Briana Shymanski/Rocky View Publishing

Rockyview Silvertips captain Jacob Taggart calls for a pass from a teammate in the team's final game of the season. The 'Tips lost 20-9 to the Red Deer Rampage, July 14.

view all photos (-count-)

Loss to Rampage ends Silvertips' season

It wasn’t a pretty end to the regular season for the Rockyview Silvertips Jr. B lacrosse team, but the players left the floor with their heads held high.

The Silvertips lost their regular season finale 20-9 to the Red Deer Rampage, July 14, at the Pete Knight Arena in Crossfield bringing an end to their campaign as they will not advance to the postseason. The Silvertips finished the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL) season with a 2-18 record.

“I thought we showed a lot of maturity,” said Silvertips captain Taggart Jacob.

“It shows our overall progress. I enjoyed our second period. We actually won that period in terms of goals, so that was something I was quite proud of. We proved to ourselves that we can compete and play at this level.”

It has been a trying season for the Silvertips. The team played five games before it recorded its first win of the year, only to follow it up with another losing streak. Its second win came nearly a month later, but the momentum didn’t last long, as the team finished the season with six consecutive losses. For most of the season, the team played with only eight to 10 players. Only in the final games of the season did the team take to the floor with a roster matching its opponent’s.

Playing short-handed was a foreign situation, not only for the team but for Jacob as well. This season was the 20-year-old’s fourth with the team and his second as captain.

“This year, (we) had to deal a lot more with a lack of guys, which is kind of new and unheard of in this league,” he said. “Most teams don’t have a problem finding guys (to play). There were many games where we were right with teams heading into the third period. We just couldn’t pull through due to a lack of runners.”

Jacob grew up in Airdrie and played minor lacrosse with the Rocky View Rage. While he was the one wearing the ‘C’ all season for the team, he said the leadership duties weren’t all placed on him. He credited a number of other players on the team who stepped up and helped lead the it through the tough games.

“I saw a lot of good leadership,” he said. “As a group, we were a lot younger. It was quite helpful that a lot of (the players) exhibited natural leadership abilities. Probably the best part was the rookies that came in and stepped up to the plate. They did a great job of sticking to it and committing. It’s not only going to help those individuals next season, but also the team.”

Jacob is eligible to return to the Silvertips next season, but whether he does or not is still up in the air. He is considering trying out for a Junior A lacrosse team in Nanaimo, B.C., a move suggested by his coach, Gord Henry.

“I want to explore that option,” he said.

“It would be pretty cool to put on your resume that you took your sport to that extent.”