The Armstrong Shamrocks senior lacrosse team continued their dominant regular season, with an emphatic 14-2 victory over the short-handed Vernon Tigers on Friday night (May 3).
Hosted at Armstrong’s Nor-Val Centre, The Tigers were undermanned to start, as the team was missing half their roster due to injury and illnesses.
The Shamrocks brought the early pressure, barraging Tigers goaltender Brodie MacDonald with 20 shots in the opening frame. However, Armstrong managed to score just three times, while the Tigers grabbed one to keep themselves in it.
In the second period, the relentlessness of the Shamrocks offence finally broke through, with four straight goals. Despite getting one back, from Tigers star forward Jordy Barr, Armstrong pummeled 25 shots on net and nabbed five goals to go up 8-2 heading into the third.
Seven more goals followed in the final frame, as the depleted Vernon bench struggled to keep pace, as the Shamrocks won.
Armstrong out shot the Tigers 68-21, as Brett Olsen (four goals, one assist), Owen Barker (two goals, three assists) and Jarrett Medhurst (one goal five assists) led the way for the Shamrocks.
“I guess tonight was my night with the hot stick,” said Olsen of his four goal game. “We are fortunate to have so many talented guys on this team and our success isn’t built on one or two players, we distribute the scoring every game. It all starts on the defensive end with Conner (Senn) making the stop, or the unit forcing turnovers then moving the ball up to the offence very quickly.”
Still undefeated at 5-0, the Shamrocks will now go on the road for a stretch of three games over three weeks, starting in Kelowna on Friday, May 10.
The Tigers, 0-5 on the year, will be in Kamloops on Friday, May 10 to tango with the Rattlers.
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