An elusive perfect season in the Western Lacrosse Association is not a topic of conversation in the Victoria Shamrocks’ dressing room. Even if it means surpassing the one-tie 19-0-1 Shamrocks season in 2001.
“We’re not concerned with that,” said Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch.
This isn’t soccer. Regular- season championships don’t count for much in North American sports other than guaranteeing home advantage throughout the playoffs.
“We will have home floor-advantage in the playoffs and are pleased with that because we have earned it. Other than that, we don’t look back to what we’ve already done.”
The Shamrocks are 13-0 heading into the 14th of now 18 regular-season games tonight at The Q Centre against the Coquitlam Adanacs (6-8-1).
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said Welch.
One third of it, the regular-season championship, has been accomplished. Remaining are the WLA playoffs and Mann Cup national Senior A championship, the latter to be played in September at the home of the Ontario champion.
“The most important parts are yet to come,” said Welch.
Tempering what has been an extraordinary season to date has been the fact the Shamrocks have not blown teams off the floor and many of the games have been close and hanging in the balance in the third period. That actually bodes better for the crucible of the playoffs than would have been a series of laugher victories in the regular season.
“We’ve been a little bit lucky at times,” admitted Welch.
“But that’s good because you have to be lucky in sports along with being good.”
Marshal King, the Las Vegas National Lacrosse League pro out of NCAA Drexel, took the Shamrocks lead in points over this older brother, Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten NCAA graduate and NLL pro Jesse King. The Claremont Secondary Spartans field-lacrosse program graduates are 1-2 in team scoring with Marshal King on 49 points in 10 games and Jesse King on 48 points in nine games.
It’s a back-to-back weekend for both Island teams as the Nanaimo Timbermen (4-8-1) are in Burnaby tonight to play the Lakers (4-7-1) before hosting the Shamrocks on Saturday night at Frank Crane Arena in the derby game.
