The third time was the charm for the senior B St. Albert Miners against the Edmonton Outlaws in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League.
Wednesday’s 12-5 win at Performance Arena against a team that beat the Miners in their first two meetings of the season came as a relief to head coach Chris Stachniuk.
“We needed to win and we need to win the next game [June 18] to take the season series to at least a tiebreaker,” he said.
After the Miners jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first frame, the match became progressively closer as it neared the final buzzer. When taking into consideration the firepower of the Miners, Stachniuk believes the team played a solid game, but not perfect against the Outlaws (4-4-1).
“We were probably an eight [out of 10]. We started out really strong and then we got a little complacent as the game went on,” he said.
With the intensity and physical play picking up in the second frame, including a pair of fights late in the third, both teams made numerous trips to the penalty box.
“We need to be more disciplined. We definitely took some lazy penalties. We took some penalties where we didn’t need to and our guys were aware of that,” said Stachniuk. “If we stay out of the box, I don’t think anyone can beat us.”
The Miners (5-3-1) have picked up their play in recent games, especially on offence.
“It’s a matter of the guys getting their feet moving. They also have to play as a unit, so it’s a timing issue,” said Stachniuk. “The start of the season our offence was really stagnant and getting blocked out but now they’ve got some movement going. Their timing is just getting better with each other overall.”
The Miners can make it three wins in a row Wednesday when they host the Spruce Grove Slash at 8 p.m.
“What we have to do is play our game,” said Stachniuk. “We’re a young, fast team with a lot of skill and big on the back end. If we move our feet, work hard and outwork the other team, I think we’ll win.”
