If you’re not watching St. Albert Sr. B Miners lacrosse, you’re missing a lot.
The Wednesday night game against Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League rival Spruce Grove Slash, a 16-6 victory for St. Albert, started off as a perfect example of the gentlemanly nature of the ancient sport. But that didn’t last long, according to Sr. B Miners head coach Vay Diep.
“We won,” said Diep by phone Thursday, exasperation obvious in his voice. “We played the game we wanted to play, but it became a gong show halfway through.”
Diep said most of the animosity between the league rivals began during a special teams stint, in which Miners goaltender Matt Hibert had moved up the court a bit, and was standing near the Slash bench. Diep said those Slash players were living up to their name, as they poked Hibert from the bench.
Not one to be intimidated, Hibert poked back, said his coach.
“They lost it,” said Diep. “They decided to goon the tender.”
As the game went on, things got chippier and chippier, noted Diep, although he said the referees did all they could to keep control.
Those Slash players continued to live up to their name, as one slashed a Miner so hard he broke the St. Albert player’s stick.
Diep noted that within the final two minutes of the game, the Slash dropped all pretense of playing and simply looked for fights.
Diep said tender Hibert may have been a thorn in the side of the Slash to begin with. He’s a new and talented addition to the Miners this year, but last year he was Slash property; they didn’t use him and Hibert ended up playing in a lesser league. When he became a free agent, Diep said the Miners went after him, even though it meant three goalies on the roster.
Diep said Hibert is smart.
“He kept his cool,” said the coach.
Another factor in the flare-up was probably the high tempo game that gave the Miners the lead on the scoreboard, stated Diep. He said the Miners always want to play a very fast game, and they have the depth to do that.
Getting a quick lead on a league rival must have triggered something on the opposite bench, and Diep noted in a six-team division, everyone’s a rival and no one wants to lose, especially St. Albert, Edmonton Outlaws and Spruce Grove Slash.
“We’ve been to the provincial finals a lot,” said the Miners coach. “I’m sure the Outlaws and the Slash ... we’re the team to beat, right?
“We walk around with a chip on our shoulder.”
Diep said the Miners stayed frosty, though the game was likely a spectacle to behold for fans.
“Our boys, pretty proud of them to stay that disciplined and not get involved in that,” he said.
“If I was a fan in the stands, I’d be embarrassed to watch that kind of game.”
The St. Albert Sr. B Miners play Sunday versus the Calgary Mountaineers at 2:30 p.m. Northstar Hyundai Arena at Servus Place.
“Come out and support the boys,” said Diep. “We’ve got a very good, exciting team.”
