting over top of Winter. Brody Eastwood found the back of the net on the power play at 7:29 and that was the end of Winter’s night as he was replaced in goal by Jamie Bellamy. At this point, it didn’t matter to the Shamrocks who was between the pipes, as Leung got his hat trick marker, also on the power play, at 7:53. Nanaimo’s Fendick finally broke the Shamrocks’ momentum at 8:01, picking up his second. Chris Wardle replied at 8:25 scoring after taking a hit in the chops. The game was deteriorating quite quickly with the hacking and whacking and Nanaimo started to pick up the tempo as they managed to score twice in a row, Bremner getting his third of the game at 9:17 and Kyle Hofer picking up another at 12:52. Another trading of goals followed, Eastwood picking up his third at 15:31 on another power play for the Rocks and Bremner replying for the T’Men at 18:27. Big Shea Wakefield got credit for another power play goal for the Shamrocks at 19:14, although it was actually knocked into the Nanaimo net by their own player. With time running down, Fendick added his third and Hofer his second for the visitors at 19:34 and 19:52. Shots on goal again favoured the home team by 20-13 giving them a 49-41 edge overall.
Each team was assessed over 40 minutes in penalties and it could have been far more for both teams and we would still be waiting for the game to end. But the first game is in the books and it is the Shamrocks with a well-rounded team effort taking the first win.
Scoring was well spread around for the Shamrocks. Karsen Leung with 3 goals and 4 assists, Jesse King with 3 goals and 3 assists and Brody Eastwood with 3 goals led the offensive onslaught. Jake Emms finished with a pair of goals and 4 helpers and Luke Acton also had 2 goals and 3 assists. Other goals came from Ben Stebbins, Shea Wakefield and Mitch Meilleur. Stebbins was also strong in the faceoff circle winning 11 and losing only 3. Blair Pinnock and Tom Arsenault were unlucky to come away without any goals but they each contributed 2 assists. Cory Mayzes was outstanding in getting the victory in goal.
On the other side of the floor, Cody Bremner finished with 4 goals, Joey Fendick with 3 goals and 2 assists, Kyle Hofer with a pair of goals and 4 helpers and their regular season leading scorer Ryan Sage kicked in 5 assists.
Game 2 in the series comes around very quickly, taking place in the Nanaimo Ice Center Thursday at 7:00 pm. Game 3, if required, will be played at Bear Mountain Arena Saturday, July 16 at 5:00 pm.
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July 10, 2011
Shamrocks Hold Key to Playoff Destiny
by Janice Huckin
I don’t know what the WLA Shamrocks had Friday night but whatever it was, the Jr. Rocks must have caught it too as they fell behind early and couldn’t dig their way out of the hole, falling to the last place Port Coquitlam Saints 12-11 Saturday at Bear Mountain Arena.
The Shamrocks held the key to their own playoff destiny heading into the final two games of the regular season. They needed to win both of their games and hope for a Delta loss or tie in one of theirs to clinch third place. It looked good on paper as the Rocks’ games were against the two non-playoff teams, the Saints and the Burnaby Lakers. Everyone knows the game isn’t played on paper and now we know why.
The Saints, with only 2 wins in the season came into town under-manned with only 13 runners dressed and goaltender Garrett Spann between the pipes. The home team started Cody Hagedorn in goal and had a full roster. The Shamrocks got the first goal of the game, Adam Brown getting in close and having his shot go off the goalie into the back of the net at the 32-second mark. Immediately after that they were assessed a 4-minute backchecking penalty which they successfully and brilliantly killed off. At 10:46 the floodgates opened for the visitors, however, as the Saints’ Cody L’Arrivee scored the first of 3 goals in a minute and 40 seconds at 10:06. That was followed by goals at 11:24 and 11:46 by Richard Lachlan and Andrew Bromley respectively. Victoria coaching staff called the time out to make the goaltending switch, Cory Mayzes going in for Hagedorn. It’s called the switcheroo for a reason as once play resumed Hagedorn went back in. The Saints kept coming and rattled off two more before the period ended, the first coming off some great hustle on the power play off the stick of Matt Delmonico at 17:55. The final goal came at the 19:42 mark, Lachlan’s second of the game, shoveling the ball under the goalie. The score was 5-1 for the Saints after the first 20 minutes in which the Shamrocks outshot their opponents by a 14-11 margin.
In period 2 the Rocks’ offense made some inroads but the 4-goal bulge remained at the end of 40 minutes. Mayzes took over in goal. It was once again Victoria starting the scoring with Brody Eastwood notching a power play marker at 1:07. Lachlan collected his hat-trick goal for the visitors at the 3:07 mark firing a hard shot from the slot. The teams traded goals as Pinnock made his way right to the edge of the crease and scored at 3:34. The Saints’ reply, coming at 5:22 was Lachlan’s fourth, beating Mayzes just inside the post. Another power play goal for the Rocks, this one coming just 7 seconds into the man advantage at 5:49 off the stick of Karsen Leung drew the home team back within 3. But PoCo said enough was enough and rattled off another 3-goal barrage. The first was by, guess who, Lachlan unassisted at 6:28, then came another from Mike Peterson at 10:26 and a power play goal at 10:44, his second of the game from Delmonico. The home team composed themselves enough to get a couple more before the period ended, Jesse King connecting at 17:24 and Dane Schoor getting it done at 19:30. Shots heavily favoured the home team by a 24-16 margin but they were still down 10-6 on the board.
You’d think that the depleted Saints’ ranks would be getting tired by the time the third period rolled around and I think they were. The Rocks’ scored first, Pinnock getting his second of the game, diving across the front of the net at 3:23. Lachlan once again answered the call, getting his 6th goal of the contest at the 7:40 mark. At this point the fatigue was definitely setting in for the Saints and the Shamrocks made their comeback scoring the next 4 goals to tie things up. Jr. B call-up Tom Arsenault scored at the 9 minute mark and Curtis McKinnon quickly followed with a rare goal at 9:39. At 10:33 Leung collected his second of the game and the home team was within a goal. Jake Emms brought the home crowd to its feet at 15:52 with the tying goal and overtime was looming. But PoCo knew they probably were pretty much spent and Danton Nicholson managed to score with less than a second left on the clock to get a road victory.
Well, really, from where I sat the Saints deserved the win – the Shamrocks may have taken them too lightly or not but they definitely were a little flat in the early going when they could have really buried the opponent with the advantage in manpower. In any event, Blair Pinnock and Karsen Leung led the Rocks with a pair of goals each and 1 and 3 assists respectively. Jesse King and Jake Emms each tallied once and added 3 helpers. Other goals came from Dane Schoor, Adam Brown, Brody Eastwood, Curtis McKinnon and Tom Arsenault.
For the Saints it was Richard Lachlan scoring 6 times and adding 1 assist. Danton Nicholson came up with the winning goal and 4 helpers while Matt Delmonico tallied twice. Other goals came from Mike Peterson, Cody Larrivee and Andrew Bromley. Spann was outstanding between pipes kicking out 53 of the 64 shots he faced and chipping in with an assist.
So here’s where things stand now. The Shamrocks’ loss coupled with a Delta loss against Coquitlam leaves Delta one point ahead and both teams playing their final regular season games Sunday. The Rocks still need to win Sunday against Burnaby and hope for a loss or tie by Delta as they face the Nanaimo Timbermen to clinch third place. A third place finish would see the Shamrocks take on the Langley Thunder in the first round playoffs; fourth place would mean an all-island match-up in the first round.
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July 6, 2011
Rocks Fall to Jr Timbermen
by Janice Huckin
Tuesday evening at Bear Mountain Arena, the Timbermen took two points away from the Jr. Shamrocks as they won for the first time this season head-to-head by a 12-8 margin. This must truly be a highlight as witnessed by the song they sing every time they win against their island rivals (which doesn’t happen a lot).
In any event, this is a strong rivalry in many sports and it is usually enough to motivate both teams but it certainly looked like the visitors were MORE motivated as they had a lot of life on the bench while Victoria was less lively through most of the contest. Starting goaltenders were Cory Mayzes for the Rocks and Devon Winters for the T’Men and both went the distance but for a brief 2-minute stretch of relief by Cody Cook for the home team.
The teams matched up pretty well until the final period with the score tied 3-3 after the first period and 7-7 after 40 minutes. Dane Schoor got things started for the Shamrocks just 1:45 in with a hard shot from just outside the dotted line. It was almost 5 minutes later before Nanaimo got on the board, Kyle Hofer scoring unassisted at 6:26. At 7:44 Jesse King put the Rocks up again, picking a top corner but once again the reply came quickly Joey Fendick tying things up at 8:51. The visitors jumped into the lead at 14:05, Cody Bremner scoring after a hard Victoria shot rebounded halfway down the floor with nobody back. The Shamrocks did manage to knot things once again before the period ended, Brody Eastwood scoring at 17:39 as he was sent sprawling to the floor. Shots were also even between the teams, at 17 each.
Just 21 seconds into the middle frame, Russell Kirk scored a shorthanded goal to give the home team a lead once again. Nanaimo replied with a quick pair of goals just 28 seconds apart as the lead see-sawed back to their side. Ryan Sage scored on the power play at 1:31 shoving the ball under Mayzes and Bremner picked up his second of the game at 1:59, on a shot that may have been screened. At 7:53 Sage notched his second and all of a sudden the T’Men had a 2-goal lead. That was a wake-up call of sorts for the Rocks and they rattled off 3 consecutive tallies to re-gain the lead. It was Jake Emms scoring on the power play at 9:16, a shot that Winters got a piece of. At 12:34 Luke Acton got in close, picked up a rebound off the goalie and dumped it to the back of the net. Shea Wakefield let fly a bullet at 14:19 and the lead was Victoria’s by a 7-6 margin. Hofer, however, scored a short-handed marker for the visitors at 18:46 when he seemingly walked around the defense to tie the score once again. Victoria held a 24-18 edge in shots on goal but neither team was able to pull away.
That changed in the third period as Nanaimo rattled off 4 straight goals before the Shamrocks answered. Fendick got his second of the contest just 19 seconds into the final period. At 3:49 Ethan Garland fired a low shot to the back of the net. Play went back and forth with neither team connecting until the 14:49 mark when Hofer got his hat trick marker. That was followed by Fendick’s third on a penalty shot at 18:24. The Shamrocks finally hit pay dirt at 19:15 when Eastwood collected his second goal of the contest but that was as good as it got for the boys in green as Garland scored his second for the visitors at the 19:53 mark, that goal coming shorthanded.
Brody Eastwood finished the night with 2 goals and 2 helpers while Jesse King and Luke Acton each scored twice and added 1 assist. Other goals came from Dane Schoor, Shea Wakefield, Jake Emms and Russell Kirk. Veterans Ben Stebbins and Karsen Leung chipped in 2 and 3 assists respectively.
All the Nanaimo scoring came from just 5 players. Kyle Hofer picked up the hat trick, as did Joey Fendick. The Timbermen also got two goals apiece from Ethan Garland, Ryan Sage and Cody Bremner. Devon Winters kicked out 48 shots to get the win in goal.
The Shamrocks round out the regular season with a pair of games this weekend. They will face the Port Coquitlam Saints Saturday at Bear Mountain Arena Saturday. That will be a 5:00 pm start and it will also be Fan Appreciation Night. Sunday the season finishes with a road game in Burnaby. The Shamrocks will be involved in the post-season but opponents and dates hinge on upcoming results
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Rocks Weather Thunder Storm
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks outshot the visiting Langley Thunder by a 73-34 margin but needed overtime to eke out a 13-11 victory Saturday at Bear Mountain Arena. Down 7-4 after 20 minutes, it looked like it was going to be another of those ‘long nights’ for the home team but they battled back and came out with a much-needed home win.
Keenan Lambright guarded the Langley crease while Jr. B call-up Cody Cook got the start for the Shamrocks. The teams traded goals early, Jason Gregg scoring off a loose ball pick-up to give the home team a lead at 1:48 of the opening period. Langley’s Eric Ransom faked high, shot low to tie things up at 4:38. A power play goal restored the Rocks lead at 6:30, Adam Brown with the quick stick to get the ball behind Lambright. The visitors once again evened things up at 8:48, Danny Shields putting the ball over Cook’s shoulder. A couple of quick goals put the home team into a 2-goal lead. First it was Jake Emms plowing to the net and scoring shorthanded at 10:30. Off the ensuing faceoff it was Brody Eastwood scoring unassisted at 10:37. That seemed to ignite the competitive instincts of the Thunder as they rattled off 5 unanswered goals before the period ended. At 15:02 it was Adam Will scoring to close the gap to a single goal. That was followed by Nick Stone’s tying goal at 15:59. Stone collected his second at 18:03. The Shamrocks took a goaltender’s time out, warming up Cory Mayzes who finished the period in goal. Unfortunately the Thunder continued their onslaught, scoring off the stick of Sean Lundstrom at 19:45 and off the ensusing faceoff, Ransom notched his second at 19:53 giving the visitors a 7-4 lead. Shots on goal were pretty even, the Rocks actually holding a slim 17-16 edge after 20 minutes.
Cook returned to the game to start period 2 in goal for Victoria. Langley extended their lead at 3:13 when Will scored his second of the game, getting in unmolested. There was a lull in scoring while the Shamrocks peppered Lambright with shots. The home team finally connected at 16:26 when Jesse King found the back of the net. A couple more in the final minute of the period put the Rocks within a single goal. Karsen Leung tallied at 19:40 and Gregg collected his second with less than a second remaining on the clock as he stole the ball deep in the Langley end with the Thunder goaltender on the bench for an extra attacker. Can you say oops?! After 40 minutes, shots favoured the Shamrocks by a 43-21 margin and they were still down 1 on the board.
The Rocks started quickly in period 3, scoring the first 3 goals of the frame to take the lead. It was Eastwood getting his second of the game at 3:44, shoveling the ball under Lambright. At 4:07 Leung got his second, a high shot going into the net off the goaltender. King collected his second of the game at 8:43 and it was the Rocks ahead by a pair. Langley continued to work hard and were rewarded at 15:21 when Brandon Bull scored while appearing to be in the crease. The tying goal came off the stick of Reegan Comeault at 16:43 and with the score tied 10-10, we were going into overtime. At this point Victoria had peppered Lambright with 61 shots.
Early in overtime, Will gave the visiting Thunder the lead as he scored his hat-trick marker at the 2:30 mark. With time running out, the Rocks finally connected at 9:02, Leung getting his third to once again tie things up. In the B.C. Jr. A League, if the game remains tied after a 10-minute overtime period, the result goes in the books as a tie. But this night, the Shamrocks were having none of that as Eastwood scored a beauty, his hat trick goal, at 9:30 of the extra period. A Thunder penalty at 9:49 gave the Rocks a power play and Brandan Smith scored into the empty net to provide the margin of victory. The game was physical and at times chippy, especially in the late going. At one point, it appeared as if the non-calls might turn into some real nonsense but saner heads prevailed.
Leading the way for the Shamrocks were Karsen Leung in his first game back from injury and Brody Eastwood who each tallied 3 times and added 5 assists. Jesse King chipped in 2 goals and 3 assists while Jason Gregg also had a pair of goals. Singles came from Jake Emms, Adam Brown and Brandan Smith. Cody Cook was solid after shaking off some early jitters and got the victory while adding one assist to the offense.
For the Thunder it was Adam Will with the hat trick while Eric Ransom and Nick Stone each had 2 goals, picking up 2 and 3 assists respectively. Sean Lundstrom had a 5-point game on 1 goal and 4 helpers while other goals came from Brandon Bull and Reegan Comeault. Lambright faced 73 shots in goal on a very busy night between the pipes.
The Shamrocks have two home games remaining, both at Bear Mountain Arena. On Tuesday, July 5 they host the Nanaimo Timbermen in a game beginning at 7:30 pm. Their final regular season game will be against the Port Coquitlam Saints next Saturday, July 9. The game starts at 5:00 pm and it will be Fan Appreciation Night at Bear Mountain Arena.
The Rocks currently sit in third place, 2 points ahead of the Delta Islanders and 4 points behind the New Westminster Salmonbellies. The race for playoff positions is still wide open with the top 6 teams qualifying. Positions 5-7, held by Nanaimo, Langley and Burnaby, are currently separated by only 2 points so two will qualify and 1 will join the Saints on the sidelines when playoffs begin.
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June 28, 2011
A Tough Day in the Royal City
by Frank Greenlay
It was not a good day for the green on the mainland Sunday. The Inters lost their game in Coquitlam an hour before the Junior A Rocks fired up the engines at Queen’s Park. While the Rocks certainly did not go quietly, with three scraps attesting to some gumption, the end result was the same. A very poor start made the uphill climb daunting.
The host Salmonbellies ran on all cylinders to open the game with a six-goal run. The Rocks served a mitt full of penalties, minors, majors and a game after a dead ball fight in the first. New West also served majors for the fights, and had a game, but used a four to one advantage on the minors to tally two power play markers., topping up their four even strength markers. The first period ended with the Rocks looking at four-goal deficit, down 6 to 2.
If the first period was ugly, the second was infinitely uglier. The Bellies hammered home another six goal run, but this time the Rocks had no answer. The Bellies displayed discipline and poise, working the ball to control of the play. The Rocks were plagued with poor passing and poor decisions. Like the Babyrocks a few hours earlier, this was a game to file and forget. Forget that is, all but the lessons to be learned. The Rocks displayed their talent in brief intermittent flashes, but did not greatly threaten the Bellies at any point.
Jesse King had a four-point game with 2 goals and 2 assists. Luc Acton and Jake Emms each had two-goal games., and each added an assist. Dane Schoor added a single and an assist. Conrad Chapman had two assists, Blair Pinnock, Brody Eastwood, and Kirk Russell each tallied a single assist. Cory Mayzes started and finished the game, with Cody Hagedorn playing 9:02 in the first period. The Rocks were outshot 58 to 40, including 23 to 11 in the first.
Victoria is in third place, just two points behind the second place Bellies and 14 points behind the undefeated Adanacs in first place. The stretch run is upon us and the Rocks have five games remaining to overtake the Bellies for second place.
Next up is Saturday July 2nd against the Langley Thunder at Bear Mountain. Game time is 5 PM.
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June 26, 2011
Shamrocks’ Offense Sputters
by Janice Huckin
Coming off a weekend that saw the Shamrocks pick up a pair of road wins, the offense sputtered Saturday as they went down to a 12-5 defeat at the hands of the visiting New Westminster Salmonbellies at Bear Mountain Arena.
Cory Mayzes started in goal for the Shamrocks but he and teammate Cody Hagedorn played musical goalies throughout the game with Hagedorn eventually playing almost two-thirds of the game. For the visitors it was big Frank Scigliano between the pipes.
New West jumped out to a 4-0 first period lead and really never looked back. A power play goal at 3:16 from Mark Negrin got the visitors started. At 6:23 it was Brandon Goodwin firing a bouncer to the back of the net. The Bellies got their third goal of the period from Jordan Catton at the 8-minute mark, Mayzes getting run over in the process. Mayzes came out for a breather in the first change of goalies for the Shamrocks. He was back in within a minute of play resuming. Daniel McQuade added another power play marker for the visitors at 12:18 from the slot and Hagedorn went in to finish the period. Despite allowing 4 goals, Mayzes was playing well, having made 15 saves. The Bellies finished the period with a 26-11 edge in shots on goal and a 4-0 lead on the board.
Each team scored a pair in the middle frame, Brody Eastwood finally giving the home fans something to cheer about at 3:59 putting the ball over top of Scigliano – if you’ve seen how big Scigliano is and how small Eastwood is, you’d know this is a feat. In any event, a power play goal from Jesse King, finishing off some great passing, got the home team within a pair at 8:26. A power surge in the neighbourhood dimmed the lights and at 12:19 of the period, play was suspended until the lights came back up. If fans were hoping, the power surge would dim the New West effort, they were disappointed as the visitors finished the period with a pair of goals once play resumed. It was Tyler Digby scoring at 16:20 after a prolonged possession and at 18:41 Leif Mydske walked around the Victoria defense to re-gain the 4 goal bulge. Hagedorn went the distance in period 2, making 13 saves while allowing 2 goals.
The Salmonbellies got a power surge of their own when the third period started, scoring 3 goals in less than 2 minutes. At 4:06 McQuade picked up his second goal of the game. That was followed by Digby’s second at 4:47, picking the top corner. And Goodwin, not wanting to be left behind also picked up his second of the contest at 5:58. The Shamrocks finally broke through with a pair as Eastwood picked up his second of the game, hitting a high corner at 11:15. Off the ensuing face-off Jake Emms made a run and found twine at 11:20. With Victoria trying to play catchup and pulling the goalie for an extra attacker, the Salmonbellies after a few misses finally got one into the empty net at 12:34, that coming off the stick of Reid Mydske. At 13:43 and 15:31 Digby netted his third and fourth of the game, the second a bullet to the back of the net. The home team managed to get one back when Conrad Chapman fired a howitzer that beat Scigliano at 16:30. New West had a huge edge in shots on goal 51-36.
Brody Eastwood was one of the bright spots offensively for the Shamrocks coming up with a pair of goals and 1 assist while Jesse King also came through with 1 goal and 2 helpers for a 3-point night. Other goals came from Conrad Chapman and Jake Emms while Dane Schoor chipped in a pair of assists.
For the Salmonbellies it was Tyler Digby leading the way with 4 goals and 3 assists. Daniel McQuade chipped in a pair of goals and 3 helpers while Brandon Goodwin also had 2 goals and 1 assist. Other goals came from Mark Negrin, Leif Mydske, Jordan Catton, and Reid Mydske.
The season series between the two teams is now tied 1-1 and will be settled on the mainland Sunday as they face each other for the third and final time in the regular season. That game will also break the second place deadlock between the teams while the Delta Islanders sit just 2 points behind. The Shamrocks next play at home next Saturday, July 2 when the visitors will be the Langley Thunder.
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June 12, 2011
Adanacs Clobber Shamrocks
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks took it on the chin Saturday as the league-leading and still undefeated Coquitlam Adanacs rolled into Juan de Fuca Arena and walked away with a 20-8 victory.
Both Victoria goaltenders saw action with Cory Mayzes getting the start but being replaced 1:30 into the middle period by Cody Hagedorn. The Shamrocks gave up 3 goals before the game was 5 minutes old as Matthew Dinsdale scored at 1:39. That was followed by a pair from Robert Church at 3:48 and 4:08. Church had his hat-trick with a hard low shot on the power play at 9:30 to open up a 4-0 lead before the Shamrocks’ offense got on track. Kurtis Green, playing his first game of the season since returning from school and an injury, was the epitome of the power forward as he forced his way through the Adanacs’ defense and connected with a hard low shot at 14:57. Devon Casey got the home team within a pair with a bullet at 16:15, that goal coming on the power play, and it looked like it was ‘game on’. Only 9 seconds later, however, Travis Cornwall connected for the visitors and that sent the A’s to the dressing room with a 5-2 lead. Not overwhelming.
After that the wheels fell off for the Shamrocks. With 2 Coquitlam goals in the first minute and a half of the period, Mayzes’ night was over and Hagedorn came in. Green managed to come up with another pair for the home side, scoring at 5:18 and 8:40 but before the period ended, the Adanacs rattled off 7 unanswered goals. It was like wave after wave of purple and gold and the defense parted like the biblical sea, leaving Hagedorn to face them alone. The Shamrocks were not winning the loose ball battles, the larger Coquitlam team had little problem with the smaller Victoria players both defensively and offensively. In addition, the Shamrocks were taking the majority of the penalties, although they gave up only 2 power play goals in the middle frame.
The third period was Victoria’s best in terms of production, as they scored 4 goals and gave up only 6, but 3 came on power plays and one shorthanded. There’s little to say when a team gets beaten this badly except it is a young team. It’s difficult to watch young goaltenders, trying to develop, not get a little more support from their team as Coquitlam players time and again marched, as one fan said, ‘right down the gut’.
If there was a bright spot for the Shamrocks, you would have to say it was Kurtis Green, who ended the game with 4 goals. Green is big, plays with an edge, has a great touch around the net and should be a leader for this team as time goes on. Other goals came from Devon Casey, Brody Eastwood, Dane Schoor and Jake Emms. Luc Acton chipped in 4 assists.
Six players on the Adanacs roster had 5 points or more and Steve Fryer went the distance in goal to pick up the win. Enough said about them.
The Shamrocks are on the road for a pair of games next weekend as they face the Delta Islanders Saturday in a 7:00 start and take on the Langley Thunder Sunday in a game beginning at 2:00 pm. Next home game for the Rocks is Saturday, June 25 when the visitors will be the New Westminster Salmonbellies. That game will be back at Bear Mountain Arena starting at 5:00 pm.
June 5, 2011
Rocks Lose a Close One
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks wrapped up a busy weekend Sunday, playing their third game in 4 nights. It was their third consecutive 1-goal game but unfortunately this time they were on the losing end as the Delta Islanders came into Bear Mountain Arena and took away a 13-12 victory
It was Cody Hagedorn getting his second straight start for the Shamrocks in goal while Blake Duncan took up his position between the pipes for the visitors. The Shamrocks scored first as Intermediate ‘A’ call-up Dane Sorensen got in close at 4:25 and made no mistake. After that it was all Delta as they rattled off 5 unanswered goals. First it was Jamie Malenfant scoring from a traffic jam in front of Hagedorn at 9:27. At 12:22, Michael Berekoff found the back of the net after which the Islanders got a pair of power play goals. Chris Jones scored from the corner of the crease at 14:36 and then Cody Hawkins got a breakaway and put the ball into an empty net as Hagedorn was racing back to the crease at 16:09. Former Jr. Shamrock Brandon McLean, playing his first game against his former teammates gave the visitors a 4-goal lead, scoring at 18:17. That was how the first period ended, with the Islanders ahead 5-1.
The second period was almost a reverse image of the first. The Shamrocks once again scored first, Brody Eastwood breaking to the net and scoring at 5:38. A shorthanded marker by Delta’s Dan McDermott at 9:12 restored the 4-goal edge but the Shamrocks put on the afterburners and scored 6 straight. Eastwood picked up his second on the power play at 9:32. At 11:32 it was Sorensen picking up his second and at 11:50 Dane Schoor threaded the needle. Suddenly the lead was down to just 1 and the momentum was still in favour of the Rocks. Dylan Lefevre beat Duncan with a bullet at 14:22 and Brandan Smith scored a highlight reel goal at 15:49, picking up the ball, leapfrogging over a Delta defender and going to the net. That goal resulted in a change of goaltenders for the visitors, another former Jr. Shamrock Scott Bannister replacing Duncan. Luc Acton managed to put a shot behind him at 19:55, picking up a rebound. After 40 minutes, the home team had taken an 8-6 lead.
Duncan was back in the Islanders net to start period three but the Shamrocks didn’t much care who it was as they stormed out of the gate with a goal by Blair Pinnock at the 59-second mark. A power play goal from Schoor, his second of the game at 2:02 sent the home team into a 4-goal lead. With Bannister back in goal, the Islanders responded at 2:22, Berekoff finding the back of the net. Another Victoria power play resulted in an unassisted tally by Eastwood, his third, at 3:39 shooting through traffic. That seemed to be the point at which the wheels fell off for the Shamrocks. Delta was beating them to the ball, getting a huge number of shots on Victoria’s rookie goalie and they started to pay off. At the 4-minute mark Berekoff scored his second of the contest and at 6:55 Delta added another on a power play, this one off the stick of Mike Mallory. The onslaught continued with goals at 8:23 from Reg Ferguson, 10:06 from Malenfant, 15:12 a second goal from McLean and at 15:34, Mallory got his second. Adam Brown answered back for the home team at 18:44 but they were unable to get the equalizer.
It was a tough loss for the young Shamrocks who were playing without their captain Karsen Leung as well as a couple of other injured players. Brody Eastwood led the way offensively with a hat trick and 1 assist. Dane Schoor had a pair of goals and 1 helper while Intermediate ‘A’ Shamrock Dane Sorensen also notched 2 goals. Singles came from Dylan Lefebvre, Brandan Smith, Blair Pinnock, Adam Brown and Luc Acton. Cody Hagedorn went the distance in goal, facing 50 shots. The result doesn’t change the standings as the Shamrocks remain in 2nd place, four points ahead of both Delta and New Westminster.
For the Islanders, scoring was spread around with Jamie Malanfant, MikeMallory, Michael Berekoff, and Brandon McLean each scoring twice. Singles cam from Cody Hawkins, Dan McDermott, Reg Ferguson, Ryan Keith and Chris Jones.
The Shamrocks next see action Saturday, June 11 when the visitors will be the league-leading Coquitlam Adanacs. That game commences at 5:00 and will be played at Juan de Fuca, not Bear Mountain Arena.
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June 4, 2011
Rocks Squeak Out Another ‘W’
by Janice Huckin
The Burnaby Lakers came into Bear Mountain Saturday to face the second-place Jr. Shamrocks and it was the home team holding on for an 11-10 victory in front of the smallest crowd of the season.
Starting goaltenders were Cody Hagedorn for the ‘Rocks and Jeremy Funk for the other guys in green. Blair Pinnock got the party started for the home team when he got in close and buried the ball in the back of the net at 6:21, that goal coming on the power play. At 8:45 the Lakers got even, Blake Mattinson putting the ball into the top corner. Burnaby added a power play goal of their own at 10:08, that one coming from Jackson Decker and, to add insult to injury, they got a shorthanded marker from Jeremy Serraglio at 10:54 to open up a 2-goal lead. Hagedorn settled down and the guys in front of him started to make things happen as the home team scored 3 times in a 1-minute span. Pinnock got his second quickly converting a pass at 12:51. At 13:23 Karsen Leung flipped a nifty backhander to the back of the Burnaby net and at 13:51 Jake Emms plowed to the front of the net and beat Funk. Brody Eastwood added one more for the Shamrocks at 18:12, bouncing one behind Funk. That gave the Shamrocks a 5-3 lead, a lead that they would not relinquish.
Burnaby got a bit of momentum in period two, Decker collecting his second of the game deking and shooting over top of Hagedorn 5:28 in. A Burnaby power play goal by Bryan Gillis got things knotted at 5-5 at 6:11. The Lakers got into some penalty problems when Confrey took a double minor and that was all the Shamrocks needed to jump back into the lead. Brody Eastwood scored two power play goals, both with a quick stick in front of the net, the first coming at 7:35 and the second at 8:11. Burnaby clawed back just 14 seconds later, Decker getting his third unassisted at 8:25. Another power play put the home team back in front as Luc Acton scored from the corner of the crease at 14:10. That restored a two-goal lead that held up to the end of the middle frame. With the Rocks enjoying a 36-28 edge in shots on goal, they were also up 8-6 on the scoreboard.
Decker continued to be a 1-man wrecking crew for the Lakers as he scored his fourth goal of the game 8:14 into the third period. The Shamrocks were having none of that as they replied with a pair of quick goals just 35 seconds apart. The first came off the stick of Brody Eastwood at 10:19 and the second from fellow rookie Dane Schoor at 10:54. Burnaby wasn’t giving up and Colton Dow scored at 14:07 to narrow the gap to 2, that goal coming with the goalie on the bench for the extra attacker. Acton connected for Victoria with his second of the game at 14:38 to open up another 3-goal lead but everyone knows that until the final buzzer sounds, no lead is safe. Burnaby continued to force the play by taking their goaltender to the bench and putting an extra attacker on the floor. It paid off at 17:40 and again at 19:25 as Ryan Watson scored twice to get the visitors back within a goal. They pressed further but Hagedorn held his ground and made a few late saves to preserve his team’s victory.
Brody Eastwood led the Shamrocks with 4 goals and 3 assists. Jake Emms had a 6-point night with 1 goal and 5 helpers. Blair Pinnock and Luc Acton each finished with 2 goals and 3 assists. Karsen Leung and Dane Schoor had the other Victoria goals while Dylan Lefebvre continues to impress with 3 assists. Hagedorn made 37 saves, going the distance between the pipes for the Shamrocks and also contributed offensively with 1 assist.
For Burnaby it was Jackson Decker scoring 4 times and adding 1 assist. Ryan Watson scored twice and added 1 helper while singles went to Bryan Gillis, Jeremy Serraglio, Blake Mattinson and Colton Dow, who also had 4 assists.
The victory gives the Jr. Rocks a 4-point bulge over the third place New Westminster Salmonbellies in the standings. They don’t have much time to rest on their laurels as they hit the floor at Bear Mountain Arena again tomorrow, Sunday, June 5, for their 3rd game in 4 nights. The visitors will be the Delta Islanders and game time is 5:00 pm.
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May 30, 2011
Never Easy in Poco
by Frank Greenlay
The Victoria Junior A Shamrocks rolled into the always tough Poco Rec centre to meet the Saints this afternoon and after a little bit of a slow start rolled out with the two points. Five Rocks had multi-goal games and Cory Mayzes was solid between the pipes. The ride back to the boat after a good showing is always fun.
The game started with the teams a little tentative but it was the Rocks scoring first, with Ben Stebbins finding the range, unassisted at 6:37. The tight play continued for over 8 minutes before the next goal was tallied. Unfortunately, it came from Poco and was followed in less than a minute with another tally from the home side, the second goal on the power play. The Rocks were down by a goal.
Before the period was done, Jake Emms and Karsen Leung set up Brody Eastwood at 18:20, to tie the game at 2. That was how the first period ended. The Rocks had a rock in the net in the opening period, with Poco outshooting the visitors 20 to 13. Victoria was assessed the only two penalties in the period.
The ten-minute break must have provided the Rocks’ coaching staff with the time needed to light a fuse, as the Rocks came out blazing to take control of the game. Control meant that the Rocks scored early and often starting at 23 seconds, to start a run of 8 unanswered goals: the first was from Dane Schoor, from Adam Brown; Leung from Eastwood and Schoor at 3:16; Eastwood from Schoor and Chris Wardle at 9:05; Blair Pinnock from Emms and Luc Acton at 10:01; Schoor from Stebbins at 10:10; Eastwood on a power play from Leung and Emms at 15:02; and a pair from Pinnock, from Shea Wakefield and Braden Kmita at 17:06, and from Leung and Eastwood at 17:58. The Rocks had blasted the game from a 2 – 2 tie, to hammer the Saints for a 10 to 2 lead.
Against the flow of play, the Saints got a goal at 19:57, to take a little solace to the room. The Rocks went to the second break with a 7 goal lead, after outshooting the Saints 23 to 10 in the second. Each team was tagged with two minors.
There was little let up in the third period. The Rocks outscored the Saints 6 to 4 in the final frame: Kmita unassisted at 14 seconds; Russell Kirk unassisted at 4:55; Kmita from Acton and Eastwood at 6:21; Leung from Eastwood and Acton at 12:21; Brown from Emms at 13:35, and; Schoor from Austin Powell and Kmita at 16:16.
The result was a well deserved 16 to 7 victory for the Island lads. The final shots on goal also favoured the visitors, 53 to 45. The Rocks served the only two minors in the last period.
The Rocks showed considerable speed outrunning their hosts, and keeping the Saints D on its back heel and struggling to get set up. Clearly, the bench knows that this game is all about running and containing the green O will be difficult if the team keeps its running game on top.
The Rocks next game is Thursday June 2nd, against the Timbermen at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. The next home game is Saturday June 4th, at Bear Mountain. The Rocks are hosting the Burnaby Lakers at 5 PM
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May 11, 2011
Jr. Rocks Still Perfect at Home
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks really like playing at Bear Mountain Arena as they kept their home record intact Tuesday with a 19-10 drubbing of the Nanaimo Timbermen. They are now 3-0 at home but 0-2 on the road and with 6 points, are tied atop the standings with the Coquitlam Adanacs who hold 2 games in hand.
Jericho Paul got the start in goal for the visitors Tuesday while Cory Mayzes got his first start of the season for the home squad.
Nanaimo got the first and last goals of the period but sandwiched between were 7 Victoria markers so the quick start didn’t have the impetus the visitors would have hoped. It was Quinn Smith connecting at 2:45 to get things started but the ‘Rocks came back off the ensuing faceoff, Adam Brown firing a bullet to the back of the net at 2:55. Karsen Leung, playing in his first game after returning the previous night from Bellarmine, got his first goal of the season just 15 seconds later and the romp was on. Dane Schoor, cutting across the front of the net had the home team up by a pair at 3:31. Despite a barrage of shots by the Shamrocks, Paul kept Nanaimo in the game until 11:31 when Brody Eastwood connected on a power play, followed by Schoor’s second at 14:04, also a power play goal. At 15:17 Chris Wardle found the back of the net and that signaled the end of the night for Paul as he was replaced by Devon Winters. It didn’t take long for the ‘Rocks to solve him as Eastwood collected his second goal of the contest, faking high and shooting low at 15:57. The T’Men responded with their second goal of the game, Paul Brebber finding the back of the net at 19:21. Shots on goal favoured the home team by a wide margin of 26-8 in the first period and that was reflected in the 7-2 lead on the scoreboard.
The second period saw the visitors getting a few more shots away, actually edging the Shamrocks by an 18-16 margin in the period. Unfortunately for Nanaimo, they were still outscored 7-4 to be down 14-6 when the buzzer sounded at the end of 40 minutes. It was Eastwood gathering up his hat-trick marker just 1:38 in, after a sloppy Nanaimo turnover. At 4:16 Brandan Smith and Ben Stebbins combined on a loose ball and it was 9-2 Shamrocks. Former Jr. Shamrock, now Nanaimo Timberman, Ryan Sage went coast to coast on a breakaway to score unassisted at 6:09 closing the gap to 6. That was almost as close as they could come as Wardle scored his second at 8:07 and Blair Pinnock added another for the Shamrocks at 8:33, that goal coming on the power play. Sage got his second for the T’Men at 11:21 and the teams traded goals with Stebbins scoring shorthanded at 13:08, Nanaimo responding on a power play with Cory Shires finding twine at 14:34. A pair of shorthanded goals by the Shamrocks, courtesy of Brown and Leung increased the lead to 9 goals and another late marker by Brebber, this one coming on the power play with 25 ticks left on the clock, rounded out the second period scoring.
The third period saw the Shamrocks once again outscore the visitors, but only by a 5-4 margin with the home team once again holding a lead in shots on goal, this time 22-16.
Victoria goals came from Leung, his third, Russsell Kirk, Brown and Wardle, each with their third of the game and Intermediate ‘A’ call-up Jordan Cunningham who was playing his first Jr. ‘A’ game. For the visitors it was Shires with a pair, James Spence and Glenn Foley.
For a team that only managed 3 goals in their Sunday match-up against Coquitlam, the Shamrocks unleashed a veritable shooting gallery tonight with almost everyone in the line-up getting on the scoresheet in one way or another. Adam Brown, who has played more of a defensive role in the last few games, led all scorers with 7 points on 3 goals and 4 assists. Karsen Leung had the hat-trick and 3 helpers, Brody Eastwood with 3 and 2 and Chris Wardle with 3 goals and 1 assist gave the Shamrocks 12 goals among the 4 players. Dane Schoor chipped in with 2 goals and 1 helper while Brandan Smith and Blair Pinnock each had a goal and 2 assists, Ben Stebbins a goal and 3 assists and the call-up Jordan Cunningham a very impressive goal and 5 helpers. Russell Kirk rounded out the scoring. Cory Mayzes got the win in goal, kicking out 32 of the 42 shots he faced.
For the visitors it was Cory Shires leading the way with a hat-trick, Paul Brebber and Ryan Sage each netted a pair of goals with Quinn Smith, James Spence and Glenn Foley adding singles, Foley also chipping in 5 assists.
The Shamrocks’ next action comes this weekend in Burnaby as they face the Lakers. They do not return to the friendly confines of Bear Mountain Arena until Saturday, May 28 when the visitors will be the Langley Thunder. Game time is 5:00pm.
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May 8, 2011
Jr, Rocks Shine at Home
by Janice Huckin
The Victoria Jr. Shamrocks improved to 2-0 at home, handing the visiting Port Coquitlam Saints a 9-5 defeat Saturday at Bear Mountain Arena.
Rookie Cody Hagedorn got the start in goal for the home team while Garrett Spann faced him from the other end of the floor.
The ‘Rocks got things started with a pair of early goals, Chris Wardle scoring at 2:21 on a power play and Brody Eastwood following up just 25 seconds later. The visitors responded with a pair of their own, both off the stick of Nash Harrison, the first also the result of a power play and things were tied up. Special teams gave Victoria a 2-goal lead as Dane Schoor scored short-handed at 9:28, reaping the dividends of a great transition lead pass and Jesse King notched a power play marker at 13:45 to send the Rocks to the dressing room with a 4-2 lead after 20 minutes. Shots on goal favoured the Saints by a 15-10 margin.
The hosts opened up a 3-goal lead with Eastwood tallying just 2:46 into the middle period but that was short-lived as Dysart responded for the Saints at 4:47. The teams traded special team goals with Schoor notching his second shorthanded at 11:51 and Jordan Schulstad replying for the visitors on the power play at 12:18.
Penalties continued to be the order of the day in period 3 as the Shamrocks scored 3 more on the power play to put the game away. Two of those goals came off the stick of Schoor at 10:38 and 11:24 with the third coming from Eastwood, giving both players a hat-trick on the night. Zack Thompson got the only PoCo goal in the period, that coming at 17:07 of the period.
Most of the offense for the Shamrocks was generated by the great rookie talent joining the team from last season’s Intermediate ‘A’ Shamrocks as Dane Schoor and Brody Eastwood each scored three times, adding 2 and 1 assist respectively. Jesse King chipped in with 2 goals and 3 helpers while Chris Wardle had the other Victoria goal and 2 assists. Second year player Blair Pinnock had 4 assists. Cody Hagedorn was impressive in his season debut, kicking out 32 of the 37 shots he faced to get the win.
The Shamrocks get no rest before jumping into a game Sunday on the mainland against the defending Minto Cup Champion Coquitlam Adanacs. They will then play their 3rd game in 4 nights Tuesday as they host their island rivals, the Nanaimo Timbermen at Bear Mountain Arena. That game begins at 7:30 pm.
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May 1, 2011
Jr Rocks Win Home Opener
by Janice Huckin
After dropping their first regular season game on the road Saturday, the Jr. Shamrocks came out with a spirited effort in their home opener to defeat the visiting New Westminster Salmonbellies 13-7 at Bear Mountain Arena Sunday.
Starting goaltenders were Scott Bannister for the home team and Brandon Mulligan for the visitors. The teams were feeling each other out early but Victoria got on the scoreboard first when Adam Wallace scored unassisted at 6:20 after gaining possession with some tough work along the boards. That started a 7-goal run as Brody Eastwood scored at 9:16 followed by a power play marker off the stick of Dane Schoor at 11:42. Mulligan was pulled in favour of Frank Scigliano then the switcheroo back to Mulligan who allowed a fourth Victoria goal from Chris Wardle at 13:21. That was the end of Mulligan’s night as Scigliano went in for the duration. The onslaught continued as Eastwood notched his second on a Victoria power play at 15:10, the first of 3 goals in 58 seconds for the green and white. Rookie Conrad Chapman scored on a bouncer at 15:23 and Blair Pinnock got in close to find twine at 15:59. New West finally got on the scoresheet when Drew House managed to get one by Bannister at 16:47. After 20 minutes, shots on goal were even at 16 apiece but the Shamrocks had a big 7-1 lead on the scoreboard.
A Salmonbellies 2-man power play early in period 2 paid dividends as Mark Negrin scored just 12 seconds into the period. The ‘Rocks were undeterred, however, as they once again rattled in 3 goals in a minute and 24 seconds. Schoor got his second, Eastwood his third and Wallace his second during that mini scoring spree. The ‘Bellies then started to gain some momentum and went on a 3-goal run of their own.Negrin got in close and scored at 7:15. Patrick Spencer got another at 13:28 and just 27 seconds later, playing shorthanded Jeff Sproule got the visitors within 5. A power play marker by Pinnock at 15:14, his second of the game restored a 6-goal Victoria lead as the teams went to the dressing room with the home team leading by an 11-5 score. Tempers were getting out of hand with several major penalties and two game misconducts to each team during the middle frame.
In the final period each team scored twice, Tom Arsenault and Dane Schoor for the Shamrocks and Luke Gillespie and Mark Negrin for the Salmonbellies as the game deteriorated into a general melee near the 15-minute mark.
The Shamrocks were led offensively by rookies Dane Schoor and Brody Eastwood each with a hat-trick. Blair Pinnock and Adam Wallace each added a pair of goals and 2 and 1 helper respectively. Conrad Chapman chipped in a goal and 2 assists and Chris Wardle and Tom Arsenault each had a goal and an assist while Jesse King contributed 7 assists. Scott Bannister kicked out 35 shots to record the win in goal.
For New Westminster Mark Negrin led the way with a hat trick while singles came from Luke Gillespie, Drew House, Jeff Sproule and Patrick Spencer.
Next action for the Jr. Shamrocks is next Saturday, May 7 when they host the Port Coquitlam Saints. Game time at Bear Mountain Arena is 5:00 pm.
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April 23, 2010
Shamrocks Even Pre-Season Record
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks evened their pre-season record at 1-1 with an 11-6 victory over the Nanaimo Timbermen Saturday at Bear Mountain Arena.
Victoria fans got their first look at Scott Bannister in the green and white as he started in goal for the home team while Devon Winter secured the Nanaimo cage for the first period. Nanaimo struck first, Cory Shires scoring unassisted 7:47 into the contest. That was the only goal allowed by Bannister, as he kicked out 32 shots over the first 40 minutes. In the meantime, Victoria shooters started to find the mark, rattling off 4 straight goals before the first intermission to take a 4-1 lead to the dressing room. Christopher Wardle found the back of the net with a hard low shot at 8:09. Tom Arsenault followed up at 10:17 putting a shot over top of the Nanaimo netminder and 20 seconds later, Blair Pinnock notched a goal from the side of the net. Jamie Sorensen rounded out the first period scoring at 15:32.
Nanaimo held the edge in shots on goal in the period by a 22-15 margin but the Shamrocks had the lead on the scoreboard. Nanaimo had a look at a second goaltender, Riley Mangleson taking up his position in the shooting gallery as the ‘Rocks picked up where they left off in the first period. They fired 23 shots at the beleaguered goaltender, scoring 6 unanswered goals, 2 on the power play, on their way to a 10-1 lead after 40 minutes. Devon Casey and Adam Brown each scored twice in the period with singles going to Wardle, his second, and Braden Kmita. The Timbermen seemed to find the range in period 3 as Paul Brebber got things started, scoring just 58 seconds in, starting a 5-goal run that included one power play marker and one shorthanded goal before the Shamrocks’ Ben Stebbins scored the final goal of the contest at 12:22.
The Shamrocks were led in scoring by Chris Wardle, Adam Brown and Devon Casey each with a pair of goals, Brown also chipping in 4 assists while Wardle and Casey had 2 helpers each. Single goals came off the sticks of Ben Stebbins, Blair Pinnock, Jamie Sorensen, Braden Kmita and Tom Arsenault. The Timbermen got goals from 6 different players and Jericho Paul who took over between the pipes for period 3 stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced.
The B.C. Jr. A League season starts in earnest this week with the Shamrocks starting on the road against the Delta Islanders Saturday, April 30. They return Bear Mountain Arena Sunday, May 1 to host the New Westminster Salmonbellies in their home opener. Game time Sunday is 5:00 pm.
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April 11, 2011
Rocks Dropped by Thunder
by Janice Huckin
Victoria lacrosse fans got their first look at the Jr. Shamrocks as they hosted the Langley Thunder in an exhibition game Sunday at Juan de Fuca arena. The visitors handed the ‘Rocks a 12-10 defeat. The game was meant to give coaching staff a good look at some players still vying for a roster spot with the team, thus only 5 veterans appeared in the line-up.
The teams were tied 2-2 after the first period, both Victoria goals coming from Jessie King. The home team ran into some penalty problems in the middle frame and the Thunder power play looked pretty potent. With tic-tac-toe precision passing, they put up 3 straight power play markers as part of a 5-goal run that put them up by a 7-3 score by the middle of the second period. The Shamrocks got one back before Langley added a couple more, one of them short-handed to go to the dressing room with a 9-4 lead after 40 minutes.
The ‘Rocks outscored the visitors 6-3 in the final period, including a few power play markers of their own and a shorthanded goal late but ran out of time and took the loss. Cody Hagadorn and Cory Mayzes both saw action between the pipes, each allowing 6 goals. Both are looking to take a spot on the team as first-year regulars, although they have both dressed as call-ups previously.
Leading the way for the Shamrocks on the scoresheet was Jessie King with 4 goals and 2 assists, with another Intermediate ‘A graduate, Brody Eastwood chipping in 2 goals and 3 helpers. Devon Casey, Tom Arsenault, Jamie Sorenson and Josh Fagan also scored for the home team.
Next action for the Jr. Shamrocks comes on Saturday, April 23 when they will host the Nanaimo Timbermen in their second and final exhibition game. Face-off takes place at 5:00 pm at Bear Mountain arena. The regular season begins for the Rocks April 30 on the road with their home opener scheduled for Sunday, May 1 at Bear Mountain with a 5:00 pm start
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April 10, 2011
Texas Hold'em Tournament Winner
Steve Lawrence and Bob Powell of the JR Shamrocks present Texas Hold'em Poker Winner Norm Fairlie with a cheque for $600.00. Norm beat out 43 other players for the big win on Saturday afternoon at the Six Mile Pub.
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March 20, 2011
Texas Hold'em Tournament - Jr Rocks Fundraiser
Attention poker players, April 9th is the next date set for the semi-annual Texas Hold'em fundraiser. Details can be found on the Texas Hold'em page now located on our website. Always lots of fun, a great venue and a chance to win cash...all while you are supporting the Jr Rocks!
Hope to see you there!
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March 14, 2011
Jr Shamrock Fans, live LAX...finally!
Drop by the Eagle ridge arena this coming Friday and Saturday and see some of the upcoming young talent the Jr Rocks will have on display this season. Rookie Camp starts Friday from 6:00pm until 7:00pm. Then on Saturday from 4:30pm until 6:30pm. The coaching staff will be having an inter-squad game at Saturday's camp. If your only LAX entertainment has been the NLL on the tube, then come on down for some live action!
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March 12, 2011
The 2011 Victoria Jr A Shamrocks schedule has now been posted on the website's schedule page. Fans...start making plans to attend and be witness to some of the best Jr A lacrosse talent in the country!
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March 10, 2011
Players Training Camp Update:
Changes have be made to the training camp schedule for the "main camp". Please reference the training camp link for the details of those changes. There could be further possible changes prior to the start of main camp, so please check the website.
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January 26, 2011
Rocks Staffer Recognized
by Janice Huckin
The Jr. Shamrocks congratulate assistant team manager, Dave Wilkie, who was recently recognized by Sport BC with a Community Sports Hero Award. Wilkie was one of 8 local volunteers so honoured at an event held recently at the Laurel Point Inn. He was rewarded for his 25 years of service to the lacrosse community. Dave has been involved with the Jr. Shamrocks for the past 5 years but has also served in various posts within the BCLA, including the position of Chair, Minor Directorate. The Jr. Shamrocks consider themselves fortunate to have someone of Dave’s experience and congratulate him on this most recent recognition.
In other Jr. Shamrocks news, GM Rod Wood has pulled the strings on another trade which sees third-year player Ryan Sage and the rights to Scott Renner go to the Nanaimo Timbermen in exchange for veteran goaltender Scott Bannister. Sage suited up with the Shamrocks for two seasons, last year putting up 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points in 20 games. The acquisition of Bannister will bolster a very young crew of goaltenders after the departure of Adam Hickey. Bannister, a Victoria resident, is also in his final year of junior eligibility having played two seasons with Nanaimo and is very much looking forward to playing his home games at ‘home’.
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January 13, 2011
**Attention Players** - There have been some changes already to the training camp schedule. Please see the training camp page for the minor changes.
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January 9, 2011
The 2011 Jr Rocks training camp has been posted (see link). Players wishing to attend any of the sessions should contact the general manager, Rod Wood at GM@JRSHAMROCKS.COM
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