Bellies Win Against Rocks and Force a Game 5

So far, home floor has made the difference.

The Bellies beat the visiting Shamrocks on Tuesday night at Queens Park, equalling their best-of-5 series at 2 apiece and forcing a game 5 on Thursday at Victoria's Q Centre.  It was only the second time this season that Victoria has lost a game, and, just as in Game 2, the margin of victory was just one goal.  Over the 4 games of the series,  there is a total goal differential of just 3 goals.  And so far, the wins have gone to the home team in every game.

Tuesday started with a big Bellies push.  Adam Charalambides got things started with a goal at 1:57, with fellow leftie Jake Govett getting New West's second tally just 25 seconds later.  No one could beat a goalie for the next nine minutes, but it was Will Malcom who next did so.  Goal scoring would again stop for about nine minutes until late penalties by Nate Wade and Trent DiCicco put the Bellies on a 5 on 3 power play.  Logan Schuss became the fourth leftie in the period to score, with 19 seconds remaining, but Tyson Gibson would add a right-handed ppg at 19:58 to give the Bellies the 5-0 score  after 20 minutes.

As we have seen throughout the season, the Shamrocks came out of the dressing room refreshed and ready to cause some damage.  Bennett Smith and Jesse King both scored for Vic in the first three minutes, but a transition goal from NW's Sean Kriwokon helped to stem the tide. Dodds, Wilson, Patterson and Pickup all scored  in the remainder of the period, but Will Malcom's second of the evening raised everyone from their seats.  The Bellies were down two men after Belgrave and Cook both got minors, but Malcom took the ball to the cage anyways.  Mauled by three defenders, he managed to release a shot that beat Victoria netminder, Chris Origlieri.  At the end of the second, the Bellies held a tight 7-6 lead.

The third was just as close-fought as the first two periods, but Victoria pulled even at 5:01 on a patented Jesse King screen shot.  The Bellies were not to be deterred.  The next two markers came from Malcom at 7:08 (his third of the night) and from call-up sensation Lukas Nielsen at 8:43.  Nielsen's goal would be the eventual game winner, as both goalies shut the door.  Just one more Victoria goal would find its way past Justin Geddie, and that with the extra attacker.  It came from Casey Wilson, but the Bellies would go on to smother the Shamrocks overt the remaining 1:19 in the game to earn the victory.

Despite the fact that some of the game's best shooters were on the floor, it was the goalies who really shone.  Geddie managed to stop 44 of 52 shots for an .846 SA, earning third star and Stonehaus Player of the Game honours, despite being hurt by a diving Victoria player earlier.  Origlieri was nearly as good, with an .845 SA, allowing 9 goals on 58 shots.

Will Malcom earned 1st Star with his 3-3-6 performance and Casey Wilson's 2-2-4 game earned him second star.

The Bellies will head to Victoria for the fifth and deciding game on Thursday at 6:30 pm. (The game will be available on WLA TV.)  

In order to win the series, the Bellies will need to do something no else has done in 2024; earn a win in Victoria.  They came oh-so--close in Game 1, but gave up a late goal that led to overtime, before losing in OT with just .4 seconds left.  That game was back-and-forth affair, as has been the entire series.  

Thursday evening, someone will move on to face the Langley Thunder in the finals.  The Bellies are optimistic that they will succeed, giving fans a chance to see a replay of last year's epic final series.

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