You don’t usually expect 12 points from a defenceman – but on Friday night, Kyle Pepper flipped the script and lit the Thunder up at the Q.
The Victoria Shamrocks steamrolled the Langley Thunder 21-9 in front of 2,272 fans at the Q Centre on July 11, locking in their second win in a home-and-home series against the Thunder and cementing their spot in the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) playoffs.
“With the team we put together in the offseason, we thought offence was going to be our strength,” said Shamrocks general manager Chris Welch. “Until Friday, that really hadn’t been the case. Then along came Friday, and Kyle Pepper decides to go off for seven goals.”
Pepper, a regular on the back end, stepped up to the offensive gate due to a depleted lineup and erupted for seven goals and five assists. The 12-point performance earned him first-star honours and left his GM stunned.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like that,” Welch said. “Especially for a young guy like Kyle, playing out of position. Coming up, he was a scorer – but in Junior A and Senior A, he evolved into a more defensive, transition-type guy. But boy, did he ever pass his audition. It’s going to be hard to send him back to the back door.”
Prior to Friday's game, Pepper had recorded 10 points in 12 games.
He wasn't the only one firing.
The Shamrocks erupted for 12 goals in one period – something Welch said he hadn’t seen in recent memory – and broke the 20-goal mark for the first time this season.
Victoria improved to 11-2-1 with the win, maintaining a perfect 7-0-1 record at home and sitting in a tie for first with the Coquitlam Adanacs at 23 points.
With four games remaining – including a potential first-place showdown in Coquitlam on July 26 – the Shamrocks control their path to securing home-floor advantage in the postseason.
“The whole season, every game has mattered. We’re in a tight race,” Welch said. “Home-floor advantage is worth fighting for, and that’s the goal now.”
Victoria has allowed a league-low 102 goals in 14 games while scoring the second most (137) – good for a WLA-best +35 goal differential.
Their final home game of the regular season is set for July 18 against the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
Before that, they travel to Maple Ridge, then finish the season on the road against Burnaby and Coquitlam.
“There are no easy games,” Welch said. “This is when the real test begins. I’m looking forward to seeing how our guys respond to the challenge and opportunity in front of them.”
And if they can lock down home floor?
“It’s super important,” Welch said. “No place gives home-floor advantage quite like the Q Centre does. The crowd, the energy – our guys feed off it. We’re just a better team at home. We want to be playing here as much as possible.”
