The junior B Nanaimo Timbermen showed in their season opener that they’re a feisty bunch.
The city’s Pacific North West Junior Lacrosse League club took a few too many penalties and dropped a 9-5 decision to the Peninsula Warriors on Wednesday at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
The T-men led until about halfway through the game, and that second period was the turning point, said team captain Myles Tierney.
“We took all the penalties and they had all the power plays. That’s what really changed the momentum,” he said.
He said it wasn’t necessarily a lack of discipline, though.
“Guys are rusty, get out of position and make a last-ditch effort and take a penalty,” Tierney said.
New coach Matt Rinas was generally positive about the first game.
“For being pretty much a brand-new team, we did not too bad,” he said. “There’s a lot of stuff we can take from this and work on.”
He saw lots of communication defensively and good movement offensively. He wants to see improvement in all areas, but said the team has showed it’s willing to learn.
“They’re all ears at practice,” Rinas said. “They want to take what we give them and give 100 per cent on game day.”
LACROSSE TALK … Travis Mickelson had a goal and three assists and Shane Atwell also scored twice. Kyle Groat-Saluk had a goal and an assist. Armin Grewal suffered the loss in goal … Nanaimo’s next game is Wednesday (May 9) against Cowichan at 7:30 p.m. at the NIC.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
