The Nanaimo Timbermen soundly beat the 91原创 Thunder on the floor and then tempers flared off the floor.
The T-men defeated the Thunder 12-3 on Saturday night in Western Lacrosse Association action at Frank Crane Arena, and in the final minute, players who weren鈥檛 playing in the game got into a fight in the tunnel outside the dressing rooms. The incident was serious enough that Nanaimo RCMP attended.
As for the lacrosse game, the T-men were in control all night, building up a 9-0 lead before the Thunder got three back late in the second period.
鈥淭he guys worked hard. They transitioned the ball really well, offence got spread, defence tightened up, it was an overall good game,鈥� said Kaleb Toth, Timbermen coach.
The Thunder had beaten the T-men a week earlier, but Toth said his team played smarter lacrosse this time.
鈥淲e felt we should have beat them last weekend,鈥� said Tyson Roe, Timbermen transition defender. 鈥淥ur mindset this weekend, from the defensive end, was just come out strong defensively and let our offence take care of the rest. They did that, our transition game did really well as well and [goalie Pete Dubenski] played outstanding.鈥�
Dubenski called Saturday鈥檚 win a 鈥渢urn-around game鈥� for the team.
鈥淥ffence put the ball in the net, defence played great in front of me, I was seeing shots and was just able to do my thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is the way our team can play and we showed it. For the future, this is going to be a team that鈥檚 going to be going on a run here.鈥�
Saturday鈥檚 contest wasn鈥檛 particularly chippy or unsportsmanlike until the off-floor altercation. Players from the two teams all happened to be heading to the tunnel at the same time and exchanged words before fighting.
Ken Buchan, Thunder president, was the one who filed the complaint to the police.
鈥淚 want something done. That鈥檚 assault鈥︹�� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason to throw a punch at people. It鈥檚 just asinine. There was no reason.鈥�
The two teams meet again on Wednesday (June 22) at the 91原创 Events Centre. Buchan said he鈥檚 鈥減issed off鈥� at the Timbermen, but has 鈥渘o clue鈥� if Saturday鈥檚 punch-up will motivate his club in Wednesday鈥檚 rematch. The T-men said they aren鈥檛 expecting any bad blood to carry over.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know what happened, but we鈥檙e both competitive teams and we鈥檙e both at the bottom right now and no one wants to be there, so emotions can go high a little bit at times,鈥� Dubenski said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e both professional teams so I think we鈥檒l just come out and compete.鈥�
Toth said the points in the standings are the only motivation his team will need on Wednesday.
鈥淪o I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to turn ugly or anything like that,鈥� he said. 鈥淏oth teams need wins to get into playoffs. We鈥檙e going to work hard and play a good, clean, fun lacrosse game and hopefully get two points.鈥�
Dubenski made 27 saves in Saturday鈥檚 win as shots were 52-30 in favour of the home team. Ryan Lee and Randy Jones scored two goals apiece and Brody Eastwood, Cody Bremner, Doug Langlois, Conrad Chapman, Jordan Gilles, Roe, Jake Emms and Adam Backular-Evans were Nanaimo鈥檚 other scorers. James Rahe had all three 91原创 goals.
GAME ON 鈥� Wednesday鈥檚 game is a 7 p.m. faceoff at the LEC. Nanaimo鈥檚 next home game is Saturday (June 25), a 6 p.m. start time against the New Westminster Salmonbellies. The game is a special-event night, as the Timbermen will honour the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Nanaimo Timbermen team that won the Mann Cup. Broadcaster Jim Robson, who called the 1956 series, will be on hand, and the trophy will be in the building that night, too. Fans are invited to begin tailgating outside the arena at 4 p.m. that afternoon.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
