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PLAYOFFS—WHAT TO EXPECT
VICTORIA (3) vs NANAIMO (6)
For the first time in BC Jr ‘A’ history the two Island teams will take their rivalry to the next level and face each other in the post-season. Nanaimo’s stock has been steadily rising with each passing year in the league, and in the last few seasons they have been able to hold their own against the Shamrocks who have owned lacrosse on the Island due to their rich history and long-established organization. Nanaimo won the first game of the season series back in the beginning of May, but Victoria came back and took the next two games, albeit by close scores of 8-7 and 7-5. So what should you expect from these two teams in the first round of the 2010 BCJALL playoffs? Let’s break it down.
Finishing with a record of 11-9-1 the SHAMROCKS have had a season of ups and downs in the standings with the only clump of consistency coming mid-season when they went on a five game win streak from May 22nd to June 1st. Adam Hickey has seen the most minutes between the iron and as most goalie situations go, when he’s having a good night the ‘Rocks are usually winning. His quick lateral movements and confidence in handling the ball are his strong points; his 12 assists and 1 goal are confirmation of his active role on defense and highlight his desire to be up on the play, goalie or not.
Being overtaken by just one point for the scoring title this season, Casey Jackson was a huge factor in Victoria’s success and is tied with Delta’s Mike Mallory for the most goals scored in the BCJALL 2010 regular season (40). Six hat tricks, nine power play goals, and most impressively eight short-handed goals make Jackson an instant threat, and he will most likely give Nanaimo’s defense and goaltenders a workout in the post season.
Trading away their top two scorers and number one goalie at trade deadline the TIMBERMEN finished the regular season playing three games in four nights, losing to Delta and Coquitlam but winning a close game against the Salmonbellies.
Since the departure of Cody Bremner and Colton Clark the T-Men have had a few names step up and put up good numbers; Joey Fendick has eight points in his last three games including a four goal performance against the Islanders on July 3rd, and Glenn Foley put up five points in his last two games. Like the Shamrocks, a major component to the Timbermen’s success in the post season will be reliant on their goalies.
Scott Bannister has moved into the most senior goaltending position with the departure of Zack Boychuk to Delta, but his 451 minutes played in twenty games averages him out to about a period per game over the whole season. This will be Bannister’s chance to prove himself in net for the T-Men and make a statement for his club. As a back-up, first year intermediate goalie Peter Dubenski may have a high goals against average in his short time playing Junior ‘A’, but his save percentage is on par with his counterparts and he only shows signs of getting better following an impressive performance against the league leading and high scoring Adanacs on Tuesday night, where he made 31 saves in just under two periods.
DELTA (4) vs BURNABY (5)
If the last five games of the season are any indication Delta will be happy rolling in with their five game winning streak, and the Lakers will be looking to improve on their 2-3 showing in the final run. Let’s re-visit trade deadline details to bring it into perspective, with the Islanders playing the role of buyer and the Lakers being the sellers, which most likely will be a factor in the outcome of this first round pairing. As far as the season series was concerned the Islanders took it 2-1, and the last game was coincidentally the final game of the regular season for both teams, and was an inadvertent sneak preview of the first round.
In that game, the ISLANDERS dominated the game from start to finish with all positions performing at their highest ability, and their new acquisitions proving their worth for their new club. Dubbed “The Poco Four”, Trevor Evans, Darcy Cummings, Matt Laustrup, and Scott Jones have lit up the floor since moving to Delta a couple of days before trade deadline, combining for 24 total points in their first game as Islanders alone. Delta added depth between the posts as well, snatching Zack Boychuk from Nanaimo at the last possible moment which has proved to be another great addition. In his last game versus the Lakers, Boychuk made 33 saves with a miniscule 3 goals against, and is now riding an 83.31 save percentage into the post-season. Sitting third in league scoring with 87 points (40 goals, 47 assists) hometown player Mike Mallory has make the most of his first official season in Junior ‘A’ for the Islanders and will most definitely be a contender in the post-season with numbers like that.
Much like the Timbermen, the LAKERS unloaded their top goalie (Brodie MacDonald) and two effective runners (Nick Bilic and Riley Loewen) to Coquitlam to bring in some younger talent and draft picks for next season. This leaves room for players such as Mack Davis and Jordan Jarvis to take charge and lead the offense against the red-hot Islanders in the post-season, but most importantly Burnaby’s defense and goaltending from Patrick Baliss will have to be in top form to contend in the short first-round series. Jaxson Lee will have to continue to be a threat on the power play, and if Blake Mattinson can add to his four short-handed goals the Lakers will have a chance to compete with the Islanders on special teams where the numbers are heavily weighted in Delta’s favour.
Remember first round of playoffs are a best of three format, the second round will be best of five, and the BCJALL final will be a best of seven series.
Submitted by Jen Mutas
League Reporter
jmutas@bcjunioralacrosse.com
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Around The League With Jen - Archives
2010 Articles
July 28, 2010 - (Finals—What To Expect)
July 16, 2010 - (Round Two—What To Expect)
July 10, 2010 - (Playoffs—What To Expect)
June 24, 2010 - (Prospects Game)
April 30, 2010 - (Beat This)
April 19, 2010 - (New Coaches A'Plenty)
2009 Articles
July 30, 2009 - (Getting to the Good Stuff Faster)
July 1, 2009 - (Prospects Success)
May 13, 2009 - (National Rankings)
April 26, 2009 - (Shamrocks pluck two netminders from Ontario)
February 9, 2009 - (2009 Midget Draft Report)
2008 Articles
August 23, 2008 - (Fans Have Say)
June 9, 2008 - (Mid Season)
May 2008 - (Month One)
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