McLaughlin's Six-Goal Night Powers Shamrocks to 15-6 Game One Rout

The Victoria Shamrocks needed one game to make a statement in their best-of-five semifinal series, running away from the Nanaimo Timbermen 15-6 in front of 1,955 fans at The Q Centre. Eli McLaughlin was the story of the night, scoring six goals as Victoria out-shot Nanaimo 64-37 and never let the outcome feel in doubt.

The Shamrocks were relentless from the opening whistle. Patrick Dodds opened the scoring just 26 seconds in and finished with three goals and four assists on the night, while McLaughlin, Marshal King and Zach Manns all found the net as Victoria raced out to a 7-1 first-period lead. Nanaimo's lone answer in the frame came on a power play from Andrew Bowman.

Victoria kept the pressure on in the second, getting goals from Denton Macdonald, McLaughlin twice more — including a shorthanded marker — Dodds again and Ari Stevens to push the lead to 13-3. Bowman and Noah Manning scored on the power play to keep Nanaimo within shouting distance, and Brodie Wade capped the period's scoring for the Shamrocks.

The third period was mostly about Victoria protecting a comfortable lead. McLaughlin added his fifth and sixth goals to make it 15-3 before Nanaimo closed out the scoring with three straight from Ryan Sheridan and Manning (twice) in a game that had long been decided. Things got chippy late, with Nanaimo's Joel Mullen picking up a checking-from-behind minor, a slashing minor and a 10-minute misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct within the final three minutes.

With the win, the Shamrocks take a 1-0 lead in the series. Game two goes Friday, August 7th, back at The Q Centre against Nanaimo.