Shamrocks Take Rubber Match

2010-06-19

Ryan Benesch got the Shamrocks on the board first, beating Roik with a quick-stick at 4:15.  At 6:41 Rhys Duch opened up a 2-goal lead, picking a corner over Roik's shoulder and Duch connected again at 10:36 with a power play marker.  Patterson was having a very good start at the other end of the rink but the Bellies found the range at 14:39 when Corbyn Tao picked up a rebound and put it in.  Just 1:05 later, Martin Cummings had the visitors within a goal, firing a low shot to the back of the net.  That was the way the period ended, with the Shamrocks holding a 3-2 lead on the scoreboard and New West holding a 15-14 edge in shots on goal.  These teams don't like each other much and it was reflected somewhat in the penalties being called and even more at times when they were not called.

Period 2 opened up with Tyler Hass picking up a loose ball and going in alone to score unassisted at 4:31.  The visitors replied when a hard, low shot off the stick of Ian Hawksbee got by Patterson at 5:25.  It didn't take long, however, for Jeff Shattler to restore the two-goal lead, finishing off a great passing play from Rhys Duch and Dean Hill.  That goal came at 6:53.  Things got a little confusing after that.  New West seemed to score a goal at 7:11, Tao getting his second.  On the play there was a penalty called against the Bellies' Cliff Smith and the goal didn't go up on the board.  The penalty did and the assumption was the goal had been cancelled out by the penalty.  Not right.  Duch notched his hat trick marker at 7:49 - it went up on the board which made it look like it was 6-3.  As we would find out, that wasn't right.  New West put another on the board, Tyler Crompton doing the damage at 8:29.  That turned into 2 goals as the officials found the missing goal at 7:11 and just like that it was 6-5.  I was not the only one confused in the arena.  The teams traded goals, Victoria's Matt Lyons connecting at 17:14 going over top of Roik, Cliff Smith replying for the Bellies at 18:40 on the power play and Benesch getting his second for the Rocks, that goal also coming on a power play.  The extra curricular activity included a tilt between Chet Koneczny of Victoria and Cliff Smith of New Westminster late in the period.  The important thing for home fans was that the Shamrocks were still clinging to a lead by an 8-6 margin; shots in the period were even at 17 apiece.

A New West power play goal at the 1:57 mark of period 3, off the stick of Jordan McBride, got the visitors within a goal.  The Rocks would pull ahead and the Salmonbellies would strike back.  Duch's fourth goal of the contest came at 5:08, a bounce shot with the teams playing 4-on-4.  Jamie Floris tallied for the visitors at 9:52.  Lyons came back for the Shamrocks with a huge shot at 12:15 but Tao once again narrowed the gap, counting his third at 14:08.  The home team took control after that, Duch getting yet another at 16:42 and Benesch coming up with his third at 17:27 to provide the margin of victory.  Play was very chippy - let's say chippier -in the late going and after the final buzzer sounded, the teams weren't quite finished as a fight broke out between Victoria's Rhys Jones and New West's Kyle Ross. 

These teams won't play each other again in the regular season but you can bet there will be some left-over business should they connect in playoffs.  Tonight's result keeps the Shamrocks in first place with a 7-2 record while the Salmonbellies drop to 5-3, tied with the Maple Ridge Burrards but holding a game in hand.

Rhys Duch led the Victoria attack with 5 goals and 1 assist and was named the game's first star.  Ryan Benesch had the hat trick and 2 helpers to take second star honours.  Matt Lyons chipped in 2 goals and 2 helpers while Tyler Hass and Jeff Shattler each contributed a goal and 1 assist.  Dean Hill had a strong game with 6 assists and Kevin Dostie and Mike Pires had 3 and 2 assists respectively.  Nick Patterson had a strong game between the pipes, kicking out 33 of the 42 shots he faced.

For the Salmonbellies it was Corbyn Tao scoring 3 times and adding 1 assist to take third star honours.  Six other players scored for the visitors. 

The Shamrocks will be right back at it Saturday as they travel to Coquitlam to take on the Adanacs.  They return to Bear Mountain Arena next Friday, June 25 when the Langley Thunder will visit.  Don't forget to join the Shamrocks, Jr. Shamrocks and Intermediate Shamrocks for a tailgate party in the Bear Mountain Arena parking lot prior to that game.  The grills will be fired up by 6:00 and the game starts at 7:45 pm.

-by Janice Huckin