Veteran Pho Heng’s bounce shot found the net inside the post with 40 seconds left to give the hometown Kelowna Raiders a 6-5 win over the Armstrong Shamrocks in the season-opening Okanagan Senior C Lacrosse League game for both teams Friday at Kelowna Memorial Arena.
The Shamrocks played their home opener in the three-team loop Saturday night against the Kamloops Rattlers.
“I saw a lot of good things out there tonight, and a few things we need to work on,” said Armstrong coach Glenn Mitchell, whose team took 94 penalty minutes Friday to Kelowna’s 35, and were out-shot 45-40. “All in all, I liked what I saw from a lot of our players out there tonight. We have a lot of new faces and it takes a bit of playing time together to work out all the kinks.”
Jarrett Medhurst scored twice in the opening period for Armstrong, including a bit of a fluke goal after his original shot missed the net, the ball caromed off the end boards and hit Kelowna goalie Grahame Cousins in the back of the leg and bounced into the net.
Rob Rintoul tied the game 3-3 in the second period before Jamie Cockerill gave the Shamrocks their only lead of the night. The teams were tied 4-4 after two.
Kyle Versteeg scored in the third for Armstrong.
Junior action
The Armstrong Junior Shamrocks fell 8-7 to the Kamloops Venom in their Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League home opener Friday night at the Nor-Val Sports Centre.
The Irish scored four times in the third after trailing 6-3 after 40 minutes.
Drew Hassard and Cam Nelson each had 2+2 for the Shamrocks while Joel Castle, Sam Hanley and Austin Williamson added singles.
The junior Shamrocks kicked off the regular season in Kelowna Thursday, pounding the hometown Raiders 11-3 at Memorial Arena.
Nelson had 3+2 to lead Armstrong, who out-scored the Raiders 9-1 over the final 40 minutes. Williamson added a deuce and Austin Pugh chipped in 2+1. Single goals went to Hanley (2A), Keith Minnis, Hassard and Ben Pointer.
Goalie Cole MacFarlane also got in on the offence, picking up two helpers as did Marlon Forrest.
The defending champion Vernon Tigers began their season Saturday night in Kamloops.
