A pair of key members from the 2016 Delta Junior “A” Islanders championship team provided some late heroics to get the Black Fish Lacrosse Club back in the win column in Arena Lacrosse League All West Division play last weekend at the Langley Events Centre.
Jon Phillips drilled home the winner with 1.7 seconds to play as the Black Fish capped a thrilling back-and-forth contest with a 17-16 victory over the Sea Spray Lacrosse Club to improve to 2-6 on the season.
The Sea Spray were awarded a power play with 46 seconds to play, but after Dave Mather came up with a save and smothered the loose ball, the Black Fish’s Evan Messenger drew a delayed penalty when he was taken down crossing the centre line. Messenger managed to maintain possession and now with two extra attackers – one for the delayed penalty call and one after pulling the goaltender – the Black Fish worked the ball to Phillips, who rifled home the go-ahead goal.
“I saw a sliver of the corner there and just wanted to get it off before the buzzer and luckily it went in,” Phillips said. “I was fighting all game trying to bury it.”
Phiilips and Messenger, both from Ladner, enjoyed decorated junior careers with their hometown team that culminated with the Islanders’ first-ever championship.
The game was an offensive battle from the get-go with the Black Fish leading 6-5 after one quarter before the Sea Spray turned the tide in the second, scoring the only five goals of the period for a 10-6 advantage at the half.
The Black Fish would not be deterred however, knotting the score at 12 after three quarters.
Altogether, the game featured a seven-goal run by the Sea Spray followed immediately by a six-goal Black Fish run. The game was also tied on nine different occasions.
Messenger finished with seven points, including four goals. Phillips had a hat trick and six points.
“Total roller coaster. Both teams had their runs and both teams got to the (other’s) goalie,” said Black Fish coach Rod Jensen, who was impressed by his team’s resiliency, especially when the Sea Spray went on a 7-0 run to take a 10-6 lead. “Usually (when that happens), we can’t close the gap … but we hung around. I am proud of these guys. It wasn’t our strongest line-up but they battled hard and our best players played really well at the end of the game.”
The other weekend match-up also featured some prominent play from homegrown talent as Sam Clare had a hat trick to Shooting Eagles (4-4) past the Grizzlies (5-3) 13-6. Mark Yingling added a goal and two assists for the winners.
