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Art Webster Going to the Hall
Recently it was learned that Shamrocks Assistant Coach Art Webster will be inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame later this year. "It's a great honour to be recognized in a sport you've dedicated your life to," Webster said in response to the news. "I really appreciate all the people I've been surrounded by from my parents through my minor coaches and teammates all the way up to the two great senior organizations I played with. It's a team game and everyone has contributed to any success I might have had."
Webster won two Mann Cup championships as a player in Victoria, in 1979 with the Shamrocks and in 1983 with the Payless and he has won two more as an Assistant Coach, in 2003 and 2005. He holds the remarkable distinction of having played senior lacrosse in four decades; the 1970's, 80's, 90's and the current one (he played two games in 2003).
Webster recalls how he got his start in the sport, "I remember when I was five years old and my dad was taking me to play lacrosse. It was a $1 registration and you got a stick and if you got there early enough you got a helmet and gloves, otherwise you had to play with nothing." And so began the journey that led to the Hall of Fame. Congratulations Artie on this well-deserved honour.
The Unthinkable
With the playoffs hanging on a thin mathematical calculation, the Shamrocks arrived at the Palace on Poirier. Not since 1987 has the WLA begun its playoffs without Victoria hosting at least a couple of games. Trot out all the clichés you want, there was no more wiggle room for the Rocks.
The green started well at 1:46 with Dan Dawson taking a pass from Curt Morwick to put the Rocks in the lead. The Adanacs replied quickly, at 2:26, with Brandon MacNeil finding twine. Victoria continued to press and was rewarded with a goal from Lewis Ratcliff just 19 seconds later. Callum Crawford was credited with the lone assist. The Rocks stretched the lead to two goals when Dawson bagged his second goal, from Nic Collison and Ratcliff at 4:48.But, a pair of goals from the Adanacs tied the game: Colin Doyle unassisted at 5:25, and; a power play goal from Curt Malawsky at 10:02, with helpers given to Peter Veltman and Doyle. Callum Crawford gave the Rocks a one goal lead again at 10:20, from Scott Dyrda. A minor penalty to each team preceded a double minor to each team with the Adanacs finding he only goal on a power play at 18:01, assisted by Andy Secore. However, at even strength the Rocks closed the first period scoring with the second goal from Crawford at 19:13, assisted by Morwick.
The first period ended with the Rocks holding a one goal lead, 5 to 4, although the Adanacs outshot the Rocks 19 to 14.
The Rocks started the second period by extending their lead to two goals. Crawford did the honours in fine fashion, scoring his hat trick goal both shorthanded and unassisted at 1:32. A couple of penalties and a scrap later, the Adanacs seemed to regroup and came out blazing through a six goal run. The A's got markers from: Bruce Murray at 7:58, unassisted; Jason Wulder from Daryl Veltman and Malawsky at 9:16; Andy Secore from Wulder at 9:56; Malawsky from Doyle at 11:25; Daryl Veltman from Peter Veltman and Malawsky at 12:15, and; Gary Bining from Malawsky and Jeff Pringle at 16:24.
The Rocks two-goal lead was now a four goal deficit. Before the period was done, Dawson set up Pat Cardiff at the crease, at 18:07, to pull Victoria within three goals. The score was 10 to 7 for the A's. Shots in the second period were close, 17 from the A's to 16 for Victoria.
The Adanacs opened the third period by stretching their lead to five goals. Malawsky got his hat trick at 1:20, assisted by Trent Smalley, and Secore got his second goal at 5:55, with help from Dan Stroup and Wulder. Dawson found the range for this hat trick at 6:20, from Crawford, to cut the A's lead to 4. The teams then battled hard for 7 minutes before the next goal. That goal, unfortunately, came from the stick of Steve McKinley at 13:42, unassisted. The five goal lead was back.
With the possible playoff berth drifting away, the Rocks pressed hard with Patterson heading to the bench on every possession. The extra man attack resulted in the fourth goal from Dawson, assisted by Jamie Roy and Patterson at 13:54, and the second goal from Ratcliff at 14:22, set up by Dawson. But, that was it for the scoring.
The A's took the game 13 to 10. Victoria had a one shot advantage in the final tally, 45 to 44.
The Rocks season closes with two games on Wednesday July 25th, and at Nanaimo on Saturday July 28th. Then, the planning begins for the 2008 season.
While 1987 was a bleak year, Victoria has had a great run. It will be odd for the Shamrock faithful to be following the semis and final series without the Rocks in the morning fish wrap. When the Mann Cup series begins, it will not be on Devil's Island. This writer will not have to beg for a bunk at No-Zed's fine hostelry for the duration of the best of seven national championship. For one year, the mainland fans will be able to drive to the Mann. For just one year.
Rocks Playoff Hopes Fade
The Victoria Shamrocks’ slim playoff hopes were all but ended Wednesday as they lost a 9-7 decision to the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs at Bear Mountain Arena. Mathematically now the Rocks must win all 3 of their remaining games, all on the road, while the fourth place Nanaimo Timbermen would have to lose their 3 remaining contests.
The Adanacs carried their momentum into the middle frame as they rattled off four straight goals, the first coming off the opening faceoff just 7 seconds into the period off the stick of Brad MacDonald. Secore notched his second on an over-the-shoulder shot at 4:37 and at 5:50 Jesse Phillips, with Coquitlam playing shorthanded, got behind his defensive coverage and beat Patterson. That was the end of the night for the Victoria goaltender as he was replaced between the pipes by rookie Aaron Bold. Doyle picked up his second goal of the game for Coquitlam, on the power play, at 9:20 and the visitors were up by a 7-1 margin. Bold settled right in after that and his teammates managed to get the Shamrocks a little closer, Lewis Ratcliff finally beating Eliuk at 11:59. Adanacs' leading scorer Jason Wulder got that one back at the 18:05 mark, breaking from the penalty box and getting in alone, and after 40 minutes the score was 8-2, enough to send many of the Shamrock fans home.
As has often been the case this season, the ‘Rocks put together a great effort for the final period; also as has been the case, it was too little too late. Dan Dawson scored for the home team at 1:46. He then got into some extra-curricular action, squaring off with the Adanacs' Steve McKinlay. This was as ‘dangerous' as Dawson got as he clearly had the upper hand, taking a unanimous decision as both combatants were sent to the penalty box for a 7-minute cooling off period. Nic Collison added a goal to the Victoria tally, finishing off a nice passing play. Coquitlam then got into a bit of penalty trouble and Jr. ‘A' Shamrock call-up Cory Conway made them pay with two goals, both howitzers, at 8:10 and 8:48. The home team was within a pair with over half a period to play. Unfortunately Secore took the wind out of the Victoria sails when he managed to squeeze a shot just inside the post at 9:41. Dawson added his second of the game for the Shamrocks at 16:11 but the home team was unable to muster anything else, even with the goaltender on the bench for the extra attacker as the 9-7 Coquitlam victory goes into the record books.
As noted, the Shamrocks almost need some divine intervention if they are to take part in post-season play this year. Failing that, it will mark the first time since 1987 they will be on the outside looking in. During those 20 years, they have been to the Mann Cup 8 of the last 10 seasons, winning the Canadian Championship in 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2005.
Lewis Ratcliff increased his league-leading point total by 6 as he picked up a goal and 5 assists to lead the Shamrocks in their final regular season home game. Jr. call-up Cory Conway and Dan Dawson, who was named the game's third star, each had a pair of goals with singles going to Pat Cardiff and Nic Collison. Aaron Bold was tagged with the loss despite stopping 16 of the 19 shots he faced after relieving Patterson 5:50 into the second period. Patterson had 10 saves on 16 shots.
For the Adanacs it was Andy Secore picking up first star honours and leading the way with 3 goals and 1 assist. Colin Doyle chipped in a pair while Steve McKinlay, Brad MacDonald, Jesse Phillips and Jason Wulder, who also had 2 helpers, each scored once. Dallas Eliuk was named second star of the game, kicking out 21 of the 27 shots he faced before yielding to Chris Levis for the last 11:12 of the game. Levis faced 10 shots and allowed just one goal.
Next action for the Shamrocks is a return engagement as they make the trip to Coquitlam Saturday, July 21 to face the Adanacs. They then match up against the Langley Thunder next Wednesday, July 25 and finish up the season in Nanaimo against the Timbermen on Saturday, July 28.
Aaaaaahhhh! Sweet Victory!
The Victoria Shamrocks have struggled at home this WLA season but Wednesday they managed to pull off a 10-7 victory at Bear Mountain over the second place Burnaby Lakers, giving players and fans cause to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The victory was only the second for the Shamrocks in what is usually a very difficult place for visiting teams to take two points and, with only one home game remaining and 5 on the road, keeps Victoria's playoff hopes alive.
Again in the middle frame, Burnaby opened the scoring with two goals that came as a direct result of Laker players outworking and outrunning their counterparts. Spencer Martin scored at 4:20 and less than a minute later, at 5:07 McDade collected his second of the contest as Victoria defenders seemed to quit on a loose ball battle. The Shamrocks fought back and Callum Crawford beat Palidwor at 7:57 to get within a goal. Ratcliff picked up his second of the game, taking advantage of a Burnaby turnover, at 17:23 and, with the scored tied again at 5, the teams retired for the intermission. Shots on goal were 17-17 in the middle period.
In the third period the Shamrocks came to life and rattled off 5 unanswered goals, the first one coming off the stick of Ratcliff just 29 seconds in. After a great penalty kill by the home team, especially some tenacity on the parts of Jon Sullivan and Callum Crawford, Ratcliff struck for two more. He scored at 7:28 and again at 10:02 with a bullet of a shot and suddenly the Rocks were up by three. Big Buck Stobart gathered up a loose ball and, like a runaway train went coast to coast and beat Palidwor for an unassisted goal at 11:42. Ratcliff collected his sixth goal of the game, cashing in on his own rebound at 13:55 and it looked like Victoria was in control with a 10-5 lead. The Lakers started pulling goaltender Palidwor for an extra attacker and that, along with some generous giveaways by Victoria, resulted in the Lakers adding two goals to their total as Sedgewick and Martin each scored their second of the game. Unfortunately for Burnaby time ran out and the Shamrocks put their fourth victory into the books. The Lakers outshot Victoria 23-12 in the third period as Aaron Bold was outstanding in goal, until he limped off the floor with 27 seconds remaining.
League leading scorer Lewis Ratcliff added 7 points to his total on 6 goals and 1 assist for the Shamrocks. Dan Dawson and Lucas MacNeil each had a goal and 2 helpers with Callum Crawford and Buck Stobart scoring the other Victoria goals. Aaron Bold kicked aside 48 of the 55 shots he faced as the Shamrocks swept the three star honours - Lewis Ratcliff, Aaron Bold and Jon Sullivan named 1-2-3 respectively.
For the Lakers Rory McDade, Spencer Martin and Cam Sedgewick each scored twice with Martin also contributing 2 helpers. Kevin Hanson scored the other Burnaby goal.
In other WLA action Wednesday, the third place Coquitlam Adanacs handed the Langley Thunder a 14-12 overtime loss. Both these results help Victoria's playoff hopes as they vault over the idle Maple Ridge Burrards into 6th place with 9 points, 1 point behind the Thunder and holding two games in hand. It also leaves the Shamrocks just 3 points out of the final playoff spot, currently held by Nanaimo who will be in New Westminster Thursday to take on the league-leading Salmonbellies.
Next action for the Shamrocks is in Maple Ridge Sunday and then a return to Bear Mountain for their final regular season home game next Wednesday, July 18 when the Coquitlam Adanacs will be in town. Game time Wednesday is 7:45 p.m.
Shamrock Woes Continue at Home
At the halfway point in the season, the Victoria Shamrocks sit in 6th place in the WLA standings and, with just one victory to date at Bear Mountain Arena, must look at every game as a must-win to ensure a playoff appearance. Unfortunately Tuesday the Rocks managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, giving up 4 consecutive goals including two in overtime and losing 13-11 to the second place Burnaby Lakers.
The starting goaltenders were Curtis Palidwor for the Lakers and Nick Patterson for the Shamrocks, the latter having a very inauspicious beginning as Burnaby scored on their first two shots on goal, Kevin Olson striking at the 57-second mark with a hard low shot and Cam Sedgewick finding twine at 2:27. Mark Scherman had the visitors up 3-0 at the 6:45 point, quieting the smaller than usual crowd temporarily.Dan Dawson managed to infuse some energy into the Shamrock faithful scoring on a bullet at 11:06 after which there were 3 goals scored in 50 seconds. Rory McDade restored the 3-goal Laker lead at 12:09 but the Shamrocks rattled off two quick ones, Callum Crawford scoring at 12:39 just 10 seconds into a power play and Graeme Ross added a goal at 12:59 to bring the home team within one. Sedgewick collected his second of the game at 19:29 beating Patterson high over the shoulder as Burnaby outshot the Shamrocks 17-14 and were full value for their 5-3 lead after the first period.
Lewis Ratcliff got Victoria rolling early in the second, scoring at 1:50 but a power play marker by McDade at 4:22 had the Lakers again ahead by a pair. With John Panichelli taking a double minor for back-checking at
4:57 the Shamrocks made quick work of their power play opportunity, Ratcliff scoring twice with markers at 5:13 and 5:37. They kept the momentum going with Dawson adding his second at 7:52 and Ratcliff picking up his third and fourth at 10:54 and 11:18 respectively, completing a 5-goal run for the Irish and establishing a 9-6 lead. It didn't last long, however, as Kevin Hanson managed to sneak one by Patterson at 11:54 and the second period finished with the Shamrocks up 9-7. Shots on goal in the middle frame again favoured the Lakers by a
19-15 margin.
It looked like the Shamrocks might take control when Callum Crawford opened the third period with a goal at 2:32, but the Lakers quickly extinguished that flame of hope scoring two quick goals at 4:12 and 4:47 off the sticks of Hanson and Spencer Martin. Dawson's third goal of the contest at 11:55 re-established a 2-goal lead but the Lakers never quit.
Olson notched his second goal at 14:21 and with things going down to the wire, Burnaby pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. The move paid off as Sedgewick scored his third goal of the game at 19:38 to send the game into overtime tied at 11.
The visitors put the game on ice scoring twice in the extra period, Sedgewick with his fourth and McDade with his third scoring at 6:12 and 9:13. The Lakers are a young, fast team and used that advantage to consistently beat Victoria's defense which is young, big and . . . . .
well. . . . slow.
The Lakers got 4 goals and 3 assists from Cam Sedgewick to earn him second star honours. Kevin Olson chipped in a pair of goals and 6 assists and was named third star of the game while Rory McDade had 3 goals and two assists. Kevin Hanson had a pair of goals with singles coming from Mark Scherman and Spencer Martin. Curtis Palidwor kicked out 35 of the 46 shots he faced to earn the victory.
For the Shamrocks it was Lewis Ratcliff racking up 5 goals and 2 helpers and Dan Dawson, the game's first star, notching 3 goals and 4 assists.
Callum Crawford added a pair of goals with the other going to Graeme Ross. Noah Talbot and Pat Cardiff contributed 2 and 3 assists respectively while Nick Patterson faced 61 shots in the Victoria goal.
The Shamrocks sit in sixth spot in the 7-team WLA standings, just one point ahead of the cellar-dwelling Maple Ridge Burrards and one point behind the 5th place Langley Thunder. Fourth place is not out of reach, the Nanaimo Timbermen currently occupying the last playoff spot with 10 points, just 3 ahead of the Shamrocks. The 'Rocks won't get much rest as they travel to Queen's Park Arena for a date with the league-leading
9-1 New Westminster Salmonbellies Thursday. Their next home game is Wednesday, July 11 when the Burnaby Lakers will once again be the opposition. Game time at Bear Mountain Wednesday is 7:45 p.m.
Janice Huckin
Shamrocks Make a Trade
The Victoria Shamrocks Trade the playing rights of Dwight Maetche to the maple ridge for a 4th and 5th round draft picks in the 2008 WLA Entry Draft
Thunder Have Shamrocks’ Number
The Langley Thunder rolled into Bear Mountain Arena Friday to face the Victoria Shamrocks. The visitors climbed over the Rocks in the standings by outscoring them 10-2 over the final two periods and taking a 16-10 victory.
The Thunder had things tied up by 2:49 of the middle frame, prompting the Shamrocks to make a goaltending change, Aaron Bold taking over between the pipes. He didn't fare much better as Johnson scored his third goal of the game at 5:22 giving Langley their first lead of the game. Victoria captain Chris McKay scored a power play marker 5 seconds later but 20 seconds later Jared Wheatley's second of the period had Langley up 10-9. Less than a minute later Ratcliff's third tied the score once again but after that it was lights out for the Shamrocks in the face of a Thunder storm. Kyle McEwen, Jeff Sauve and Justin Norbraten gave the visitors a 13-10 lead heading into the dressing room after 2 periods.
Patterson returned to the Victoria net to begin period 3, a period in which Langley scored the only 3 goals. Victoria shooters were ineffective at best and Langley's speed had Shamrock defenders flat-footed much of the time. The salt in the Shamrocks' wound came when Victoria, trying to get Patterson back into the net, were called for too many players resulting in a goal being credited to Thunder goalie Croswell at 18:46. Many fans left early, after witnessing one of the least impressive performances from the Shamrocks in quite some time.
As head coach Walt Christianson has said numerous times this week, there are no excuses. Goaltending has been a problem so far this season - very inconsistent and not what was expected when the trade for Nick Patterson was made. Simply put, however, Friday the Shamrocks underperformed in virtually every aspect of the game. That has them sitting in sole possession of the WLA cellar one point behind the Thunder.
Lewis Ratcliff finished the game with 3 goals and 4 assists for the Shamrocks. Callum Crawford had 2 goals and 3 assists while Pat Cardiff also had a pair of goals. Dan Dawson scored once, added 2 helpers and also expressed his frustration by getting into a fight with Langley's Steve Hay. Chris McKay and Curt Morwick picked up the other two Victoria goals.
For the victorious Langley squad 3 players had six points. Tom Johnson, the game's first star, scored 4 times and added 2 assists; Justin Norbraten and Rob Vanbeek each had 3 goals and 3 helpers. Jared Wheatley contributed 2 goals and 3 assists with singles coming from Chris Manwaring Jeff Sauve, Kyle McEwen and second star, goaltender Kevin Croswell.
The Shamrocks are on the road Sunday against their island rivals, the Nanaimo Timbermen. It is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, Nanaimo taking an 11-8 victory earlier this season at Bear Mountain. The Rocks return home Wednesday, May 27 when the visitors will be the first place New Westminster Salmonbellies. Game time at Bear Mountain Wednesday is 7:45 p.m.
Shamrocks and Adanacs Solve Nothing
The Victoria Shamrocks got back into action Wednesday night at Bear Mountain after an 11-day layoff. The visitors were their archrivals, the Coquitlam Adanacs, but after 70 minutes of play, nothing was solved as the teams battled to an 8-8 overtime tie.
The ‘Rocks did not have a game last week due to travel problems for the Burnaby Lakers so their last game action was on June 1 against Maple Ridge. The home fans got to see goaltender Aaron Bold for the first time this season as he got the start in goal for Victoria. Veteran Dallas Eliuk was between the pipes for the visitors.
Bold got into a groove early making a number of saves. An early power play for the Shamrocks yielded very little in the way of scoring opportunities at the other end. The home team did hit the score sheet first, Callum Crawford beating Eliuk at 11:03 as he gathered in a pass from captain Chris McKay on a two-on-one. Crawford netted his second of the contest on a high hard shot at 17:26 on a power play, Lewis Ratcliff picking up the assist. Unfortunately for Crawford and the ‘Rocks some extracurricular action followed the goal, resulting in his being expelled from the game with a major for fighting and a game misconduct. Along with Crawford, Victoria's George Westwood also received the same penalties as well as Coquitlam's Colin Doyle and Trent Smalley. A bench penalty to Victoria in the same altercation gave Coquitlam a power play opportunity on which they came up empty. The Shamrocks extended their lead to 3-0 on a Nic Collison goal, scored shorthanded at 18:28 and that was the lead the home team took to the dressing room after 20 minutes. Shots on goal were in favour of the Adanacs by a 17-12 margin.
A power play goal by Peter Veltman got the Adanacs onto the shore sheet at the 32-second mark of the middle frame. Special teams played a significant role as the teams traded goals just past the midway point. Victoria's Pat Cardiff scored the second shorthanded goal of the game at 10:19 but just 12 seconds later, the Adanacs made good on the power play when Tim Campeau picked a corner after a couple of fakes on Bold. There was a brief flurry of goals at even strength as Curt Malawsky found a space on the short side and beat Bold at 12:43. Exactly a minute later Victoria team captain Chris McKay scored one of his infrequent goals but Malawsky notched his second a half minute later. Coquitlam had again outshot Victoria, this time 17-15 but now they had something to show for it as they had also outscored them by a 4-2 margin and found themselves only down by a goal, 5-4 after two periods of play.
Less than a minute into the final period, Nic Collison scored his second goal of the game to regain the two-goal lead for the ‘Rocks. The Adanacs seemed to catch fire as they rattled off the next 4 goals, one of them shorthanded and one on the power play and all of a sudden the visitors had an 8-6 lead after the first 7:40 of the period. Victoria's Cardiff, with a delayed penalty call being signaled against the Adanacs, scored at 8:09. Curt Morwick, who had gotten a few sniffs around the net earlier, buried one at 10:40 and the game was tied. The next 9:20 yielded nothing for either squad. Offensively the Shamrocks could not seem to get any room to make quality shots, no doubt missing both Crawford and scoring star Dan Dawson who was unavailable. With the score tied after 60 minutes, the teams took a 2-minute break and headed into a 10-minute overtime period.
Coquitlam had the better chances in the extra period as the Shamrocks suffered from poor passes and very few shots. The Adanacs outshot Victoria 5-2 in overtime but Bold was outstanding, at one point stoning Andrew McBride on a breakaway.
Callum Crawford, Pat Cardiff and Nic Collison each finished the game with a pair of goals for Victoria. Singles came from Chris McKay and Curt Morwick. Lucas MacNeil and Lewis Ratcliff finished with 4 and 5 assists respectively. McKay picked up third star honours while Aaron Bold was named the game's first game star kicking out 42 of the 50 shots he faced. The result would most certainly have been different without his stellar play.
For the Adanacs it was wily veteran Curt Malawsky, the game's second star, leading the way with 3 goals. Kris Bryde, Taylor Wray, Peter Veltman, Jason Wulder and Tim Campeau who also had 3 helpers, each scored once. Dallas Eliuk was solid in goal making 31 saves.
The result has Coquitlam in third place with a 3-2-1 record and 7 points while Victoria is 2 points behind in fourth place with a 2-3-1 record. Next action for the Shamrocks is Friday in Burnaby as they face the 4-2 Lakers. They return home to Bear Mountain next Friday, June 22 at 7:45 p.m. when the visitors will be the Langley Thunder. Fans can enjoy a tailgate party, starting at 5:00 p.m., prior to that game. There will be a ‘beverage garden', face painting, entertainment, barbecue, and a chance to meet the Shamrock players. Proceeds will assist the Intermediate ‘A' Shamrocks in their bid for another Provincial Championship.
by Janice Huckin
Shamrocks Sign Jeff Summerfield
The Victoria Shamrocks have added a defender to the roster who is big, strong and tough, plays with grit and determination, is a great team player, has a good mind for the game and a winner's attitude.
The newest Shamrock is Jeff Summerfield whose playing rights were recently acquired from the Ajax Pickering Rock of the Ontario Lacrosse Association Senior B League. Summerfield had begun his second season with the Rock when the opportunity arose to come west. He had a very impressive debut in a Shamrock uniform on June 13 at home against the Coquitlam Adanacs.
When asked what attracted him to Victoria, Summerfield said, "The opportunity to win a Mann Cup and to further my personal lacrosse career. Also, the history of this team, the beautiful community and the opportunity to see and experience another part of Canada."
Earlier this year Summerfield quit his job with the Royal Bank to play for Team England at the 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship where he was teammates with Lewis Ratcliff and was coached by Chris Hall.
In 2004 he won the outstanding defensive player award in the OLA Junior A series.
Nickname: Summy
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Shoots: Right
Born: October 27, 1983 in Scarborough, Ontario
Minor lacrosse: Scarborough Saints
Junior A: Brampton Excelsiors
Most influential person in his lacrosse development: His brother Shawn Summerfield
Biggest thrill so far in lacrosse: Playing in the World Indoor Championship with Team England in 2007
Funniest thing he ever saw in a lacrosse game: "Me playing in net for part of a game for the Brampton Major Excelsiors."
Favourite lacrosse player of all-time: Cam Woods
How he describes himself as a lacrosse player: Big, strong stay-at-home defenseman
Superstitions: Procedure for putting on equipment
Game-day ritual: Cold cut trio sub
Best advice he ever received: Stay confident and play through adversity
Most treasured possession: My heart
If he could have dinner with any person in history: Kurt Cobain or Terry Bradshaw
Favourite meal: Barbecue steak and baked potato
Cooking specialty: Barbecue
Favourite TV show: Fox NFL Sunday
Favourite movie: Old School
Favourite actor: Vince Vaughn
Favourite actress: Jessica Alba
Best concert he's ever seen: The Trews in Toronto
In his CD player right now: Nine Inch Nails, Year Zero
Real job: Roofer
Favourite sport other than lacrosse: Hockey
Favourite team (non-lacrosse): Pittsburgh Steelers
Favourite athlete (non-lacrosse): LeBron James
Advice for young lacrosse players: Never give up and play from your heart.
Postponed Game Rescheduled
The Western Lacrosse Association game between the Victoria Shamrocks and the Burnaby Lakers originally scheduled for June 6th has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 3rd at Bear Mountain Arena with a start time of 7:45 pm.
Tickets for all Shamrock home games are available from the Victoria Grizzlies box office at Bear Mountain Arena, telephone 250-385-1555.
Shamrocks Rock Burrards
The Victoria Shamrocks broke into the home floor win column Friday with a 17-13 victory over the visiting Maple Ridge Burrards.
The Rocks have struggled early but with a couple of full roster practices under their belt, the home fans saw a much different team than in their first two outings at Bear Mountain Arena.
The turning point in the game may have come early in the middle frame when the Shamrocks, playing shorthanded scored two goals in a mere 6 seconds. At 5:30 Chris McKay took off down the floor, fed the ball to Ratcliff, took the return pass and made no mistake. Off the ensuing faceoff, Jordan Sundher took the ball cleanly and scored unassisted at 5:36. The 3-goal difference held up through the period as the teams traded goals the rest of the way. In the midst of the scoring action the return of Chris ‘No Fear' Kinnear was noted as he tangled with the Burrards' Mark Phillips, taking a unanimous decision but also receiving a match penalty for his trouble. The score after 2 periods was Victoria 11 and Maple Ridge 8.
In period 3 the goals continued to mount up, the Dawson-Ratcliff-Crawford connection paving the way for Victoria. The Shamrocks were up 17-10 at one point but the Burrards battled back with the final 3 goals of the game to make the score respectable. Maple Ridge fired 29 shots at Victoria goaltender Patterson in the third period but he came up with some big saves.
Dan Dawson, (3g, 5a), Lewis Ratcliff (3g, 5a) and Callum Crawford (4g, 4a) each contributed 8 points to the Shamrocks' victory, sweeping the 3 star awards. Noah Talbot contributed a pair while Jamie Roy, Pat Cardiff, Curt Morwick, Chris McKay and Jordan Sundher added singles. Nick Patterson kicked out 47 of the 60 shots he faced.
For the Burrards it was Derek Lowe leading the way with 4 goals and 3 helpers. Randy Daly and Greg Hinman each chipped in 2 goals and 2 assists with Justin Hawksbee, Athen Yuen, Shawn Cable, Trent Smalley and Brenan Day each scoring once.
The Burnaby Lakers were to be the visitors next Wednesday but travel difficulties have made it necessary to re-schedule that game. The next home game for the Shamrocks will be Wednesday, June 13 when the Coquitlam Adanacs roll into Bear Mountain Arena for a 7:45 p.m. faceoff.
Shamrocks Still Winless at Home
by Janice Huckin
I can’t recall the last time the Victoria Shamrocks lost 3 consecutive times, let alone 2 of those on their home floor. Friday night at Bear Mountain the Langley Thunder rolled in and, in handing the Irish their second loss at home by an 11-8 margin, got their first victory of the season.
The second period was literally a Thunder storm as they rattled off 5 unanswered goals, 2 of those with the man advantage. After the sixth goal the Shamrocks tried to change the momentum by inserting Aaron Bold in goal. Unfortunately he suffered almost the same fate as his teammate when Langley's Jared Wheatley scored the second of his three consecutive goals on just the second shot taken on the rookie. Ratcliff managed to fend off a second period goose egg by notching a goal at 19:19. After 40 minutes the score was Langley 8, Victoria 3.
Shamrock fans are so spoiled by having witnessed such great success over the years. Just when they were scratching their heads and wondering - who are you and what have you done with the Shamrocks, the Rocks arrived in time for the third period. In a reversal of the middle frame, Victoria found the net for 5 straight goals, tying the score 8-8 at the 15:05 mark. Leading the attack, in his first home game of the season, was Dangerous Dan Dawson who figured in all 5 goals, scoring twice and assisting on the others. I'm sure the idea of a second overtime game for the Shamrocks within 24 hours flashed through some minds. None of those minds belonged to the Langley Thunder, however, as they rallied to re-gain the lead just 34 seconds after the tying goal. Off the ensuing faceoff at 15:47 Johnson scored his second for the Thunder and Rob Vanbeek scored an empty-netter at 18:40 to close the book on the Shamrocks.
Jared Wheatley and Rob Vanbeek each scored hat tricks for the Thunder while Bryan Brown and Tom Johnson, who also added 3 assists, notched a pair. Jeff Sauve had the other Langley goal. Nick Schroeder stopped 37 of the 45 shots he faced to record the victory. Johnson and Wheatley were named the game's second and third stars respectively.
For the Shamrocks Dan Dawson led all point-getters with 7 points on 2 goals and 5 helpers to be named first star of the contest. Lewis Ratcliff chipped in 3 goals and 2 assists while Curt Morwick, Lucas MacNeil and Callum Crawford added singles.
In other Friday action Burnaby remained undefeated handing the Coquitlam Adanacs a 13-10 loss. The standings now shape up as follows: Burnaby leads the league with a 4-0 record. New Westminster sits second at 2-2 followed by Nanaimo, Maple Ridge, Victoria and Langley who each have 1 victory and Coquitlam rests in the basement with a 0-1 record.
There is little doubt that the complete re-vamping of the Shamrock line-up is contributing to early season unfamiliarity. That, coupled with a late overtime game and travel the previous evening played a part in this result. Those factors should be less prevalent as the team will get a couple of practices under their belt before they hit the floor again.
Next action for the Shamrocks is Friday June 1 when the Maple Ridge Burrards come to town. Game time at Bear Mountain Arena is 7:45 p.m.
No Cigar…
The Shamrocks team is still coming together but the league schedule is a little ahead of the final product. Lewis Ratcliff and Dan Dawson arrived in Vancouver on game day, from their duties with the English and Canadian national teams at the Box World Championship. Ratcliff lead the England team to a fourth place finish, while Dawson had bragging rights with the Canadian team winning the Championship. Both players were on the mainland waiting for the green machine to arrive.
Before the game, Bellies GM Dan Richardson thought that this game would provide a good indication of where the Bellies new lineup fit into the league, and how far the Fish had come in a few short years. Dan has been patient. Victoria, while gaining the skill and experience of Ratcliff and Dawson for the game, remain a bit of a question mark having lost to their Island Rivals last Friday at Bear Mountain after opening with a win on the road in Maple Ridge.
The game started quickly with the Bellies' Iannucci scoring just 43 seconds into the game. Less than a minute later, the score might have been two zip, but Aaron Bold showed his skill when facing an unchecked Floris shooting from the the edge of the crease. At 2:49, the Rocks found knotted the game when Dawson moved around a great pick to beat Disher in the Bellies net. Pat Cardiff and Ratcliff assisted.
The play continued to be fast, moving up and down the floor. Bold made a second great stop off of Conn, before Hawksbee ran the floor with two checkers and crashed into the Victoria netminder after missing his shot. Bold was favouring his right leg, but continued and continued with his brilliant play after receiving some attention from the training staff.
At 7:08, Victoria was assessed a slashing penalty and Iannucci cashed in on the PP with a laser shot over Bold's right shoulder. That goal was at 8:59, and was assisted by Conn and Gill. New West scored again at 10:03, when Gill set up Conn's first of the game. Victoria drew within a single goal at 15:10 after an extraordinary display of possession skill by Chris McKay. McKay literally fought through three Bellies, taking a beating in the process, before emerging with the ball in the Bellies end. McKay found Noah Talbot who fed Curt Morwick for the marker. The goal was scored on a delayed penalty call as the Bellies had come out the back door too soon.
Conn restored the Bellies two goal lead at 15:25, before Brandon Gillis found the range for two goals to tie: at 16:44 from McKay and Dawson, and; at 18:40 from Ted Jenner and Dawson. The period ended with the teams tied at 4, with New West outshooting Victoria 22 to 17. New West lost possession five times in the period with sloppy play leading to back over calls.
The first goal of the second period was scored at 3:17, with a full Hawksbee foot in the crease undetected by the rookie ref. Gill tallied at 4:40, and the Bellies had found some breathing space one again. Victoria slowed the Fish at 8:11 with a pretty goal from Bold to Jenner to Ratcliff for his first of the night. But that slowdown was brief, as the Bellies scored two more: the hat trick from Iannucci at 11:46, and; Conn with his hat trick shorthanded at 14:11. On the same power play, Morwick got his second from Pat Cardiff and Callum Crawford at 14:32. At this point the score was 8 to 6 for the hosts.
The Bellies finished the second period strongly, scoring twice: at 17:10 with Conn's fourth of the game, and; at 18:10 with speedy Cory Melville bagging a breakaway goal. That ended the scoring in the second, and the teams went to the room with the Bellies holding a four goal advantage - 10 to 6. New West outshot Victoria by a staggering 23 to 8. the in balance in shots was due in large part to the Bellies strategy of pressing the ball with one or two players in the Victoria end, and that strategy repeatedly lead to the Fish winning the ball on turnovers. Victoria did not seem to have a response to the full floor press.
Early in the third period, Victoria tightened up defensively and grabbed a pair of goals: the second from Dawson, assisted by Crawford at 2:11, and; the second from Ratcliff at 3:54, with helpers going to Crawford and Morwick. The teams then played end to end ball with Victoria taking the play to the Bellies, leading to a couple of penalties to the Fish. On a power play at 15:09, Crawford got his first, from Dawson, to pull the Rocks within a goal. Conn's fifth goal at 16:14 stopped the Victoria rally and restored a two goal lead.
But, the Rocks kept coming with Crawford getting his second on a power play at 17:10, from Cardiff and Ratcliff. With the game back to a single goal, Victoria took a timeout at 18:26, to regroup. When play resumed, Conn took an ill advised penalty at 19:40, and the Rocks made the Bellies pay when Jenner found the range for his second goal, unassisted, at 19:56. The game was tied and we were off to overtime. In the third period Victoria outshot New West 22 to 12.
Victoria did not waste anytime in the extra frame. Ratcliff set up Jenner at 29 seconds and the Rocks had their first led of the game. At 2:41, Dawson got his hat trick at a power play, set up by Morwick. Dawson took the ball down the left side of the floor, around the net to his natural right side, and beat Disher from distance.
Victoria killed off a penalty called at 3:02, before the Bellies started to get untracked scoring at 7:30 and 8:42. The second goal came with Disher out and seemed to catch Bold waiting for the Bellies to get set up on offence. This new look Bellies team kept up the pressure and were rewarded for their effort when Iannucci worked to the crease with a height mismatch, and put a couple of moves on Bold before putting the Bellies ahead for good.
The Bellies faithful went home happy, cheering a hard fought 14 to 13 victory. With the overtime, the shots on goal total were 67 to 54 in favour of the Fish.
The three stars were: 1st, Conn (5 and 4); Iannucci (5 and 1), and; Dawson (3 and 3). Honourable mentions for the Rocks: Lewis Ratcliff and Callum Crawford with 2 goals and 3 assists each. And Ted Jenner and Curt Morwick each with 2 goals and 2 helpers. Brandon Gillis had a pair of goals.
Next up for the Shamrocks are the Langley Thunder tonight, May 25th, at Bear Mountain. Game time is 7:45.
Jamie Roy Now a Shamrock
The defending Western Lacrosse Association champions Victoria Shamrocks are pleased to announce the acquisition of another island player. Jamie Roy who grew up in Nanaimo will be joining the shamrocks tomorrow in Queens park. Jamie spent his winter playing for Edmonton Rush of the NLL. Game time in New West is 7:45.
Timbermen Spoil Shamrocks Home Opener
The Victoria Shamrocks opened their home season Friday at Bear Mountain Arena. The Rocks don’t lose a lot of home games but the visiting Nanaimo Timbermen spoiled their party, handing them an 11-8 loss.
The Shamrocks opened scoring when Curt Morwick converted passes from Teddy Jenner and Lucas MacNeil at 2:47. Nanaimo got that one back 14 seconds later, then put two more on the board at 6:21 and 7:04, Chad Evans and Mike Morrison giving them a lead they never relinquished. Pat Cardiff got the home team within a goal with a hard shot late in the 30-second clock at 11:21. Again the visitors replied quickly as Scott Ranger found a corner at 12:57 and Kaleb Toth beat Patterson at 13:45. Nanaimo was using the fast break to its benefit and getting in behind the Victoria defense with great regularity. Cardiff got his second goal of the contest at 18:31 shovelling the ball behind King and sending the teams to the dressing room after 20 minutes with the T'Men up by a 5-3 margin.
The teams exchanged goals in the middle frame, three of those coming in the first 5:17. Teddy Jenner's goal at 3:36 with 1 second on the shot clock was sandwiched beween goals by Nanaimo's Matt Taylor and Mike Morrison. The next 10 minutes saw both teams going end to end with the respective goaltenders putting on a show. Junior Shamrock call-up Cory Conway closed the gap to 2 once again at 14:34 beating King on a bounce shot through traffic. The visitors maintained their two goal lead through 2 periods 7-5.
Early in the third saw another flurry of goals, 5 being scored in the first 6:33. Immediately after an early Victoria penalty kill, Conway notched his second of the game. Toth replied quickly with his second, unassisted and a little against the flow of the game. Less than 2 minutes later Brandon Gillis narrowed the gap to 1, cutting across the front of the crease to beat King. Ranger with his second scored probably the prettiest goal of the game as he put about 5 fakes on Patterson then dumped the ball in. At 6:33 Conway connected on a high hard shot to get his hat trick and the fans sensed the home team gaining some momentum. Wet floor syndrome then set in resulting in numerous trips to wipe the floor and taking away most of the flow from the game. The teams played almost 10 minutes before the next goal was scored, Ranger putting his hat trick goal into the books. Nanaimo put the icing on the victory when Matt King hit a streaking Shane Chalker who made no mistake at 19:34.
Scott Ranger led the Nanaimo attack with 3 goals and 1 assist. Kaleb Toth, who was named the game's third star, and Mike Morrison each chipped in 2 goals and 1 helper with single goals going to Chad Evans, Shane Chalker, Matt Taylor and Casey Guerin. Matt King kicked out 42 of the 50 shots he faced and contributed 2 assists to take first star honours.
For the Shamrocks Jr. call-up Cory Conway scored three times and was named second star. Pat Cardiff added a pair of goals and 1 assist. Teddy Jenner, Brandon Gillis and Curt Morwick each scored once while adding 3, 2 and 4 assists respectively.
The result evens Victoria's record at 1-1 while Nanaimo is 1-0 and will play their home opener Saturday against the Burnaby Lakers. Next action for the Shamrocks is Thursday at Queen's Park against the New Westminster Salmonbellies. They return home Friday, May 25 when the visitors will be the Langley Thunder. Game time Friday at Bear Mountain is 7:45 p.m.
Janice Huckin
e-mail: [email protected]
Rocks Down Burrards - Game One in the Books
by Frank Greenlay
The Victoria Shamrocks traveled to Maple Ridge to face off against the Burrards on Sunday night. As it is early days in the WLA, the Victoria fans had a few questions, with a revamped Shamrock line-up, and a few jerseys with the name bar taped over. Fans of the green were wondering about the roster this season, and might breathe a little easier watching a solid core of native Victoria talent and support newcomer Callum Crawford in his first game as a Shamrock.
Family, work and geography have required a re-working of the Shamrock lineup and, if the lacrosse online fora are to be believed, the Rocks are in trouble in a rebuilding year. That the team is rebuilding is undoubtedly true, but the common negative connotation of the term may not apply to the 2007 season. It is a long way from the top of the table at this point, but there are encouraging signs that the green will provide great entertainment as the season develops.
For a start, the Senior Rocks will feature several well-known and highly skilled graduates from the Junior Rocks franchise, in addition to the homegrown talent already wearing green. Aaron Bold was drafted first and, along with Victoria native Nick Patterson picked up through a trade, makes the Victoria backstop pair as solid as, perhaps better than, any team at the senior A level.
The Victoria roster also features junior graduates Scott Dyrda, Josh Van Wieren, Joel Cosman, Nic Collison and George Westwood. Curt Morwick was retrieved through a trade with Langley after the Thunder drafted the talented left-hander. This new batch bleeds green along with the former junior Shamrock roster players already at the Senior level. And, while the departure of a leader of the stature of a Darcy Berthiaume might leave a hole in most rosters, the Shamrocks have the heart of Chris McKay.
It is this core of home-developed talent that makes the integration of newcomers a lot easier. It is an atmosphere that spawned and nurtured Lewis Ratcliff, and made welcome Dan Dawson. This is the team that arrived in Maple Ridge last night, with Callum Crawford making his Shamrock debut.
Maple Ridge did not provide a warm welcome. Past WLA MVP Kyle Goundrey beat former Burrard Nick Patterson in the Victoria net just 36 seconds into the match. But that goal set off a three-goal run by the boys in green: Curt Morwick on a power play at 2:25 from Callum Crawford and Lucas MacNeil; MacNeil at 4:51 from Pat Cardiff and Crawford, and; Crawford with his first of the night at 5:53, assisted by Rob Brommer and Noah Talbot. The Shamrocks held a 3 to 1 lead.
The last goal of the first period went to the home side, with Anthio Yuen setting up Brenan Day at 10:51. The first period ended with the Rocks holding a slim one-goal lead. There was little to pick between the teams as the shots on goal were even at 14. The Burrards sat out 4 minor penalties, to three for the Shamrocks.
Victoria added two goals to their lead to start the second frame: at 1:14 MacNeil bagged his second from Aaron Vanderhorst, and; at 2:12, Justin Thomas scored from Crawford and Morwick. But the Burrards would not lie down, getting that pair back on markers from Jayme Bryde at 7:29, assisted by Peter Tellis and Goundrey, and Jeff Pringle from goalie Alex Coutts at 8:17. It was a one goal game again.
Victoria regained a two-goal lead when Crawford converted the work of Nic Collison and Cardiff at 10:01. The see-saw continued as the Burrards' Bryde got his second goal, short-handed, at 19:09, with help from Trent Smalley and Tellis. The Burrards might have thought they would get to the room with a one-goal deficit again, but the Shamrocks set up a last possession and were rewarded on the same power play when Crawford netted his hat trick goal at 19:31, from Morwick and Collison.
The second period ended with the Shamrocks leading by two - 7 to 5. The shots on goal were again even, this time at 17. The men in black had little to do, whistling a single minor to each team.
The teams played tight to start the third period, before Morwick found the room to score his second of the game at 4:04, assisted by Crawford and Cardiff. The three goal lead was short-lived, however, as the Burrards kept coming and found the range for pair of goals in less than a minute: at 7:52 Coutts set up Brenan Day, and; at 8:27, Bryde got his hat trick from Tellis and Smalley. Once more, a single goal separated the teams.
Penalties were a feature of the rest of the game, as the teams traded four goals. Crawford got his fourth goal of the game at 12:33, short-handed. Westwood was credited with the assist during the penalty to Josh Van Wieren. The Burrards did capitalize on the Van Wieren penalty, less than a minute later. Goundrey and Derek Lowe set up Smalley at 12:53, getting the Burrards within a single marker again. The pace and play was somewhat erratic for the next five minutes before the Rocks found a way to notch an insurance goal at 17:27, with Talbot setting up Cardiff. That insurance goal was needed as Bryde scored his fourth goal of the game at 18:31, setting up frantic finish that left the Burrards frustrated when the buzzer sounded to end the game.
That frustration boiled over with Nick Patterson being run by a couple of former teammates at the end of the game. Several Burrards attempted to start fights after the final whistle but the Rocks were not biting, preferring to take the two points without further unnecessary activity. The score sheet indicates that the referees did not find anything to penalize for all the nonsense after the last whistle.
The final score was Victoria 10, Maple Ridge 9. The frantic Maple Ridge pressure in the third stanza resulted in the Burrards firing 19 shots at Patterson, to just 12 for the Rocks. Victoria was tagged with 3 minor penalties in the third, Maple Ridge four. The teams split fighting majors at 18:20, coincidental with a Burrards cross-checking minor.
It was a welcome start to the Rocks' 2007 season. Given the early point in the season, the game was not without miscues and unfamiliarity amongst new teammates. But the green found a way to gut out a win on the road. If the Shamrock faithful were waiting to see what's up, the clues are there. A full roster and a few more weeks will give a better indication of the possibilities this year.
Shamrocks deal for some offence
Shamrocks deal for some offence
Sharie Epp, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, May 11, 2007
The Victoria Shamrocks added to their ranks this week, with a couple of Western Lacrosse Association deals. In return for a pair of 2008 draft picks, the Shamrocks acquired former Junior Shamrocks offensive star Curtis Morwick from the Langley Thunder, and traded with the Nanaimo Timbermen for transition players Brandon Gillis and Aaron Vanderhorst.
"I'm a little nervous, certainly. I just have to go out and do the best I can to step into a role right away," Morwick said last night, before his first practice with the team. With work and other commitments, he was unable to play anywhere but Vancouver Island, and the trade allows him to fulfil a career-long goal to join the Senior Shamrocks. "It's hard to picture going anywhere else."
Coach and GM Walt Christianson described the six-foot-one, 190-pound Morwick as a big strong lefty, while Vanderhorst is a gritty defender and Gillis brings hard-working versatility.
Victoria Shamrocks Acquire Nick Patterson
The defending Western Lacrosse Association champions Victoria Shamrocks are pleased to announce the acquisition of goaltender Nick Patterson in a trade with the Maple Ridge Burrards. In return for Patterson, the Shamrocks send goaltender Matt King, defenseman Rich Catton and a first-round draft choice in 2008 to the Burrards.
The defending Western Lacrosse Association champions Victoria Shamrocks are pleased to announce the acquisition of goaltender Nick Patterson in a trade with the Maple Ridge Burrards. In return for Patterson, the Shamrocks send goaltender Matt King, defenseman Rich Catton and a first-round draft choice in 2008 to the Burrards.Nick Patterson, 24, is widely considered as one of the top young goaltenders in Canadian lacrosse. After an outstanding junior career with the Burnaby Junior Lakers that included a Minto Cup championship and a Minto Cup most valuable player award in 2002, the Burrards made Patterson the first overall selection in the 2004 WLA Entry Draft. In 2004, he was named co-winner of the league's rookie of the year award and in 2005, despite having his season cut short by an injury, he won the league's most valuable goaltender award and was a first-team all-star. In 2006 he was a second team all-star.
"It was obviously a hefty price to pay," says Walt Christianson, the Shamrocks Head Coach and General Manager, "but it's not very often that you have an opportunity to acquire a goaltender of Patterson's caliber and he also happens to be a local guy. Championship organizations have great goaltending and with the departure of Anthony Cosmo it was important for us to rebuild our defense and defense starts from the back. Now with Patterson and (Aaron) Bold we're set in goal for the next 10 years."
Matt King played for the Shamrocks for four years after being drafted from the junior Shamrocks in 2003. He was part of two Mann Cup championships in 2003 and 2005. In 2006 he led Shamrocks goaltenders in minutes played during the regular season. "Matt is a class player and a great person," says Christianson. "It was very difficult for us to let him go, but the Burrards obviously wanted him and we felt it would be good for Matt to go to a new organization and have an opportunity for a fresh start which he deserves."
Rich Catton, a 13-year WLA veteran, played two seasons with the Shamrocks and was part of the 2005 Mann Cup championship team. In 2006 he won the Fred Wooster award as the unsung hero in the WLA. "Rich is a great person and he's one of the best defenders in the league," says Christianson, "but he has a young family in Vancouver and the travel was difficult. We knew when we signed him it would only be for a few years."
The Shamrocks home opener in the 2007 WLA season is on Friday, May 18th at 7:45 pm against the Nanaimo Timbermen at Bear Mountain Arena.
