The Estevan novice Vipers lacrosse team earned a 9-5 win against a Regina team in their final game of a tournament on May 9 and 10 in Regina.
The Vipers played four games in the tournament as other matchups resulted in, 9-5, 9-7 and 5-3 losses.
In the game they won, Nathan Wagstaff opened the scoring in the first period for the Vipers, and shortly after Kersey Hollingshead made it 2-0.
Shea McNabb scored toward the end of the period and the Vipers had 3-1 lead.
In the second, Estevan scored three unanswered goals, before Regina added two of their own.
Hollingshead, Logan Lang, and Carter Onrait were the goal scorers.
In the third, Hollingshead scored; earning a hat-trick, and Onrait and Zach McGillicky had a goal each.
After playing with a quick pace at the start of the game, the Vipers slowed down later, and used up more of the shot clock, which helped them be more in control, according to coach Dion Wagstaff.
“We concentrated on making two or three passes every time up the floor, trying to get the guys who haven’t scored or haven’t really seen the ball,” he said.
In the first game of the tournament, the Vipers were matched up against the Regina Stealth.
The Stealth jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first half of the opening period, but the Vipers responded with a goal from Onrait, later in the game.
After falling 3-1 Carter Williamson pulled the Vipers within one, after he beat the Regina goalie.
Around the midway point in the second, trailing 6-2, Nathan Wagstaff cut the lead into half.
The Stealth scored three unanswered goals to end the frame, and in the final period, Estevan shutout Regina while recoding two goals.
Onrait and Lang were the goal scorers.
In the next game, Estevan was held scoreless in the first frame and were trailing 3-0 to the Regina Nighthawks, but outscored Regina 4-2 in the second and only trailed 5-4 after two periods.
Onrait and Wagstaff scored 44 seconds apart in the first half of the second period, and they both scored again to close out the period.
In the third, Wagstaff scored two goals and Onrait added another one, but Estevan was still outscored in the end. Both players earned a hat-trick in the game.
The next day, the Vipers third game, against the Regina Rock; Hollingshead and Onrait scored in the opening period, and Estevan led 2-1 going into the second. Logan Lang was the only goal scorer for the Vipers during the last two periods.
Even though the Vipers scored a lot throughout the weekend, Wagstaff would like the team to use the full 30 seconds of the shot clock to create clear shots.
“A lot of times we were only using ten (seconds, so we’re not passing as much as we should, moving the floor,” he said.
Overall he was impressed with the unselfishness of the team as they moved the ball around a lot in all three games.
The Vipers are off for a week and then return to action for a tournament in Estevan on May 23 and 24.
