The Valley Rebels saw their season-opening win streak snapped in unceremonious fashion on Sunday, as they fell 8-5 on the road to the Nanaimo Timbermen.
The Rebels, who won their first seven games of the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association (WCSLA) campaign, had beaten the Timbermen in Nanaimo the previous weekend with a short bench, and head coach Jim Nishiyama felt that perhaps his charges took things for granted the second time around.
“We thought we’d won before we even got off the ferry,” he said. “You can’t do that. You’ve got to go there to work, and we came out really flat.”
The Indians raced out to an 8-2 lead through two periods on Sunday, and the Rebels’ third-period rally fell short. Geordie Wells scored a hat trick in the loss, while Shaun McRae notched two assists.
The Rebels still lead the WCSLA with a 7-1 record, and they’ll look to start a new streak on Friday when they host the North Shore Indians at 8 p.m. at MSA Arena.
“To become a better team, sometimes you’ve got to lose,” Nishiyama analyzed. “Teams aren’t just going to roll over because the Rebels are coming. Every team knows what we have – a good goalie, good offence, good defence. But you’ve still got to work hard to earn it.”