Shamrocks too strong for Thunder in season opener

Bailey Vanichuk scored both Langley Thunder goals in his team's BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League season opener on May 1, an 18-2 loss to the visiting Victoria Shamrocks at Langley Events Centre. Gary Ahuja photos

“It is not where we are, it is where we want to go.”

That is the quote the Langley Thunder coaching staff was preaching on Sunday afternoon and will continue to stress to their players throughout the BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League.

The Thunder opened their 2022 season on the wrong end of a lopsided 18-2 loss to the visiting Victoria Shamrocks on Sunday at Langley Events Centre in the season opener for both teams.

Langley coach Darren Buchan said that is where the quote comes into play when talking to his young squad.

“Let’s not worry about right now, it is where do we want to go next. And that is what we talked about: where do we go next, how do we get better,” he said.

“Defensively, we got scrambled. We knew that they were going to be fast, we knew that they were going to be transitioning and we just weren’t ready. We have a young team, and we just need to get better,” Buchan said.

“The biggest takeaway is we have a young offence, with three first-year players and a call-up, so we know we were going to struggle offensively, and it showed.”

The Shamrocks put up six goals in the first period and never looked back, adding seven more in the middle frame and the five in the final 20 minutes.

Both Thunder goals came off the stick of Bailey Vanichuk, who scored once in the middle period and then again with just over three minutes to play.

Sam Strother, Ryan Lowe and Luca Pivetta scored three goals apiece for Victoria and nine different Shamrocks found the back of the net.

The Thunder – whose roster will continue to fluctuate the next few weeks as players return from college – are right back in action with another home game on May 3 at 7:30pm at Langley Events Centre, this time against the Delta Islanders.

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