Langley Brings Thunder Shamrocks Bring Lightning

Victoria, BC ~ The Victoria Shamrocks used an offensive outburst to propel themselves to a 21-9 drubbing over the Langley Thunder on Friday night in front of 2,272 fans at the Q Centre in Colwood to improve to 11-2-1 on the season.

Victoria got goals from Chris Wardle, Brodie Wade, Kyle Pepper, and Cole Pickup in the first frame.

After a fairly quiet first period that saw the Shamrocks lead 4-2 after twenty minutes, things would take a change for Langley's worse to begin the second.

Victoria scored five in the first five minutes from Will Johansen, Chris Wardle (2), Kyle Pepper (3), Jesse King, and Patrick Dodds to lead 9-2 at 4:29 of the second. That start to the period was just foreshadowing for what was to come throughout the rest of the period. 

After Langley got two back, the 'Rocks called a timeout before exploding for seven more in a row to close out the second period at 16-4. The goals came by way of: Kyle Pepper (3,4,5,6), Andrew Kew (1,2,3), Zach Manns (2) & Cole Pickup (2).

In the third Kew (4) and Pepper (7) continued to thrash the Langley defense in the first 4 minutes before Langley got their fifth of the evening at 5:53. Zach Manns (3) hat trick goal came at 7:58 and then Kyle Pepper (7) seventh of the night came in short order at 8:49.

Victoria would make a goaltending change after that Pepper goal, and the Thunder outscored the Shamrocks 4-1 in the final ten minutes for a 21-9 final score. Zach Manns (4) was the man to do that lone damage for Victoria.

Friday night's crushing of the Thunder was a much-needed offensive outburst for a Shamrocks team that has struggled to score at times. 

Kyle Pepper was the big story of the evening with a 7-goal and 12-point evening for the home side, and he very rightly was named first star of the game. Zach Manns four-goal game netted him the second star, while Tyler Burton was solid as always on defense and dominant in the faceoff dot for the third star.

Victoria is back in action in Tuesday in Maple Ridge and back at home on the 18th for the final home game of the regular season against the New Westminster Salmonbellies.