Oceanside’s U16 Buccaneers survived two games in heavy rain and wind against the Vic Field 2 Titans last Saturday, extending their Vancouver Island Field Lacrosse win streak to five games.
In action on the swamp fields of Bear Mountain, the Bucs blasted the Titans 15-6 in game one and 12-5 in game two, both in monsoon conditions.
According to team manager Tim Clermont, the Buc’s upstart rookie goalie Shane Houtman picked up two more wins and the offence fed the net.
Jory Clermont led the charge with four goals in game one, with hat tricks from Shamus Koughan, Erik Johnson, and Ian Whibley, along with fourth quarter singles from Liam Lowery and Eric Thompson.
According to Clermont game one ended at 11:30 a.m. and the team had five hours to wait around before the second game at 4:30 p.m. “so most healed their bruises at the JDF Rec Centre in hot tubs during the break, hard to put on your wet gear and get up for game two in heavy rain and wind,” he said, but the Buc’s finished strong scoring the last five goals.
Clermont struck for five goals in that one, Whibley rang up four, Lowrey potted a pair, and Koughan added a single.
“The teams coming along — they’re starting to mesh as a team,” said Bucs co-coach Evan Tuck, adding “we had better numbers this time, and it was a good overall effort. Great defensive effort, and we’re scoring goals.”
The sweep lifts the Buccaneers regular season record to 4-0 and has them at the top of their nine-team division in the Vancouver Island Youth Field Lacrosse League. The Buccaneers travel to Campbell River Saturday to battle the also-undefeated North Island Rage for early season supremacy.
IN U14 ACTION
The younger Buccaneers were home at Springwood Sunday for a double header against Pac Rim 2, losing 12-6, 10-6.
Garrett Bell led the scoring for Oceanside in game one with a hat trick, and Arthur Miller potted a pair in game two.
Derian Thompson had a strong game offensively and defensively.
“This is a combined team for us,” says U14 Bucs coach Jim Miller, explaining “we’re playing U14 but half our team is U12 so we have lots of talent but not a lot of experience. We’re starting to gel, though, and once we do we will be very competitive in this division.”
Now 2-2 on the season and sitting middle of the pack in their 10-team VIYFLL division, the young Bucs are back home at Springwood this Sunday for their toughest test yet when they take on the Mid Island Lightening. Games go 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Both teams still welcoming new players.
“We know we have a lot of talented local players out there and we would love to see them come out because our teams are still playing short handed,” said Miller.
The Bucs practice at Springwood Park every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30-8:00 p.m. For more information joining the Buccaneers call 250-248-3144.