By Reynold Comeault

Another big crowd filed into the Q Centre in anticipation of the action to come in game # 3 of the 2015 Mann Cup Championship.  The partisan Victoria Shamrock faithful weren’t going to be disappointed on this night.  The Peterborough Lakers however drew first blood as Brad Self scored a transition goal just 1:48 in.  Prior to Corey Small scoring to tie the game at 11:43 of the period, the Shamrocks appeared to be squeezing their sticks as evidenced by 4 unforced turnovers.  Small scored his second of the game on an outside shot then Karsen Leung scored on transition breakaway putting the Rocks up 3-1.  Junior A call up Holden Cattoni scored his first Mann Cup career goal as he ripped an outside shot scoring short side on Aaron Bold.  The period ended with the Shamrocks up 3-2 and looking forward to a power play to start the second period as Chad Culp took a roughing penalty to close out the first.

The Lakers came out of the dressing room in the second period appearing to have regrouped as Cattoni scored his second of the game shorthanded.  The Shamrocks then scored in bunches with Small notching his hat trick on a shot from the outside.  Rhys Duch cut inside finishing a with a nifty dip and dunk restoring the Shamrocks 2 goal lead. Duch scored his second of the game as he pump faked and whipped an outside shot past Matt Vinc. On the ensuing faceoff Culp tallied for the Lakers off of an unsettled situation once again moving his team within 2.  On this night it just wasn’t going to be for the Lakers as the Shamrocks went on a 4 goal run beginning with Scott Ranger scoring from a  bad angle, Dan Dawson finishing on a power play chance as he stepped around a screen to put the Shamrocks up by 4.  Small found the back of the net once again with a power play goal from the crease and then again striking net Small scored his 5th of the game on a period ending 6 on 5 with only 2 ticks left on the clock.  The period ended with the Shamrock up 10-4 and in control of the game.

Daryl Veltman scored the Shamrocks 11th goal of the game as the teams were 4 on 4 as offsetting penalties were being served.  Jesse King wired a shot beating Vinc 5 hole and chasing the goaltender from the Lakers net to be replaced by Evan Kirk who saw his first action of the 2015 Mann Cup.  Duch then notched his hat trick as he fired at Kirk when provided the opportunity.  Cory Vitarelli found net for the Lakers as he potted a marker from the crease.   Shawn Evans scored his first of the game as he fired a shot from the outside beating Bold.  Mark Steenhuis scored his first of 2 sandwiched between an empty netter by Mitch Jones, his first of the series.  At the final horn the Shamrocks took game # 3 by a 14-8 final score.  

Game MVP for the Victoria Shamrocks was Corey Small who finished the game with 5 goals and 3 assists while Robert Hope was rewarded for his exceptionally consistent play with the game MVP honours for the Peterborough Lakers. Rhys Duch finished the game with 3 goals and 2 assists and Dan Dawson also counted 5 points for the Rocks on the game with 1 goal and 4 assists.  Shawn Evans lead all Peterborough scorers with 1 goal and 2 assists while Holden Cattoni was the Lakers leading goal scorer of the game with 2.

Pivotal swing game # 4 goes tonight, Tuesday September 8th, 2015 - 7 pm at the Q Centre in Victoria.