On Friday night the Maple Ridge Burrards spoiled the party.
The Victoria Shamrocks celebrated Alumni Night by retiring the jersey of Ranjit Dillon and honouring members of the 1997 Mann Cup Championship team, but it was the Burrards who came out on top by a slim 10-9 margin.
The ‘Rocks got off to a stellar start, scoring the games first three goals to stake themselves a healthy advantage by the 11 minute mark of the first.
The Burrards responded with a 3-0 run of their own, however, and the Shamrocks were only able to take a 4-3 lead into the second following a Corey Small power play marker.
Victoria got the best of their visitors in the second, with Mike Triolo scoring a pair and Ben McCullough adding another around two Dan Taylor goals for the Burrards, and the ‘Rocks held a 7-5 lead heading into the third.
The wheels fell off for the home team after Small gave the club a three-goal lead 5:40 into the final frame.
Five consecutive Maple Ridge goals, all coming within a five-minute span and including two apiece from Luke Gillespie and Mike Mallory, put the visitors out in front for the first time in the game.
It would prove to be enough, as the Shamrocks could only muster a single goal in response.
In the Victoria net Aaron Bold made 30 saves on 39 shots in the loss. Cody Hagedorn allowed a goal on the only shot he faced and was saddled with the loss despite only seeing 28 seconds of action.
Offensively, Rhys Duch had a goal and five assists while Triolo had a hattrick and added an assist. Small finished with two goals and two assists.
The Shamrocks will get another crack at the Burrards on Tuesday in Maple Ridge. They’ll return to The Q Centre floor on June 30 for a home date with the Nanaimo Timbermen.