Rocks Moving On To The League Championship

It wasn’t easy but the Victoria Jr. Shamrocks found a way to win game 6 on the road Saturday, defeating the Nanaimo Timbermen 10-7. They take the best-of-7 series 4 games to 2 and will move on to face the Coquitlam Adanacs in the league final.

Starting goaltenders were once again Keegan Okino for Nanaimo and Grayson Manning for the green and white. The Rocks got a pair of goals early off transition as Dorian Connelley went on a run to score unassisted at 4:22. Grayson Peskitt followed up with a solo effort at 5:43. The 2-0 lead held for just over a minutes as Lincoln Wall replied at 7:11 cutting across in front. Sam Strother knotted the score at 7:30 from the dotted line but Dylan Anderson restored Victoria’s lead at 8:33 with a quick stick from the side. Once again the T’Men drew even as Jared Maznik tallied on the power play at 14:01. Before the period ended Ryan Lowe got in close to beat Okino at 16:38 shorthanded and Owen Ofarrell restored a 2-goal Victoria lead with just 10 seconds on the clock. The Rocks were up 5-3 after 20 minutes despite being outshot 18-13.

The middle frame saw just 2 goals scored, both by Nanaimo’s Jeremy Wudrick. He got one behind Manning at 4:21 from outside the dotted lie and added another at 9:08, getting in close. That made it 5-5 after 40 minutes with Nanaimo’s season on the line heading into the third period.

The teams traded goals early in the final frame, Jett Klassen giving the Rocks the lead at 1:23 from in close. Maznik collected his second of the game at 4:09 with a bouncer from outside the dotted line, tying the score once again at 6. Dylan Anderson, with his second of the contest on a power play at 6:41 put Victoria ahead and Kurtis Guilbault with another goal off transition at 7:48 restored a 2-goal lead. Nanaimo captain Andrew Bowman drew his team within a goal at 16:08 but that was as close as they would get. Victoria put the game out of reach with Nanaimo’s goaltender off for an extra attacker as Zach Sagodi and Ryan Lowe with his second of the game, scored into the yawning cage.

Ryan Lowe and Dylan Anderson led Victoria’s attack with 2 goals each and Anderson adding an assist. Owen Ofarrell had a goal and 2 helpers, Greyson Thompson 3 assists while Grayson Peskitt, Dorian Connelley, Zach Sagodi, Jett Klassen and Kurtis Guilbault contributed singles.

Nanaimo got a pair of goals from Jeremy Wudrick and Jared Maznik while Andrew Bowman added a goal and 2 assists.

The Shamrocks will now face the Coquitlam Adanacs in a best-of-7 league final after the Adanacs swept the Delta Islanders in 4 straight games. Stay tuned for dates and times.

- Janice Huckin