Shawn Palmer, Toronto Rock Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
The Oshawa Firewolves (1-3) returned home on Friday night to face the Vancouver Warriors (2-1) after a disappointing two game road trip where they dropped both contests and only managed to score a total of seven goals. They were looking to get back in the win column at home where they won their season debut against the Toronto Rock. Meanwhile the Warriors split their first two games of their season, winning their last one over the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. At 1-1, they are in a logjam in the standings where seven other teams have the same record. Oshawa started the game strong, taking a 4 – 2 lead into the second half, but as it has been in the first three games, their offense let them down as they were outscored 6 – 2 the rest of the game. Over the first four games of the season the Firewolves have only scored 21 goals, just over 5 goals a game, and in the NLL that is not going to win you many games even if your defense and goaltender are playing well. Vancouver went on a six-goal run in the second half and came away with the road win 8 – 6.
Oshawa opened the scoring just over five minutes into the first quarter as Ethan Walker (2G) came across the top and fired a sidearm low to high shot that beat Christian Del Bianco (47 saves) over the shoulder. While shorthanded, Dyson Williams (1G, 1A) imitated Walker as he came across the top and his overhand shot from his weak side beats Del Bianco under the arm for the two-goal lead. Off the ensuing faceoff, Mike Byrne (1G) won the faceoff to himself and ran in alone on Del Bianco before faking high and shooting low between Del Bianco’s legs, increasing the Oshawa lead to 3 on their second shorthanded goal. Vancouver responded a minute later in transition when Jackson Suboch (1G) came right down the middle of the floor and his overhand shot beat Doug Jamieson(34 saves) over the shoulder, cutting the Oshawa lead to two. Alex Simmons (1G, 2A) gave the Firewolves their three goal lead back when his side arm shot beats Del Bianco over the glove side shoulder to make it 4 – 1 for Oshawa. At the end of the first quarter, Oshawa had 14 shots on goal and Vancouver had 10.
In transition almost halfway through the second quarter, Vancouver’s Shane Simpson (1A) passed to Marcus Klarich (2G, 1A) who scored the lone goal of the quarter. It looked like he was past the goal line when he threw the twister bounce shot that beat Jamieson through the legs, cutting the Firewolves lead in half with the score at 4 – 2. The Firewolves fans were to toss teddy bears with the Firewolves first goal of the second quarter, but Vancouver tightened up their defense the toss had to wait until at least the third quarter. The shots at the end of the first half were Oshawa 26 to Vancouver’s 22.
Just a couple of minutes into the second half, Taggart Clark (1G) came across the floor onto his weak side and beats Del Bianco over the shoulder to make it 5 – 2 for Oshawa and the fans finally let the Teddy Bears fly!! While on a delayed penalty and the goalie on the bench for the extra attacker, Keegan Bal (2G, 3A) got a hard pick in front of him and his overhand high to high shot hit the cross bar and bounced into the net over the shoulder of Jamieson to cut the Firewolves lead to 5 – 3 with just over ten minutes left in the third quarter. While shorthanded, Curtis Dickson (2G) picked up the ball in his own end and went coast to coast around three checks and his twister bounce shot beat Jamieson through the legs to make it a one goal game. While on the power play, Bal fired a side arm shot from the top middle that beat Jamieson’s arm just eight seconds into the power play, tying the game at five just over halfway through the third quarter. The shots at the end of the third quarter favored Oshawa 38 to Vancouver’s 32. Goals were hard to come by in the third quarter as both goalies played well, and the third quarter ended with Vancouver and Oshawa tied 5 – 5.
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Warriors took their first lead of the game as Jesse King (1G, 1A) took a high to high over hand shot over his defender that beat Jamieson over the shoulder to make it 6 – 5 Vancouver. Two minutes later, Dickson received a pass from Bal and dove across the crease to beat Jamieson on the far side to increase the Vancouver lead to two. With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter Klarich took a side arm low to low shot while falling down that beat Jamieson to the short side for Vancouver’s sixth straight goal and they took an 8 – 5 lead. While on the powerplay, Simmons passed across the floor to Walker and his quick stick bounce shot beats Del Bianco to the short side to cut the Warrior lead to 8 – 6 with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter. This broke the over twenty eight minute scoreless drought for the Firewolves, but did not cause a comeback. The shots on goal at the end of the game were 53 for Oshawa and 46 for Vancouver. Final Score: Vancouver Warriors – 8, Oshawa Firewolves – 6.
The three stars of the game:
Christian Del Bianco (VAN) – 47 saves
Keegan Bal (VAN) – 2 Goals, 3 Assists
Marcus Klarich (VAN) – 2 Goals, 1 Assist
Up Next:
The Oshawa Firewolves (1-3) will host the Ottawa Black Bears (1-1) on January 3rd at while the Vancouver Warriors (2-1) will travel to play the Calgary Roughnecks (0-2) on January 9th.