Special to the Record
Sitting in the stands with his teammates in his flip flops and shorts on Friday at the Q Centre in Victoria, getting ready to watch the WLA Victoria Shamrocks play their arch rivals the New Westminster Salmonbellies, former Comox Valley Wild lacrosse player Liam Reid got the call that every young lacrosse player wants to get.
The Intermediate A Shamrocks goalie, drafted by the Victoria Junior A Shamrocks in 2013, got the word that the big team needed him to fill a spot as emergency backup goaltender. Shamrocks starting goaltender, Matt Flindell, was unable to play, Cody Hagedorn would start and Reid was in as backup.
Reid was only too happy to step up and make his Senior A lacrosse debut at the age of 17. Wearing borrowed runners and Flindell's gear and stick, and the Shamrocks leading 13-5, he was sent in to finish up the last two minutes of the game. Salmonbellies player, Colton Clark, came in to get his third goal of the game and was denied by Reid who made the first WLA save of his young career.
“I was just trying to play the angles and do the basics right.” said Reid after the game. It was a night he will never forget. The Victoria Shamrocks beat the Salmonbellies and have locked down the number one spot in the league.
Reid's Intermediate A Shamrocks are currently in playdowns to get to the Provincial Championships in Richmond where they have a good chance of bringing home the gold medal after finishing second in league play.