For 25 minutes, Wednesday’s Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League matchup between the Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Tigers and Armstrong Shamrocks was close.
With Vernon leading 6-4 five minutes into the second period, the Tigers scored 10 goals in the next 14 minutes and rolled to a 19-6 win over the Shamrocks at Kal Tire Place.
“We’re working well at both ends of the floor right now,” said Tigers’ bench boss Chris Scabar. “It’s something we’ve been working hard on.”
Veteran Ryan Sarazin scored as many goals as his opponent, and added five assists for an 11-point night to pace the Tigers, who are now 5-1-1, unbeaten in four and in a second place tie with the South Okanagan Flames (5-3-1).
Both teams are one point back of the Kamloops Venom (6-2).
Sarazin is sixth in league scoring with 15 goals and 34 points.
Thomas Landels and rookie Nick Mann – with his first-ever Junior league snipe – had 2+1 while Chase Wirth, Jake Pelletier and Jordy Barr added deuces. Single goals went to Quintin Harrish, Conor Webb and Midget call-up Caden Colmorgen.
“Caden and Thomas Mackiewich, another Midget call-up, fit right in with the club” said Scabar. “They’ve been at every practice. And Nick Mann is starting to come into his own. It’s great to see.”
Mykl Drabiuk and Drew Bannister each had two goals for the Shamrocks, who trailed 4-2 after one and 16-5 after two periods.
Team captain Marlon Forrest, who missed nearly half of the middle frame after taking a high stick from Logan Revell under the chin, and Nik Luttmerding had the other goals for Armstrong. Hanley earned two assists.
Forrest has 15 goals and 37 points, good for a tie in the league points derby with Hanley (20G).
Goalies Francois Leroux and Caden Luttmerding combined to make 49 saves for the Shamrocks while Darnell Hauca and Jeremy Gray made 38 saves for the Tigers.
Gray was seeing his first action of the year as he recovers from an injury. The towering netminder added one assist.
The Shamrocks take to the road for their next home game.
Armstrong will face the South Okanagan Flames (5-3-1) at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm tonight at 7:30.
A number of players and executive are expected to attend the celebration of life service today at 2 p.m. in Blind Bay for Brody Southwell-Berg, a four-year member of the Shamrocks who was killed in a car accident earlier this month.
“It will be an emotional day,” said Shamrocks manager Amy Drabiuk.
The Shamrocks, said Drabiuk, are excited to showcase lacrosse as they will be guests during the Shuswap Outlaws’ pee wee tournament this weekend at the Shaw Centre.
The Tigers return to action Saturday when they visit Kamloops. The Venom, who took on the Raiders in Kelowna Thursday, have dropped two straight after starting 6-0.
n First place is on the line tonight in the Thompson Okanagan Senior Lacrosse League as the Armstrong Shamrocks visit the Kamloops Rattlers. Both teams are 3-1. The Shamrocks host the 0-4 Kelowna Raiders Saturday.