Salmonbelly trivia
There's a two-page spread in my local paper today on the Senior Salmonbellies. This year's write-ups are filled with little bits of trivia and some are downright funny:
Craig Conn-Who knew he was an avid cricket player?
Ian Hawksbee is a Bobby Vinton trivia buff and his left pinky and ring finger are webbed.
Kyle Ross's favourite musical instrument is a rotary-valve flugelhorm.
Jamie Floris "once lost a bet when he became convinced that Steve Goodwin wore a toupee"
Kevin Lunnie has twelve toes.
Honest, I'm not making this stuff up!
Labels: Craig Conn, Ian Hawksbee, Jamie Floris, Kevin Lunnie, Kyle Ross, lacrosse, Salmonbellies
Photos from Coquitlam tournament
Here are some
great photos from the recent Coquitlam girls' tournament. Girls' box lacrosse, while not as rough as boys', is a completely different sport from
girls' field lacrosse.
Labels: Coquitlam, girls' lacrosse, Salmonbellies
The slowness of hockey
I went to a WHA game over the holidays--Brandon Wheat Kings versus the Edmonton Oil Kings. It took me a while to get used to the slowness of it all.
I was also amazed by all the hype that surrounds the sport--even at that level: flashing lights, an indoor fireworks display, and tickets that cost almost $30 apiece (rather pricey, considering the league's amateur status).
To be honest, I wish I'd gone to an NLL game instead. Edmonton Rush has a lot of Salmonbellies on its
roster.
Labels: hockey, lacrosse. Edmonton Rush, Salmonbellies, WHL
"The referees cheated us"
So claims Junior Salmonbellies GM Harry Ferguson. And he's right. The previous time these two refs officiated, they called every little thing, to the point that they slowed down the game. Half the calls they made were lost on the fans. So many times, we'd ask each other, "what did they call this time?" In this game however, they did the opposite, until the final four minutes: "'At this level it’s frustrating that found a way for it to decide a game,' said New West head coach Rob Dick. 'They had the whistle put away for most of the game and then at the end they decide to make calls just because we’re up by one rather than let the teams finish.'"
Grant Granger's (Newsleader) summary of
Thursday night's game is pretty good. And the more I read about Regy Thorpe, the less I like the guy: "Six Nations head coach Regy Thorpe said they spotted the glove’s deficiency at the start of the tournament and stored the knowledge for the right time. The Arrows had been burned a couple of times this season on similar calls, including one Thorpe said cost them a 22-game undefeated streak."
Labels: lacrosse, reffing, Regy Thorpe, Salmonbellies, Six Nations Arrows Express
Upstream battle for the Bellies
Here's a
great article on the WLA finals.
Larry Pruner writes, "That allowed Coquitlam goalie Chris Levis to come out and challenge the New West shooters, who hit him square in the ‘A’ on his chest so often it began to look like target practice." This remark is, well, right on target.
Labels: Adanacs, Salmonbellies, WLA
Tough times ahead for the Bellies
Things are not looking good for the New Westminster Salmonbellies. Last night's loss of 14-11 was acceptable. They played better than they had been playing and put up a good fight. The final point of the game was a disappointment, though. New West had too many men in the final two minutes of play, which resulted in a penalty shot for the Adanacs. The ball went in, removing any hopes the Bellies may have had about catching up.
Tonight's game, however, saw the Bellies playing poorly again. Final score: 10-6. Defense was pretty much non-existent and offense was weak as well. The team just doesn't seem to have it anymore, which is rather sad. They've fallen apart since Conn was injured. Speaking of Conn, he was there tonight, watching from the sidelines, sporting a Bellies T-shirt and crutches. I wonder how he feels watching the Bellies struggle just to stay in the game.
Labels: Adanacs, Craig Conn, lacrosse, Salmonbellies
Here we go...
The Adanacs beat the Lakers and now advance to the WLA finals. The first game is tomorrow night and, like my lacrosse buddy says, "it's going to be a bloodbath."
Here's what
The Record has to say: "One of the most heated rivalries in the history of the Western Lacrosse Association is on again. The New Westminster Salmonbellies will play the unfriendly host to the Coquitlam Adanacs in Game 1 of the best-of-seven Western Lacrosse Association final at Queen's Park Arena Thursday."
I don't mind a rough game, but the Salmonbellies really don't need to lose any more players to injury.
Labels: Burnaby Lakers, Coquitlam Adanacs, Salmonbellies, WLA finals
Where have all the children gone?
Those have you who have been attending the playoffs may have noticed the smaller crowds. Some may want to blame it on summer vacations. I doubt that's what it is, though. Children's tickets are overpriced. In the regular season, kids could get season's passes for a mere $20. For the playoffs, however, each game is $11. If a family only has one child, this may be affordable. But New Westminster has a number of four-children families (and a lot of these kids play lacrosse). An evening out for two parents and four kids is a whopping $74--and that's not counting popcorn, drinks, 50-50 tickets, and whatever else people spend money on at games.
Now I could understand it if there happened to be standing room only. But the stands are only about a quarter full. Charge the kids a toonie apiece for admission. Heck, even let them in for free if they come with their parents. Today's youth are tomorrow's players and fans. The Bellies' management should be encouraging them to come out and cheer, not raising the cost of admission to keep them away.
Labels: children, lacrosse, Salmonbellies, ticket prices
More on lacrosse in New West
This is a different version of an earlier article on lacrosse that incorporates some interviews that never got used the first time around.
The sound is distinctive, heard nowhere else in the country. The hollow thud of a ball bouncing. The resonance of stomping feet, rising and falling as players stampede from one end of the box to the other. It’s the sound of a lacrosse game in New Westminster, British Columbia, home of the country’s only wooden lacrosse floor.
The original tongue-and-groove surface, installed in 1938, had set the scene for thousands of games, from mini-tyke to the semi-professional Senior Salmonbellies. In 67 years, several national championships took place on the floor’s fir planks.
In recent years, however, the floor had begun to show serious signs of wear and tear, and citizens started to worry about what to do. The easiest option would have been to remove the floor and use the underlying cement as the playing surface, according to Jamie Stewart, president of the New Westminster Minor Lacrosse Association. But local lacrosse fans and heritage buffs wanted nothing to do with that, so they launched a campaign, headed by Stewart, to ensure that the legacy continue.
To raise both money and awareness, sections and individual planks of the old floor were sold off, enabling fans to take home a piece of history for as little as ten dollars. A definite hit in New Westminster, fir boards have also been shipped all over North America, including Virginia, New York State, and across Canada.
The new floor, like the original, comprises numerous panels that can be dismantled and stored at the season’s end, but the new floor is made of stained maple, as opposed to painted fir. The wood’s grain shows through the sea-green stain, creating the illusion of a sandy beach through tropical waters. The Salmonbellies’ logo, a bright red fish swimming through the legs of the letter W, graces either side of the centre face-off circle.
The floor epitomizes community pride. As I chat with Stewart in the stands while we watch the minors play, people approach and comment on the floor. Stewart points to a group of parents standing behind the glass at floor level, parents of kids playing in the next game. “And when this one’s over,” he says, “they’re going to walk out and check out the floor.” He’s right: they do. And that’s exactly what I did the first chance I could. I walked out onto the floor, examined the grain, tapped my foot, and ran my fingers along its smooth greenness.
It’s hard not to get caught up in the spirit, to take part in history in the making. When my daughter’s bantam team played their first game on the new floor two weeks before the May 25, 2006, official opening ceremonies, the team of twelve- to fourteen-year-old girls lined up side by side and simultaneously knelt to kiss the floor.
The New Westminster Lacrosse Association dates back to 1889, when the Royal City, christened by Queen Victoria, was just thirty years old. The following year’s formation of the British Columbia Amateur Lacrosse Association, comprising teams from Vancouver, Victoria, and New Westminster, prompted a lengthy inter-city rivalry, a rivalry that is responsible for the Salmonbellies’ name. According to local legend, angry Vancouver fans called out a taunt of “get their salmon bellies!” during a game between the two cities. Rather than taking it as an insult, the New West team revelled in their new name, and subsequently added the image of a fish to the team jersey.
The ’Bellies went on to great things. The name has been engraved a total of 24 times on the Mann Cup, an award established by Canadian National Railway’s master builder, Sir Donald Mann, that is now presented to the Canadian Senior Lacrosse Champions. (The country’s other major lacrosse award, the Minto Cup, was originally intended for the senior amateur and professional teams, but is now awarded to the Junior A champions.) In addition to the Cup itself, Mann Cup recipients also receive a ring with their team’s logo.
A strong sense of pride accompanies any affiliation with the ’Bellies, whether that affiliation comes from being a fan, an official, or a player at any level. Pride is especially strong in those players who grew up in the Royal City. Said 2005 MVP Kerry Susheski of playing for his hometown, “I grew up watching the old ’Bellies win the Mann Cup series, the Minto Cup series. It’s just always been a dream of mine to play for the Salmonbellies at the senior level, on the wood floor.”
“The Salmonbellies is what sports is all about,” team trainer Keith Johnson tells me at the ’Bellies annual fundraising dinner, a boisterous gathering of lacrosse legends, current players, and numerous volunteers and supporters. “You’ve got grassroots, history.”
And for many years, you had success. Despite winning the championship multiple times, the team has been struggling in recent years. A full decade and a half has passed since the Salmonbellies last won the Mann Cup, reminiscent of a lengthy dry spell that ended in 1958.
In New Westminster, lacrosse is about history: preserving it and repeating it. “We play a violent game with lots of injuries for no pay, just the chance to hold one of North America’s oldest trophies, and the chance of a ring,” says Richardson. For New Westminster native Joe Bell Jr., “There’s no better way to win a Mann Cup than with a fish on the ring.”
The 2006 season came to a close when the Salmonbellies lost in the finals to the reigning champions, the Victoria Shamrocks (who were subsequently defeated in the Mann Cup challenge by the Peterborough Lakers in Ontario). In 2007, however, the top-ranking ’Bellies, who ended the regular season in first place, are in even better shape to claim their 25th Mann Cup championship. This year, the Cup playoffs return west, many hope to the wooden floor of Queen’s Park Arena, where the Salmonbellies and their fans might truly relive the glory days.
Labels: Queen's Park Arena, Salmonbellies, Susheski, wooden lacrosse floor
Bellies beat the Timbermen
The Bellies played a great game last night against the Nanaimo Timbermen, winning 12-5. I have to admit though, the player of the game was the Timberman goalie, Matt King. He put on an amazing show, twisting and dancing in the net to make almost 50 saves. Disher, on the other hand, had to fend off only half the number of shots.
King appeared visibly tired by the middle of the second period, and we began to wonder why the T-men coaches didn't pull him off for a break. He started to make a few dumb moves, like crushing a Bellies player into the boards behind the net, and getting a penalty for slashing. In the third period, he also looked like he purposely knocked the net off (several times), prompting fans to yell at the ref to give him a delay-of-game penalty. But refs aren't inclined to listen to fans...
Craig Conn got taken away by ambulance last night for a knee injury. From the stands, it was hard to tell what happened exactly. There was some sort of collision with a Nanaimo player, then Conn went to the ground, flopping like a dying fish. Fans couldn't tell who was injured (I ended up asking GM Dan Richardson) and for the longest time we didn't know if it was a neck injury or not. It turned out to be his knee, which will likely keep him away from the game for a long time. I hope it's not as bad as it seemed.
Apart from that, it was a good game, with lots of action. The two teams meet up again today in Nanaimo. I think the T-men are going to come out scrapping.
Labels: Craig Conn, Matt King, Salmonbellies, Timbermen
Now I get it...
I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when the Salmonbellies had a less-than-stellar first period against the Burrards in Maple Ridge. At the end of the first, the teams were tied at 3.
But in the second period, they gave away a couple of goals. I still didn't think that in itself was odd. What was odd, though, was that they pulled Disher and substituted
Ray Hodgkinson from the Junior A's. In the first place, why did they pull Disher? He wasn't having a bad night. And in the second place, why did they put in a new guy? The Bellies already have a backup goalie. In any case, Hodgkinson let in several goals, but not on his own. The Bellies provided him with no defense. By the end of the second period, the Bellies were down 9-4.
In the third period, the Burrards' shooting streak continued. In the last 10 minutes of the game, however, the Bellies managed to sneak a few past the Burrards' goalie, but it was too little, too late, and the Burrards took the game 15-7.
I didn't quite understand it. The Bellies weren't playing with the full team. Gill and P. Morgan were watching from behind the plexiglass. And the Bellies just weren't up to snuff. After coming home and checking the standings, though, it dawned on me. The Burrards are now tied with the Timbermen for fourth place. I'm not sure how they decide who gets into the playoffs. New West was scheduled to take on Nanaimo this Friday in Queen's Park. A tie-breaking game or a best of three will have to be played between the Timbermen and the Burrards. This is advantageous for the Bellies, because the winning team will be exhausted entering the playoffs, while the Bellies will be fresh. Sneaky. But clever.
I'm not writing this to undermine the Burrards' efforts. They played a great game this evening. They ran hard and shot well. And their goalie,
Alex Coutts, was a wall. I'm surprised he wasn't given first star of the game. In my opinion he was the best player out there.
So there you have it: the politics of playoffs. Interesting times ahead.
August 4 Update: Ha! Turns out I was wrong. I found out at last night's game that because, in the regular season, the Timbemen had beaten the Burrards more than the Burrards had beaten the Timbermen, the T-men advanced to the playoffs. The Bellies were just playing a crappy game, and the Burrards were playing a good one.
Labels: Alex Coutts, Maple Ridge Burrards, Ray Hodgkinson, Salmonbellies
Rough times at the Barn
There sure was a lot of tension and testosterone at Queen's Park Arena this evening as the Salmonbellies took on the Coquitlam Adanacs. What a game. The refs just couldn't keep up with a lot of cheap penalties. By the time they realized what was going on, gloves and shirts were off. In total there was 115 minutes' worth of penalties and that's not counting the ones the refs should have called, including the one against the Coquitlam coach for throwing his full water bottle onto the floor in a fit of rage.
The Bellies once again started off slow, tying with the Adanacs at the end of the first period. By the end of the second, they were up by one, and by the end of the game, they had a nice five-point spread, with a final score of 12-7. The Adanacs' goalie played an amazing game, stopping 51 shots in total. Disher didn't have nearly as much to do, with only 41 shots having come his way.
First star of the game went to
Ilja Gaijic of the Bellies, second star went to
Athan Ianucci, also of the Bellies, and third star went to the Adanacs'
Peter Veltman. My own personal Nasty Player of the Night Award goes to Adanacs'
Jesse Phillips for his backcheck of a Bellies player who was dancing in front of the Adanacs net.
On the sentimental side of things, the jersey of former Salmonbelly Geordie Dean (#5) was retired this evening. Dean is the current record holder for the most Mann Cup assists--a record that goes back to 1995.
And, oh yeah. I have to add that tonight the Bellies looked positively smashing in their Retro Jerseys.
Labels: Coquitlam Adanacs, Geordie Dean, retro jersey, Salmonbellies
It's official
The
New Westminster Salmonbellies are now in first place, with no chance of being removed, after beating the Burnaby Lakers 12-7 this evening at Queen's Park Arena. This is apparently the first time the Bellies have finished the season in first place since 1985. That year, they lost the cup challenge to the Brooklin Redmen. After winning the first three games, they gave up four. The following year, however, they did manage to win the cup.
Tonight's game was interesting. The reffing was bizarre--that's the only way to describe it. In the first period, several times the refs called too many men and little else. In the second period, they missed a lot of calls against both teams--important calls, such as holding, tripping, and more. And in the third period, they definitely favoured Burnaby, ignoring for example, when Burnaby's Adam Smith flipped over Salmonbellies'
Kyle Ross by grabbing him behind the knees, and remained on top of him. They didn't even attempt to pull the two apart until Ross managed to get out from under Smith and was ready to throw a few punches. At that point, both players were given five-minute penalties. Why they didn't call it when it was obviously one-sided is beyond me. Like the two avid fans behind me said, "Get a green shirt, ref" since the refs were obviously favouring the green Lakers.
Athan Ianucci was the first star of the game, and it's no wonder. He did an outstanding job. The only time he messed up was when he fell into a fighting trap that Burnaby had set, and ended up in the penalty box.
Matt Disher played well after a slightly shaky start. His most impressive play of the game was when he was wrestling with a Lakers' player midway to the centre line, and still managed to make a save on a ball that was heading directly for the open net. Burnaby goalie, Curtis Palidwor, had a great game, letting in only 11 of 51 shots (for some reason,
Pointstreak lists only 47 shots on net). Why the Burnaby coach replaced him at this point is anyone's guess.
And my favourite moment of the game was when the man seated behind me yelled out, "I'd get rid of
Conn before he does something stupid!" Seconds later, an angry Conn breaks away, gets the goalie dancing, and scores the Bellies' 12th goal of the game. Good stuff.
Labels: Burnaby Lakers, Conn, Disher, first place, Mann Cup, Palidwor, Ross, Salmonbellies, Smith
Nail-biter in Coquitlam
Fans of either team were on the edge of their seats tonight as the 'Bellies and the Adanacs met once again. The game was close for most of the first period, with the 'Bellies as sluggish as they usually are at the start. By the end of the first, however, they were down by three. Early on in the second period,
Matt Disher let three goals in a row slip by and was pulled from the game. At that point the 'Bellies were down by six.
Schibild certainly looked like he benefited from his time in net last game. He played amazingly well tonight and was voted the game's first star.
Soon after the 'Bellies gave away three, the Adanacs goalie also let in three and was replaced. By the end of the second period, the score was once again tied, then the Adanacs eked out a two-point lead. With less than three minutes left in the game, the score was tied at 11, and in the last minute of play, each team scored again and the game went into ten minutes of overtime.
In his only bad play of the game, Schibild overshot a pass to a 'Bellies runner, and the team missed an opportunity for a breakaway. With seven seconds to go, New West called a time out, pulled the goalie, and went for a tie-breaking goal. Except they missed. A Coquitlam player seized the opportunity to shoot at an empty net--and also missed. Final score 12-12.
Labels: Adanacs, Disher, Salmonbellies, Schibild
Another win for the Salmonbellies
Tonight at Queen's Park Arena, the
New Westminster Salmonbellies managed to beat the
Nanaimo Timbermen. The game was far closer than anyone expected it to be, with a final score of 12-9. The Timbermen played well and kept up the pressure; the 'Bellies were sub-par. The best goals of the game were in the second period, when
Athan Ianucci popped one over the shoulder of the Timbermen's goalie, and in the third period, when he scored unassisted on a breakaway. In total, Ianucci got six goals for the 'Bellies and was the first star of the game.
In net for the Salmonbellies was new alternate goalie
Ron Schibild. He's spent most of the season on the bench (tonight was his second game) while the 'Bellies management decided whether to keep him or Bell on for the season. New Westminster native Joe Bell, Jr. was released earlier this week. I'm a bit sad about this. I interviewed both Bell and Kerry Susheski (2005 MVP) for my
article for
The Walrus magazine because they both grew up in New West. Both spoke of community pride, their friendship, and how much it would mean to them to win a Mann Cup for their hometown team. Susheski was traded in
November 2006 in exchange for
Langley Thunder's second first-round draft pick. He ended up not playing for The Thunder (and I'm not quite sure about the story behind that, but I sense a controversy).
On the lighter side of life, today is Shaggy's birthday. Shaggy (aka Ken Straw) is the Salmonbellies' most loyal fan and devoted volunteer. Happy Birthday, Shaggy.
Labels: Bell, Salmonbellies, Schibild, Shaggy, Susheski, Timbermen
