With the way the senior B Timbermen are playing, even a tough test on the road against their rivals didn’t faze them.
The third-place T-men defeated the second-place Ladner Pioneers 10-7 in West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association action on Sunday in South Delta.
Mike Maughan, coach of the senior B Timbermen, said his team talked about the matchup beforehand as “almost the biggest game of the year.
“It was a tough place to play on the road against a really strong team, so it was a good test for us.”
He said the T-men had a good plan of attack against the Pioneers’ goalie, and had an idea about how they wanted to play against their rivals’ physical defenders and familiar forwards.
“We knew what to expect and it was just a matter of us keeping our game going and showing up when we needed to and the guys definitely did that,” the coach said.
Goaltender Danny Walters was Nanaimo’s player of the game, making 55 saves. His stops in the second period allowed his team to build a big lead, and he also came up big in the third, making sure the lead held.
Corey Shires led the offence with three goals and four assists and Mitch Parker added a hat trick. Travis Mickelson, Devon Casey, Erik Klein and Brad Mazzocato were Nanaimo’s other scorers. Jon Diplock finished with four assists.
The senior B Timbermen have now won four straight, including wins against all the league’s top clubs.
“The team’s really confident, but at the same point, we know that we still have a lot of work to do,” Maughan said.
GAME ON … The T-men visit the Valley Rebels on Friday (June 24) and the first-place Langley Warriors on Saturday.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
