PREVIEW: Thunder and Shamrocks in Familiar Territory

langley at victoria - 4:00 PM - the q centre

The Langley Thunder's up-and-down season will largely come down to Saturday afternoon when they head over to the Island to renew their rivalry with the Victoria Shamrocks. These two teams know each other well; they were both in a dogfight alongside Port Coquitlam last season as they tried to secure third-place and a way out of a crucial wild card game. 

Both teams were on the losing end of that, but it was the Shamrocks who beat the Thunder on the road, getting a crack at eventual BCJALL champions Coquitlam. This season, the playoff format has been changed to the top-four teams, so this one becomes even more critical. The Thunder currently trail the Shamrocks by two points, but they also have one fewer win than Victoria. 

Here's how it breaks down: if Victoria wins on Saturday, it all but ends Langley's season with three games left to go. They would have an almost insurmountable four-point lead in the standings and would be two games up in the win column. It would take an epic end of season collapse for Langley to find their way into the playoffs. 

If Langley does win, things become a lot more complicated. Victoria would still hold the tiebreaker due to head-to-head contests, in which the 'Rocks can't lose after beating Langley in their first two games. Both teams have common opponents in their final three games in the Islanders and Salmonbellies - but Victoria has to play Coquitlam while Langley plays Poco.