Stocked with players from the West Shore, Sooke and Cobble Hill, the Victoria Field Lacrosse under-11 Titans got the better of their crosstown rivals when it mattered the most.
The Titans built a 7-0 lead and hung on for a 7-6 win over Pacific Rim in the Tier 2 gold medal game of the B.C. Lacrosse Association championships Sunday in Coquitlam.
It was the fifth straight win at the tournament for the Greater Victoria squad, who had previously reeled off round robin victories over North Shore (8-3), Ridge 2 (10-0), Mission (9-2) and Vancouver (7-3).
“We kind of had a team strategy to get ahead early,” Titans coach and Sooke resident Sean Knoles said of the final.
“Our guys kind of hit a wall with about eight minutes left in the game, and that’s when (PacRim) kind of regrouped and came back hard. They had lots of shots and good passing. Luckily we had enough of a lead to hold on.”
With Pacific Rim pressing for the tying goal in the final minute, a Titans midfielder intercepted a pass with about 15 seconds to go to end the threat.
Pacific Rim, which went 5-0 in round robin play in the opposite pool to reach the championship game, draws Greater Victoria players from Saanich northward, the east side of Victoria, as well as Oak Bay.
After the tournament, Tavis Olsen was named winner of the Warrior Fair Play Award for the Titans.
Joshua McIndoe earned the award for Pacific Rim, while their coach Fred Jenner won the coaches’ Fair Play Award.
Other Titans team members are Dylan Anderson, Khaleb Chartier-Smith, Spencer Clermont, Tanner Clouston, Peter Graham, Kurtis Guilbault, Caden Harvey, Mathew Jennings, Jayden Knoles, Ryder MacDonald, Tyelar Miklic, Zack Parker, Harris Sharpe, Marshall Sharpe, Dylan Smith, Aidan Torchia and Reed Gallaugher. The other coaches are Todd Miklic and Mike Morrell.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
