When the Shooters Pub Devils meet the Twisted Cork/Regional Security Stylers in Prince George senior C lacrosse action tonight coach Rick Adams will be looking for the Devils to have the one ingredient crucial to winning.
"Everybody we play we have to really think," said Adams, after the Devils 20-14 loss Saturday to the Stylers at the Coliseum. "If we're playing 60 minutes of thinking and everybody stays in it and everybody's willing to work we have a chance to win."
Adams said in Saturday's loss the Devils, who were short-benched with only 11 players, grew weary after pulling within a goal at 15-14 with five minutes to play and quit thinking, allowing the Stylers to score five unanswered goals.
"You don't quit thinking against a team with shooters like the Stylers," said Adams.
The loss left the Devils with a 3-6 record and clinging to a two-point advantage over the Mackenzie Lumberjax (2-6) for the fourth, and final, playoff spot. Danton Nicholson led the Devils with eight goals and three assists, giving him 68 points this season.
After tonight's rematch with the Stylers, the Devils will have five games remaining in the regular season, including a pair of games with the second-place College Heights Pub Assault (8-2) and two with the Lumberjax, June 16 and 17 at the Coliseum that could determine the final playoff spot.
For the Stylers (7-4) the win allowed them to keep within two points of the Assault. Andrew Schwab added six goals and four assists to his league-leading point total moving his totals to 99, while Mike Padalec contributed four goals, six assists and Morgan Bloom had two goals, five helpers.
In Saturday's game, the Devils trailed 13-10 after two periods, but were able to close the gap to one twice before penalties and exhaustion set in and the Stylers took control.
The Devils were without their second and third leading scorers Tony Degans (38 points) and Liam Barwise (16 points) on Saturday. Degans was out of town coaching a midget lacrosse team, while Barwise had a field lacrosse commitment.
"He makes a big difference to our team," said Adams about Barwise. "He's a young guy with some good skills and a good work ethic."
In the second half of Saturday's doubleheader the Assault powered past the winless Quesnel Crossfire (0-9) 19-4.
