King, Manns Hat Tricks Power Shamrocks Past Burrards 11-5

It was a battle of the titans Friday night in Colwood as the undefeated Maple Ridge Burrards (5-0-0) made the trip to the Island to face the Victoria Shamrocks (4-1-0), but it was Victoria who would take home the win going into the weekend with a final score of 11 – 5.

Marshal King opened the scoring 1:53 into the first period, with assists from Mathieu Gautier and Chris Origlieri. From there both teams traded possessions and body blows in a fast-paced, physical opening frame, though officials let most of it go, with only one penalty called for each team. Maple Ridge's Nash Moog took a minor for slashing and Victoria’s Cole Pickup a minor for  holding the stick.

The Shamrocks couldn't capitalize on the power play, but King added another goal a few minutes later, followed by tallies from Luke Pilcher and Will Dodds to give the green and white a 4-0 lead. Maple Ridge's Riley Loewen got one past Origlieri late in the period, but Zach Manns answered right back to restore the four-goal cushion. Cole Pickup picked up the period's only other penalty, once again for holding the stick, as the Shamrocks took a 5-1 lead, and some pushing and shoving after the whistle, into the first intermission.

The second period started with both teams coming out hot and the on-floor physicality increased as Zach Manns added another goal for the Shamrocks, Reese Barnes added one for the Burrards, and Luke Pilcher added another one to bring the score to 7 – 2 at the halfway mark of the second period.

Despite a number of minor scrums throughout the period, officials let play continue with only a few changes of possession for interference and one slashing penalty to Maple Ridge, but were forced to intervene when contact with Maple Ridge goalie Jack Kask developed into an altercation at the Shamrocks’ bench entrance, resulting in a delay of game penalty for Victoria’s Luke Pilcher. The short man was no deterrent to Marshal King, who earned a hat trick for tonight a minute and a half into the penalty kill. Maple Ridge’s Rhys Blake took exception to the following celebration and earned a minor penalty for roughing for his troubles.

Carter Linkletter and Declan Fitzpatrick added two for the Burrards in an effort to close the gap, but Zach Manns snuck one past Kask in the final minute of the period to earn a hat trick for the night and give the Shamrocks a 9 – 4 lead going into the third period.

Brodie Wade opened the scoring in the third period for the Shamrocks a little over the three-minute mark, and Marshal King joined him on the scoresheet about eight minutes later, extending the Shamrocks lead to 11 – 4.

Tempers finally came to boil with six-and-a-half minutes left in the third period with a hard check into the board near the benches by Denton Macdonald, and the ensuing physical and verbal conflicts led to a number of penalties and ejections: a major to Macdonald for the boarding, and a game misconduct; for the Burrards, Rhys Blake and Jackson Suboch were each given a major for face masking, a major for fighting, and a game misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Maple Ridge capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play with three seconds left as Eli McLaughlin and Luke Pilcher were sent to the penalty box with minor penalties, but it was not enough and the Shamrocks took the win into the weekend with a final score of 11 – 5.

The Shamrocks are on the road in Coquitlam Saturday evening, face off from the Poirier Sports Complex at 7pm, watch the game online at WLALacrosse.com. They will be back at home on Friday, July 3rd to host the New Westminster Salmonbellies.