By Mitch Bach

Underdog Sun Devils hope to cool off Heat

Jul 19, 2018 | 4:45 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — It’s clear that the Medicine Hat Sun Devils are underdogs as they enter the second round of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League playoffs.

Fifth-year forward Zack Wilson doesn’t mind.

“The team we’re playing, they’ve been off for a whole month,” said Wilson, who collected a team-leading 62 goals and 36 assists in the regular season. “I guess we have somewhat of an advantage. We’re hoping that their legs are tired and they’re not ready to play.”

That team is the High River Heat, who nearly ran the table during the regular season with a 17-1 record. High River’s first place finish awarded them a first-round bye, while the Sun Devils, who finished second, tangled with the Calgary Axemen in the opening stanza.

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It’s been two weeks since Wilson and the rest of the crew mounted an electrifying series comeback against Calgary. The Junior B squad fell 16-14 in game one. Facing elimination, Wilson collected seven goals of his own in a 19-10 victory, forcing a do-or-die 10 minute sudden death contest.

Medicine Hat erupted to a 5-1 lead, and weathered a ferocious effort by Calgary to book their ticket to round two by a 6-4 score.

“We’re really happy with that win, it’s really nice to come back and beat a team we knew we should have beat,” added Wilson. “It’s good for us.”

Freshly rested and recovered, Wilson says his crew is hungry to upset a team that tore apart the regular season. The trick comes down to a shift in mentality, and keeping a simple, specific game-plan geared towards the high-powered offence of the Heat.

“We have a new game-plan for every series we go into,” he continued. “We had one playing the Axemen, now we’re going to have to have a new one playing the Heat. We’re going to definitely have to shut down their two top players on their team. And our offence is going to have to do what we always do, which is put lots of balls in the net.”

The Sun Devils lost both games against the Heat in the regular season, outscored by a combined 22-11. 

Head coach Chris Loran says he’s happy with how the team came together over the last six weeks. Regardless of the result in High River, he’s focusing on the growth he’s seen in each player. 

“Our focus has always to get to this series,” said the second-year bench boss. “This is kind of the goal. Basically this is our championship game, going up against the league champions.”

A spot in the Junior B Provincial Championship is awarded to the winner of the series.

The entire best-of-three takes place in the Bob Snodgrass Arena in High River, with Game One on Saturday at 3:00 p.m., and the rest of the series Sunday afternoon.