Shamrocks Take Series Lead

The Victoria Jr. A Shamrocks and the Port Coquitlam Saints got re-acquainted for game 3 at the Q Center Tuesday. After splitting the first two games, it was once again the home team coming out on top, the Rocks taking a 2-1 series lead with a 9-7 victory.

Greyson Beggs again got the start for Victoria and Waukigan Shognosh for the visitors. The Rocks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before PoCo got on the scoreboard. Marcelo Carreiro opened scoring at 6:04 getting in close. Just 39 seconds later Dylan Anderson connected from outside the dotted line. Evan Mcdougall made it 3-0 with a power play goal also from outside the dotted arc. It looked like they might take that lead to the dressing room but with 2 seconds left on the clock Lincoln Wall reached from behind the net to find twine behind Beggs. Shots were 18-13 in favor of Victoria.

The Saints carried that momentum into the middle frame, Connor Zavitz getting in close to score at 1:47. They added a power play marker of their own off the stick of Tyson Fontenla at 8:47 from the dotted line. That knotted the score at 3. Victoria responded with another 3-goal run. Mcdougall picked up his second of the game at 8:47 from outside the dotted line late in the 30-second shot window. Jett Klassen picked the top corner in close at 9:15 and added his second, almost identical, at 9:41 to give the home team a 6-3 lead. Those 3 goals came in a span of 54 seconds. The Saints got two back, Fontenla collecting his second on a power play at 15:30 and Elijah Terry adding an unassisted tally from behind the net at 15:44 to cut the lead to one. Rocks captain Greysen Thompson regained the 2-goal lead at 16:24 shooting over Shognosh. The score after 40 minutes was still very close, 7-5 in Victoria’s favor.

Thompson extended Victoria’s lead to 3 with his second goal of the game, a bouncer from the dotted line at 6:32. Port Coquitlam wasn’t going away, Jared Maznik scoring on a hard low shot at 10:43. The gap again closed to a single goal when Wall picked up a rebound for an unassisted counter at 13:58. The Rocks managed to put the game away when Luca Pivetta scored at 17:53. That goal came with the extra attacker on the floor on a delayed penalty call to the Saints.

Victoria was led offensively by their captain Greysen Thompson who had a 5-point night on a pair of goals and 3 helpers. Evan Mcdougall and Jett Klassen each chipped in a pair of goals while Dylan Anderson and Marcelo Carreiro each had a goal and 2 assists. Dawson Wade had 3 assists and Luca Pivetta had a goal and an assist. The Shamrocks continue to spread their scoring around and Phillip Busenius, Ryan Lowe and Hudson Jenner each had an assist. Greyson Beggs made 42 saves to pick up the win.

For the Saints Elijah Terry had a goal and 3 assists. Only Tyson Fontenla and Lincoln Wall were able to beat Beggs more than once, picking up a pair of goals each while Josh Mills was held to 3 assists.

The teams now return to Port Coquitlam for game 4 Saturday at 5:00 pm. Should a fifth game be required it is expected to be played at Kerry Park Arena Sunday, July 26^th. Stay tuned to this website and Jr. Shamrocks social media for details.

In the other series, the Coquitlam Adanacs have taken a 2-0 stranglehold over the Langley Thunder with game 3 scheduled for Wednesday at the Palace on Poirier in Coquitlam.

- Janice Huckin