The New Westminster Salmonbellies and the Victoria Shamrocks are heading to Game 5 to decide which team will vie for the Western Lacrosse Association’s 2024 championship.
The Bellies forced a fifth and deciding game in the WLA semi-final series after topping the Shamrocks 8-7 before a boisterous crowd in Queen’s Park Arena on Tuesday night. More than 900 fans attended the Aug. 13 game.
The Victoria Shamrocks, who had an 18-0 record during the regular season, won the series’ opening game 15-14 when they scored the winning goal with one second left in the first overtime. The Bellies bounced back with a 10-9 overtime win at Queen’s Park Arena for Game 2, but lost Game 3 (8-4) in Victoria on Sunday night.
The Senior A Bellies started strong in Game 4, holding a 5-0 lead when the team headed to the dressing room for the first intermission. Up 3-0, the Salmonbellies put two quick powerplay goals past Shamrocks’ goalie Chris Origlieri late in the period.
While the Bellies dominated in the first period, the Shamrocks bounced back in the second, getting two goals on the scoreboard in the first three minutes of the second period.
With just over six minutes left in the second stanza, New West took penalties and had two players in the box. The hometown crowd had something to cheer about when Will Malcom, the WLA’s top scorer in the regular season, scored a shorthanded goal.
As the second period ended, the Salmonbellies led 7-6.
In the third, Victoria tied the game at the five-minute mark. New West responded with two goals to take a 9-7 lead.
Salmonbellies’ goalie Justin Geddie had the crowd chanting “Geddie, Geddie” several times in the final seven minutes of play as he made some spectacular saves to hold the Bellies’ lead. The Victoria native was named the Stonehaus Realty Player of the Game.
With just over a minute left in the third, the Shamrocks scored, closing the gap to one goal. The Bellies, backed by Geddie – the game’s third star – held on for the win.
Game 5 of the best-of-five series is at the Q Centre in Victoria on Thursday, Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. The winner will play the Langley Thunder, who advanced to the WLA finals after defeating the Maple Ridge Burrards.
On the scoreboard, Malcom, the game’s first star, led the Bellies with three goals and three assists and Kevin Crowley had a four-point night with four assists. Logan Schuss, Lukas Nielsen, Sean Kriwokon, Tyson Gibson, Adam Charalambides and Jake Govett also scored for New West.
At the other end of the floor, Casey Wilson, who was the game’s second star, had a four-point night for the Shamrocks, with two goals and two assists, while Bennett Smith had one goal and two assists and Jesse King had two goals and one assist. Cole Pickup, Patrick Dodds and Clarke Petterson also notched goals for Victoria.
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