Two members of the Langley Thunder have been handed one-game suspensions while the senior A lacrosse club was also fined $500 for a post-game fight on Saturday night in Nanaimo.
The Nanaimo Timbermen escaped suspensions but were handed a $1,000 fine.
Langley’s Brodie MacDonald and Brandon Clelland were each given a one-game suspension after they left the bench, although they were not involved in the fracas.
The Western Lacrosse Association teams were playing Saturday night at Nanaimo’s Frank Crane Arena in a game won by the Timbermen 12-3.
Thunder president Ken Buchan said he was taking pizza back to the Thunder dressing room near the end of the game when he saw three Nanaimo players and two Langley players — none of whom were in action that night — in a verbal confrontation.
Buchan said he was in the middle, trying to diffuse the situation.
“There was absolutely no security in our area. Their players are not supposed to be in that area at all. It was a recipe for disaster,” he said.
“Next thing you know, one of them threw a punch that glazed off me and nailed one of our players right in the nose. From there, it just went crazy.”
Buchan said he has tried calling or emailing the Timbermen organization but had no luck as of Monday afternoon.
He did file a complaint with Nanaimo RCMP that night but no charges are expected to be laid.
“I want something done. That’s assault…” he told Black Press following the game. “There’s no reason to throw a punch at people. It’s just asinine. There was no reason.”
While the league did watch video of the game, what happened between the two teams off the floor is not visible, said WLA chair Dan Richardson.
An email to the Nanaimo organization had not been returned as of the Times’ press deadline on Tuesday morning.
The two teams are scheduled to play again on June 22 at the Langley Events Centre.
— with files from Greg Sakaki/Black Press
