In the span of 6:41, the New Westminster Salmonbellies saw a lead turn into a huge deficit.
The Victoria Shamrocks blitzed past the 'Bellies 11-5 on Sunday, evening up the Western Lacrosse Association championship final series at 1-1.
The series continues on Tuesday, 6 p.m. with Game 3 at Queen's Park Arena.
It wasn't because New West started slowly. The visitors, who won Game 1 of the series 9-7 last Friday, got ahead quickly with a pair of goals within 46 seconds, as Kevin Crowley and Connor Robinson gave the 'Bellies a 2-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old. Joe McCready added to that at 15:24 of the first, as it appeared momentum from Game 1 had carried over.
But in the span of a solar eclipse, Victoria responded with a flurry that set the tone for the rest of the night and blocked out New West's sunny start.
The Shamrocks got goals from Joe Resetarits, Evan Messenger and Rhys Duch in just 1:35 -- with Resetarits' powerplay tally coming just 54 seconds after McCready's marker -- to tie the game. Corey Small then made it 5-3 with a pair of tallies in the final minute of the first.
He completed the hat trick just 1:07 into the middle frame to make it 6-3, and was followed Steven Priolo, who made it 7-3 less than a minute later. All told, Victoria scored eight straight goals before New West got back on the scoresheet, when Logan Schuss ended the drought in the second period with a powerplay effort.
In the third, it was less as explosive but a similar story, as the Shamrocks outscored the 'Bellies 3-1. McCready collected his second of the night.
Victoria outshot the visitors 50-46, with Aaron Bold kicking out 41 shots.
Game 3 goes Tuesday in New Westminster, while the fourth game will be played Friday in Victoria. Game 5 goes Sunday (Aug. 27) at Queen's Park Arena, while a sixth game, if necessary, would be in Victoria on Aug. 29. If the series goes to seven games, it will be decided on Sept. 1 at Queen's Park. All games start at 6 p.m.
