Both the U18 and U15 Mid Island Lightning field lacrosse teams advanced to the Island finals with semifinal victories last weekend, securing spots in the provincial championships in the process.
One player shy of a full roster, the U18 Lightning pulled together for their best game of the season, beating the North Island Rage 16-7 in what was supposed to be the first part of a two-game, total-points series. North Island forfeited the second game, sending the Lightning straight to the Island final.
Goalie Brandon McDill held the Rage to a single goal in three of the four quarters, while his team scored six times in the opening quarter and never looked back. Parker Teufel and Jacob Taylor each scored four goals, Hunter Hieta and Kyle Page had three apiece, and Clayton Vickers added a pair.
The U18 Lightning will play Nanaimo in Nanaimo this Saturday for the Island title.
Mid Island U18 head coach Bill Sanderson was away last weekend, so U15 head coach Les Thibedeau filled in for him, while at the same time guiding his team past Victoria. The U15s, who had collected four losses and a tie in five games with Victoria in the regular season, tied the first end of their two-game series 8-8, then won 10-6 in the second game.
“They played hard,” Thibedeau said. “I think Vic just thought they could come in and it would be an easy win. I told the kids the playoffs are a new season. It doesn’t matter what happens in the regular season.”
The U15s have 23 players on the roster, with more than a third still eligible to play U13 lacrosse, although Mid Island doesn’t have a U13 team this year. They will face unbeaten Pacific Rim in the one-game Island final this weekend.
“It will be a tough game, but they’re up for it, after what I saw last weekend,” Thibedeau said.
Regardless of how the semifinals play out, both Mid Island teams will advance to provincials in Victoria, starting Feb. 9.