Victoria Shamrocks player Rhys Duch, right, escapes the check of Nanaimo Timbermen opponent Bobby Debrone during Saturday's Western Lacrosse Association game at Nanaimo's Frank Crane Arena. The Shamrocks won 15-9. -30-

Victoria Shamrocks player Rhys Duch, right, escapes the check of Nanaimo Timbermen opponent Bobby Debrone during Saturday's Western Lacrosse Association game at Nanaimo's Frank Crane Arena. The Shamrocks won 15-9. -30-

Shamrocks, Thunder to square off for first

Victoria Shamrocks ready for charging Langley Thunder

Despite dropping a home loss to the up-and-coming Burnaby Lakers last week the Victoria Shamrocks sit in first place in the Western Lacrosse Association, thanks to a 13-9 road win over the Coquitlam Adanacs on Saturday.

The Rocks (9-4) are tied with the Langley Thunder (8-3-2) and the two will face each other for first place on Friday (July 12), 7:45 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena.

The Thunder are on a three game win streak and are looking to advance to its third straight Mann Cup, though it’s yet to win one. A trio of additions from the Adanacs last week have bolstered the Thunder as league MVP Nick Rose, longtime Adanac sniper Dane Dobbie and Damon Edwards have all joined the team.

Langley has become the 2013 epi-centre of box lacrosse in B.C. as it hosted 2013 NLL Champions Cup and was since announced as the new home of the NLL Vancouver Stealth, relocated from Everett, Wash.

The Thunder are also without the playing services of Victoria’s Lewis Ratcliff, who is serving a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, though he’ll likely play for the NLL next winter.

Shamrocks Corey Small and Cory Conway continue to lead the team with 68 and 58 points, respectively, second and third overall in the WLA scoring.

Victoria News