The Westlock Midget Rock bulldozed through Greater Edmonton Lacrosse League playoffs in Edmonton and St. Albert June 20-28 to claim the league championship.
The Rock were undefeated in all four playoff games, twice defeating the second-ranked Edmonton Warriors 1 in the June 26 semifinals by a score of 14-6 and in the June 28 final 12-5.
“It’s a really good feeling that’s for sure, especially going with no losses throughout the season,” said assistant captain Blair Boulerice.
“There was still a little nervousness throughout the dressing room, that’s for sure. Other than that, we were pretty confident we could beat these guys.”
The Rock ranked at the top of the Midget ‘B’ GELC, though the playoffs were certainly more challenging.
“The playoffs always brought stronger working players out and harder teams,” Blair said.
“We kind of had to step up our game.”
“It seems like the teams did bring up their level to compete against us,” agreed head coach Shane Boulerice.
“It was more competitive than league for sure. We had to work a lot harder than we did during league.”
Despite the 14-6 win in the semifinal versus the Edmonton Warriors 1, Shane said it wasn’t one of their best games.
“It was almost like they were playing the wrong way at certain times,” he said. “They were more worried about scoring goals than stopping goals, so they were getting caught and the Warriors got a few breakaways. Good thing the goalie was on the ball. It might have been a closer game than that.”
Eventually the boys got back to playing defence and turned the game around.
In the finals June 28, Westlock was back to face the Warriors after they won the double elimination round against the Sherwood Park Titans the night before.
“The first period I was a little worried,” coach said. “The other team came out hard again. They wanted to win — they told us at the end they wanted to beat us.”
The Warriors notched the first goal a little over a minute into the first period. Rock Blair Boulerice bounced back with Westlock’s first goal 90 seconds later.
But the Rock struggled to knock in another goal and the Warriors slid in a second. Cole Perkins came back to tie up the game with just less than eight minutes on the clock.
Westlock came back in the second period as a powerhouse with shot after shot for seven goals, while Edmonton responded with only a third goal.
Blair Boulerice scored a hat trick, with Tyler Tymkow netted two, while Max Benham and Perkins scored a goal each.
The attacks on net continued in the third with Perkins knocking in another two and Ryan Conquergood finishing with the club’s 12th goal of game, but the Warriors battled back with another two goals.
“All the players really stepped up,” Shane said. “There’s a few that scored some big goals, but a lot of the kids made some great plays and some great defensive plays to help with the game.”
The Rock will face the best of the best in Lethbridge for provincials July 7-9.
Blair said everyone is feeling pumped up to go provincials.
“We haven’t played any of them so it’ll be like a brand-new season playing different teams,” he said.
