Timbermen next on tap for Thunder

Curtis Dickson and the Langley Thunder are in Nanaimo on June 11 before the two teams play a rematch at Langley Events Centre on June 15. Gary Ahuja Langley Events Centre photo

The Langley Thunder and Nanaimo Timbermen will be seeing a lot of each other these next few days.

The two teams begin a home-and-home series on Saturday (June 11) at Nanaimo’s Frank Crane Arena before they complete the two-game set at Langley Events Centre on Wednesday (June 15).

The Thunder are 1-1 on the Western Lacrosse Association season while the Timbermen are on a two-game win streak to erase an 0-2 start to the season. Nanaimo is coming off a 15-11 victory in New Westminster on June 9 over the Salmonbellies. Each team has a goal differential of -2.

For Langley, three of their newest players have made the biggest impact in the team’s first two games as Robert Church (five goals, three assists) and Curtis Dickson (three goals, five assists) lead the team with eight points apiece while Chase Scanlan has potted seven goals, six of which came in the season opener. Dane Dobbie missed the season opener, but did play the team’s second game, scoring a goal and finishing with five points.

In goal, Gordy Bowden started and won the season opener, but in the team’s most recent game, he was pulled in the first period and replaced by Kyle Mooney. Both goaltenders are WLA rookies and have been keeping the crease warm while the Thunder awaited the arrival of another new player, Frank Scigliano, who was competing in the National Lacrosse League playoffs.

Back in 2019, Scigliano was named the top goaltender in the WLA with a 5.16 goals against average and .883 save percentage.

For Nanaimo, Jon Phillips is leading the Timbermen with four goals and 15 points while Ethan Forgrave is tops among the team in goals with six, to go along with two assists. Adam Wiedemann has 10 points (three goals, seven assists).

The Timbermen’s Charles Claxton leads all WLA goalies with a 7.79 goals against average and he is third in save percentage at .811.

In the special teams’ battle, Langley boasts the more efficient power play (3-for-7, 42.9 per cent) compared to Nanaimo’s, which is operating at 21.1 per cent (4-for-19) but the Timbermen have proven to be more successful on the penalty kill, allowing seven goals on 18 chances (61.1 per cent) while the Thunder have allowed four goals on eight chances (50 per cent).

For tickets to the June 15 game at Langley Events Centre, click here.

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