Arena Lacrosse League West Division action resumed at Langley Events Centre on Sunday, Nov. 12 with wins by Sea Spray and Shooting Eagles teams.
Sea Spray and Grizzlies combined for 21 goals in the first two quarters before each was held to a pair of tallies, with the Sea Spray holding on for the 13-12 victory in the opener for the third season.
Sea Spray scored five of the first six goals, leading 7-4 through a period and extending their cushion to 11-6 with 7:04 to play in the half. But the Grizzlies would chip away at the advantage, cutting the deficit to a single goal, 11-10, at the half.
“Our defence started to step out on the ball, and we really took away their uncontested shots. The first half, they just got to take shots and we weren’t stepping out on them; so, the second half, we did a much better job of being more aggressive, talking, and getting out on the shooters,” said Sea Spray coach Ian Paterson.
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In the other week 1 game, after trailing for nearly the entire first 55 minutes of the contest, the Shooting Eagles scored three of the final four goals to slip past the Black Fish 12-11.
Down 4-0 late in the first quarter, the Shooting Eagles trailed 4-1 after 15 minutes, 6-3 at the half and 8-5 with a quarter remaining. But the defending ALL West champions closed the game with seven goals over the final 15 minutes.
“It is easy when we are down and haven’t scored a goal in almost whole quarter to give up and get down on ourselves. But to be able to battle back and stick with it one goal at a time, keep it close the whole way through and then win it at the end, it is all heart and effort,” said Shooting Eagles coach Adam Smith.
Week 2 got underway Tuesday, Nov. 14 with a 29-12 win by Grizzlies over the Black Fish.
Adam Baker had five goals and 11 points in a record-setting night for the Grizzlies, with the 29 goals marking a new high for the Arena Lacrosse League West Division, bettering the previous mark of 23 goals.
“Our team was a little bit low on the lefty-side there. Just grateful for the opportunity to get up there and play with the offence. Just play the game and don’t force anything and good things came my way. I am very grateful and blessed,” Baker remarked of his performance.
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On Wednesday night, Nov. 15, Patrick Corbett’s second goal of the night stood as the winner as the Shooting Eagles held off the Sea Spray 16-15.
With the game tied at 15 and just over two minutes remaining, Corbett delivered the dagger to improve his team to 2-0 on the young season, while the Sea Spray sit at 1-1.
“It was just a good play on defence, a tipped pass,” Corbett said. “Honestly, the ball was just there in the crease, picked it up with an open net and the goalie out of position and just dunked it in.”
Week 3 of the ALL West Division will resume on Sunday, Nov. 26 with the Shooting Eagles facing the Grizzlies at 1 p.m. while the Black Fish battle the Sea Spray at 4 p.m.
Formed in 2017, the ALL is regarded as the National Lacrosse League’s minor league, and plays under the same game rules as the NLL. To learn more about the league, visit www.arenalacrosseleague.ca.