Rocks Silence Thunder in Overtime

The Jr. A Shamrocks needed overtime Saturday at the Q Center to quiet the visiting Langley Thunder. Despite holding period leads of 6-4 and 7-6 the teams were deadlocked 8-8 after 60 minutes before Carter Quested’s goal at 1:31 of sudden death overtime gave the home team the 9-8 victory.

Starting goaltenders were Marcus Khan for Langley and Angus Snow for the Shamrocks. The first period saw Marcelo Carreiro open scoring for the home team just 47 seconds in with a hard shot from outside the dotted line. Langley tied things up at 4:34, Austin Vanichuk finding the back of the net and Colton Lifton gave the visitors the lead at 8:29 before the Rocks got on a 3-goal run. Greyson Thompson scored two in a row, the first at 8:58 from inside the dotted line then at 10:32 on a shot that bounced into the top corner. Ben Pawluk made it 4-2 at 15:44 but the visitors rallied with a pair to knot the score. Parker Doyle connected at 15:44 and Koji Okuama followed up at 18:49 with a solo effort. Before the period ended, Victoria squeezed two more past Khan, the first off the stick of Pawluk, his second of the game at 19:35 as he twisted and turned and found the top corner. Dylan Anderson made it 6-4 in the dying seconds of the period that goal recorded at 19:58.

The middle frame saw just 3 goals scored as Victoria opened up a 3-goal lead on Dorian Connolley’s goal at 3:09. The Shamrocks ran into some penalty problems, resulting in two Langley power play goals, the first at 5:22 from Doyle, his second of the contest and another off the stick of Kade Hoogstraten at 12:07. That left the visitors down by a goal after 40 minutes.

Langley scored early in period 3 to knot the score at 7, Jacob Glass taking a pass in front of the net at 1:24. He got his second at 6:21 with a quick stick in front, that goal coming with the man advantage and giving the visitors the lead. It would take a little over 10 miutes for the Shamrocks to get the equalizer, Dylan Anderson picking up his second with a hard shot from outside the dotted line.

With nothing settled after 60 minutes, the teams moved into a 5-minute sudden death – or sudden victory – overtime. It only took 1:31 for Carter Quested to send a bouncer from the slot into the cage. It was a very satisfying win after a 6-7 loss to this same Langley team last Sunday, the winning goal coming on a penalty shot in that game.

Leading Victoria’s offense was Carter Quested with a goal and 3 assists. Dylan Anderson and Greyson Thompson each chipped in a pair of goals and 1 assist while Marcel Carreiro had a goal and 2 assist. Ben Pawluk also picked up 2 goals, Ronin London ad Dawson Wade 2 assists apiece and Dorian Connelley with the other Shamrocks goal. Angus Snow made 32 saves to pick up the win in goal.

The Jr. A Shamrocks are in Port Coquitlam Sunday to take on the Saints and return to the Q Center next Saturday, June 13 when the Burnaby Lakers will pay a visit for a 3:30 pm game.

- Janice Huckin