A good first period was enough to lift the Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Tigers to their 10th straight Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League win.
The Tigers scored six times in the first period, then held on at the end to edge the South Okanagan Flames 12-11 Saturday at Kal Tire Place.
The two teams meet again tonight at Kal Tire Place (7:30).
The Tigers led 12-7 with 11:26 left in the game. The Flames scored three times in 1:39 – including two shorthanded markers on the same Vernon powerplay – and got to within one with a man-advantage marker with 82 seconds left.
South Okanagan had the ball in the final 15 seconds going for the equalizer but the Tigers’ Ethan Anderson knocked down Louis Shortreed, and Vernon picked up the loose ball to run out the clock.
“I think the boys let their guard down and found out how fast things can change,” said Tigers’ head coach Chris Scabar.
The Tigers, unbeaten in 11, sit atop the league at 11-1-1, three points ahead of the Kamloops Venom (10-4) and four up on the Flames (9-5-1), who play their final regular season game tonight.
Steele Pelletier had four goals and Jordy Barr added three to pace the Tigers, who led 6-3 after one period and scored two powerplay goals in the first two minutes of the second period to chase Flames starting goalie Connor Ramage, a minor lacrosse call-up.
Ramage got the nod ahead of regular starter Charles Nicholas, who found out an hour before boarding the team bus Saturday that a beloved cousin, age 22, had died.
“I talked to the team about situations like this. Sports is an excellent opportunity to leave your personal problems in the change room, go out and do your best on the floor, then come back and pick your personal problems up after the game,” said Flames head coach Kevin Thompson.
“Charles came in and wanted to get in the game. He stood strong in the second and third (periods). He played great.”
Nicholas finished the game and allowed four goals on 38 shots as Vernon outshot South Okanagan 67-57. Darnell Hauca went the distance in goal for the Tigers.
Jake Pelletier had two goals for Vernon while singles went to Anderson and Thomas Landels.
Jordan Orr, making his season debut, had one assist.
Kaid McLeod led South Okanagan with 4+5.
There was a scary moment in the game as referee West Munson blew his whistle against the play with 1:37 left in the first period, then staggered into a corner before sitting down.
Munson was examined by Tigers’ physiotherapist Leslie Landels and by Thompson, a retired firefighter and paramedic.
“I think he was alright,” said Thompson. “He was good, he was flush, his heart was not going out of whack. He was in good spirits the whole time we were talking to him. I wasn’t stressed out enough to call 911.”
Munson walked off the floor under his own power and, in fact, officiated the rest of the game.
The game began with a moment of silence in memory of former Tigers assistant coach and governor Tom Frame, who died suddenly in February. The Tigers organization presented Frame’s wife, Barb, and son Nolan with flowers, and players have been wearing decals with Framer’s initials – TF – on their helmets throughout the season.
The Tigers need one point in their final three games – all at Kal Tire Place against South Okanagan, Kelowna and Kamloops – to clinch first place and a first-round best-of-five playoff date with either the Armstrong Shamrocks or Kelowna Raiders.
The Venom need a win over Armstrong or Vernon in their final two games to clinch second place and home floor in the first round of the playoffs.
Armstrong is two points back of Kelowna for the final playoff spot and play the Raiders in two of their three remaining games, including tonight in the Shamrocks’ final home game of the year (7:30 at Nor-Val Sports Centre).
The Shamrocks gave up 11 first-period goals Friday and fell 19-5 to the Venom in Kamloops.
Drew Bannister scored twice for Armstrong, while singles went to Colton Greeno, Sam Hanley and Mykl Drabiuk.
Should Armstrong (1-12) and Kelowna (2-11) end up tied in points and split their season series (each team has a win against the other so far), fourth place will be determined by a goals for and against formula.
