The Armstrong Shamrocks are falling behind early in games, and until they find their offensive mojo, winning in the Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League won’t be easy.
The Irish trailed 3-0 after a period and couldn’t claw their way back as they fell 6-1 to the host Kamloops Venom Saturday night at Memorial Arena.
Head coach Bryan Cope said Armstrong’s defence is doing enough to keep them competitive, but he needs to see more at the other end of the floor.
“We’re doing alright on defence, we just have to get our offence rolling,” said Cope. “There’ a couple guys that are getting the opportunities, we’re just not burying them.”
Cope also wants to see the 0-2 Shamrocks come out with a little more urgency when they host the Vernon Source For Sports Tigers Saturday at Nor-Val Sports Centre.
“We have to start better as a club,” he said. “Our first periods are not good and we’re putting ourselves in a hole early.”
Meanwhile, Stephane Richard needed all of six minutes to fill his offensive quota Saturday at Nor-Val.
The North Okanagan Legends sniper netted a natural hat trick in that span, leading his team to a 9-2 Bantam A2 lacrosse win over the visiting Kelowna Kodiaks.
The Legends, who held period leads of 4-1 and 6-1, got other offence from Conor Webb (2), Jakob Schweb (1+2), Kayden Beauregard, Brett Olsen and Mason McLennan. Assists went to Dawson Boyce (2), Niklas Luttmerding (2), Jayden Jensen-Hunter (2), Brady Marzocco and Cameron Lock.
Both Kelowna goals were scored on the powerplay while the Legends’ Jakob Schweb answered with one man-advantage goal. Olsen and Beauregard each tallied once on the shortman.
Webb showed great ball control in pacing the North Okanagan attack with 3+2 in a 10-2 thrashing of the Kamloops Rattlers Sunday.
Richard, Schweb and Olsen each chipped in with 2+1, and McLennan supplied a single for the Legends, who led 9-0 going into the final period. Luttmerding, Chase Wirth, Jensen-Hunter and Nicholas Mann had assists.
Jayden Jensen-Hunter worked the picks with both crease men and top men consistently, and netminder Troy Cuzzetto stood solid for both games, facing a total of 68 shots.
In Bantam B1 action, the Legends outlasted the Rattlers 7-5 Sunday in Kamloops.
After allowing a goal on the game’s first shot, North Okanagan replied with a Brett Williams snipe to equalize before the intermission.
The Legends came out hard to start the second period, scoring four straight goals from Tanner Franje-Gilbert, Mason Pool, Chase Bronson and Shelby Connors. The Rattlers scored three of their own to make it 5-4 heading into the final frame.
The third period was penalty filled as both teams were physical. Williams struck again early in the third to put the Legends up by two, but Kamloops pulled back to within one by the middle of the last frame.
Mason Pool added an empty-netter with one minute to go. Taylor Pelletier was once again strong in the Legends goal, stopping several breakaways, two late in the game.
In Tykes play, North Okanagan #1 split its weekend games at Nicola Valley Arena, starting with a 5-1 win over host Merritt.
Backstopped by netminder Tyler Martin and solid defending by Carston Disher, the Legends got a pair of goals each from Braydon Schwaerzle and Nate Williamson, and a single from Tegan Evans.
Schwaerzle handled the offence in North Okanagan’s the second tilt, a 4-2 loss to Kelowna #2. Grady Krause played well defensively in front of netminder Lucas Aeichele.
