SIX GAMES PLAYED CONCLUDES WEEK #1

The avid Vancouver Island Lacrosse League player, fan and spectator will have noticed that they have to have that can of Red Bull or a Monster drink later than usual on Tuesday's and Thursday's now with league games being moved back to 7:50pm & 9:20pm but the change in game times is being taken in stride thus far after 1 week of play.

Opening night was a week later (Saturday April 20th) than normal and started at the Kerry Park arena, in the once booming lumber and milling town of Mill Bay, B.C. The Blazers and Jokers opened the VILL regular season in Game #1 and was a close affair. The Blazers led 3-0 after one period, the Jokers returned the favour in the 2nd taking the period 3-1, now only down 4-3 after two periods. The Jokers took the first 5 minutes of the 3rd period and tied the game but the game was long from over. Each team has revamped their rosters adding talent from all levels of lacrosse but it was the "Space Cowboy" Ryan Lewis that had the hot twig this evening. The Blazers took the 3rd period and the game with goals by Raj Allen, Devon Wicks and Ryan Lewis that sealed the deal for the home team; Blazers take the VILL season opener 7-4.

Game #2 had the two hometown squads, the Cowichan River Rats hosting their city rivals, the Cowichan Thunder in what would be and always is... a highly contested match and a spirited rivalry that lacrosse fans with nothing in particular to do on a Saturday night, should partake in! ;)

Action was back and forth and was moderately physical over 20 minutes of play with the Thunder scoring first, halfway through the period followed a few minutes later by the Rats newcomer Adam "I don't see a shot I didn't like" Bernasky and finally a Thunder goal to close the period with them taking a 2-1 lead. The 2nd period each team scored 3 goals but the excitement wasn't the goal scoring! The entertainment was how some players wanted to burn off the pent-up energy they have accumulated over the winter <lol> The third period saw the shorthanded Thunder make use of their opportunities, winning the period 6-3 and taking home bragging rights as the battle of the Cowichan Valley game one winners 11-7.

Game #3 was the first game of the VILL at the Archie Browning Arena in Esquimalt for the 2024 season between the Greater Victoria Firefighters and the Cowichan River Rats. The Firefighters have a totally new squad with many of last years' players unable to return due to work commitments, game times being past their bedtimes or some not able to handle the rigors of the game schedule <just kidding> Both teams battled hard the first half of the 1st period with the bearers of fire repellant having a 2-1 lead, but it was the 'keepers Brennan Gummer and Ryan Brabander that were the show the remainder of the period, extinguishing all offensive chances of their opponents. The murid family members snuck through every crack they could find to get quality shots on the Firefighters net but to no avail... traps were set everywhere and the Rats couldn't gain any advantage. In a close match, the Rats fell to the GVFF's by the score of 5-4.

Game #4 saw the Express train roll into Esquimalt to face the team with a few "cards" up their sleeves, the Aces... and the Aces weren't going to shuffle and deal themselves a bad hand to start this game! The Aces jumped out to a 2 goal lead early while the train hadn't left the station yet. The wheels finally turning; the Express slowly got going with a couple of goals by the only Cullen family member not invited to a tropical vacation. A close score of 4-3 for the Express after one period of play seemed to spark the home team. The 2nd and 3rd period show was stolen by Sorensen and Cordero of the Express who didn't let the house of cards put anything together the rest of the way, taking the game 12-4.

Game #5 was the first game of Thursday night between the Victoria Jokers and the Westshore Aces. Both teams coming into the game with 0-1 records; someone was going to get that all important first "W" of the season. The Jokers took a 3-0 lead five minutes into the game but the Aces had a couple of tricks up their sleeves and buried a couple of their own to only be down by 1. The remainder of the period had the Jokers outscore the "court cards" 2-1 and took a 5-3 lead into intermission. With the Aces down a couple of tallies, the "clowns of the deck" outscored the Aces 5-2 in the 2nd and 3-1 in the third to get their first win of the season and no clowning around. Final was 13-6.

Game #6 and final game of the week saw the return of the "Tugmen" who after more than a decade removed from the VILL, returned to face the 2023 VILL Runner's Up, the Blazers. The Tugmen pulled their own weight to start the game but quickly found their short bench was going to be challenged this night by the fast breaking Blazers. The full roster of the "Space Odyssey" was too much this night for the Tugmen who are awaiting players to return from Prague, an annual popular box tournament played in an outdoor turf box. The Blazers got their 2nd win of the season and move into first place in the standings.

The next game is on Monday April 29th as the Tugmen face the Express at 8:15pm at the Archie Browing Arena. Be there! or be a Quadrangle!