Thunder duo do double duty, help team to victory

Logan Claxton (right) celebrates with Dallas Kilpatrick during one of the Langley Thunder's goals in a 17-5 rout of the visiting Nanaimo Timbermen in BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League action at Langley Events Centre on June 7. Gary Ahuja photo

Team needs you to pull double-duty?

No problem.

That was the mindset for both Jacob Glass and Cam Smith on Sunday afternoon at Langley Events Centre.

The duo had just finished up a game a half-hour earlier for the Langley Junior A team, a 9-7 loss to the visiting Nanaimo Timbermen as call-ups. But with the Langley Tier 1 team set to face Nanaimo 30 minutes later, the Thunder needed both players to suit up. Keep in mind, each had also played as call-ups for the Junior A Thunder less than 24 hours earlier in Victoria.

“That’s a lot of wear and tear on the body, but they are willing to do whatever it takes for Langley as a whole, so it speaks volumes about their character,” said Thunder T1 coach Connar Abrams.

Smith finished the second game of his doubleheader with a pair of goals and four points while Glass had four goals and eight points in a dominant 17-5 victory for Langley. The win improves the Thunder to 6-6 in the BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League standings as they hold onto the sixth and final playoff spot in the 10-team league. The Timbermen sit seventh at 4-10.

Glass – who also had a two-goal, two-assist outing in the Junior A game – can’t recall the last time he played back-to-back contests in such a short period of time.

“Just had to keep the energy going,” he stated when asked what the key was. “Just the mindset: it’s all between the ears … you have lots of energy left, lots of work to do, to get done. Just keep stretching and moving, and keep the blood flowing.”

What helped fuel him was the disappointment from the Junior A team's 9-7 loss to Nanaimo earlier in the day.

“It was a heavy toll, but we should have played better, so it was nice to get out with the Tier 1 team and the big dub.”

The victory gives Langley back-to-back wins after the Thunder suffered a disappointing 11-8 loss to the previously winless Burnaby Lakers in their last home game. Since then, the Thunder responded with a 15-7 win in Richmond on June 4 and then Sunday’s offensive explosion.

Glass (4-4) was one of three players with four goals as he was joined by Logan Claxton (4-7) and Dallas Kilpatrick (4-2). Owen Van Ryn (1-4), Smith (2-2), Brett Billings (1-2) and Dylan Massa (0-5) added multi-point games with rookie defender Jeremy Gordon scoring his first career junior goal.

Nanaimo led 3-2 after one period before the Thunder erupted for 12 goals in the middle frame to blow the game wide open.

“They were humming today,” Abrams said of the offence. “We really wanted to make it a point to run our systems and we did exactly that. We were getting the right looks, exactly how we’ve been looking to do all season.”

Jensen McGregor was solid in the Thunder goal as he stopped 28 of 33 shots.

Tayton Gilbert led the Timbermen with a hat trick.

Up next for the Thunder is a home game on Tuesday (June 9) against the Delta Islanders at Langley Events Centre. Opening faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The Islanders (7-5) sit fourth in the standings, two points ahead of Langley.

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