Salmonbellies sniper Smith quietens Thunder

Cliff Smith was missing something he was attached to. He was baffled about where his good buddy had gone. But before he called the cops he went to see a guy named Homer, who apparently, with a few swift hand movements, managed to do something that allowed Smith to find his scoring touch.

With just three goals this season, Smith was about to put out an all-points bulletin for his missing scoring touch. But on Thursday he fired five goals to lead the New Westminster Salmonbellies to a 12-9 victory over the Langley Thunder at Queen’s Park Arena.

“I don’t think I’ve had a game that lucky since midget,” said the chagrined Smith, who often looked more surprised than Langley goalie Kevin Croswell when his shots went in. “I got a new stick restrung. Nothing was working.

“Go see Homer at Ice Level Sports, that’s the answer. If you’re struggling go see him.”

The Salmonbellies (11-1) needed Smith’s snipes to secure the win and strengthen their hold on first place in the Western Lacrosse Association. Every time the ’Bellies looked to be pulling away, the last-place Thunder (2-11) would get within a goal. Victory wasn’t secured until Smith’s last goal with 59 seconds left and Bob Snider’s second of the game into an empty net.

“I thought it was ugly,” said ’Bellies bench boss Bob Salt. “Maybe it was the long weekend. We looked tired right from the get-go.

“We took two periods off against Coquitlam (a 9-8 overtime loss last Saturday) and we took this night off.”

Salt is hoping these games will make his troops realize they have to buckle down.

“I told them if they’re getting bored maybe we should get some other guys in here. It looks like they’re getting bored,” said Salt.

Smith, however, denied the Salmonbellies were getting bored in their play.

“Absolutely not. If we had been bored they would have beaten us by 10,” said Smith. “Last year we peaked too early.

“We just have to get past this and try and get better every game.”

The Salmonbellies’ only game next week is in Victoria on Wednesday. Their next home game isn’t until July 17 when the Nanaimo Timbermen visit Queen’s Park.

Jordan McBride had five assists to take over the WLA scoring lead. Like Snider, Tyler Crompton had two goals and an assist while Jamie Floris notched a goal and two assists. Jordan Hall and Ian Hawksbee had one of each.

• Earlier in the week, the Salmonbellies secured a backup goalie for rookie starter Tyler Richards. With last year’s starter Matt Disher deciding not to return and second-year backup Ron Schibild hobbled by an ankle injury, general manager Dan Richardson acquired Matt Roik, 27, from the Brooklin Redman of Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse. The 6-foot-5 Roik played in the NLL for the Chicago Shamrocks.

“He gives us a veteran presence as a backup goaltender,” said Richardson, who put Schibild on the injury list to make room for Roik. “Potentially we have the best tandem in net in the west.”

Richardson also said left-handed shooter Peter Morgan will return to the team in time to play the four games needed to qualify for the playoffs.

ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com