The New Westminster Senior A Salmonbellies have made a couple of mid-season additions to the team with the hopes reinforcing its defense.
The Salmonbellies, currently siting in second place in the Western Lacrosse Association, recently announced that Zach Higgins had agreed to return to the Bellies’ lineup for the remainder of the 2023 WLA season and the playoffs.
“Zach was a difference-maker for us last year, and will be even more important this year as we make a run for the Mann Cup,” GM Ray Porcellato said in a news release. “He is an elite goaltender and a key ingredient for our team on and off the floor.”
Higgins, who plays for the Philadelphia Wings in the National Lacrosse League in the winter, wasn’t expected to be available this season due to family commitments, but it turned out he’d be available for the last 10 regular-season game, as well as the playoffs. In 2022, Higgins was a second team WLA All-Star, earning an 82.5 per cent save average over 15 games.
Since making his return to the Salmonbellies lineup, Higgins was in the net for a 13-5 loss to the Langley Thunder on June 29 and an 18-11 win over the Burnaby Lakers on June 30.
The Salmonbellies anticipate Higgins and Neil Tyacke will be “a powerful goalie tandem” for the remainder of the 2023 season.
“Tyacke is currently having a standout season, with a 5-0 record and an 83.7 per cent save average,” said the news release.
Prior to Higgins arrival, Tyacke had shared goal-tending duties with Cam Macleod, who was between the pipes for two wins and one loss.
Defensive star joins Bellies
On June 30, the Salmonbellies announced they’d added “another veteran defensive star” to the lineup, having acquired Adrian Sorichetti (for future considerations) in a deadline deal with the Victoria Shamrocks.
Sorichetti, a three-time NLL champion, will make his debut with the Salmonbellies on Thursday, July 6 in a game against the league-leading Langley Thunder at 7:30 p.m. at Queen’s Park Arena.
“Adrian Sorichetti is a seasoned pro, and we are lucky to have him in our lineup going forward,” Porcellato said in a statement to the Record. “With three NLL championships on his resume, he only enhances the culture and leadership we already have in our room.”
In April, the Victoria Shamrocks announced they’d signed Sorichetti (a 32-year-old defender from Whitby, Ontario, who had previously played for the team in 2019) for the 2023 Western Lacrosse Association season. Sorichetti’s lacrosse resume includes winning three National Lacrosse League championships (in 2015 with the Edmonton Rush and in 2016 and 2018 with the Saskatchewan Rush) and winning a Minto Cup national junior men’s championship with the Whitby Warriors in 2011.
The Salmonbellies are currently in second place in the WLA with 16 points, having won eight of 10 games played. The Thunder, also with 10 games, are tops in the league with 18 points, while the Nanaimo Timberman are in third place with 14 points in 11 games.
The Bellies are on the road tonight, taking on the Coquitlam Adanacs (currently seventh in the WLA) at Poirier Centre at 7 p.m.
Langley plays the fourth-place Victoria Shamrocks at the Langley Events Centre on Wednesday, June 5, before heading to New West the following night.
