Redemption for Eagles as team soars to second title in three years

The Shooting Eagles are the 2025 Arena Lacrosse League West champions following a 12-11 victory on April 6 at Langley Events Centre. Ryan Molag photo

The Shooting Eagles had waited a year for this moment. After falling short in the 2024 Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) West Finals, they returned with a singular mission: redemption.

And redemption is exactly what they got this past weekend at Langley Events Centre.

After a dominant 12-8 win on Saturday to open the series, the Eagles held off a late charge from the Black Fish in a thrilling 12-11 victory on Sunday to secure their second championship title in the last three seasons. For the Eagles, this victory was more than just another title—it was the sweet taste of revenge against the very team that denied them the year before.

“It was personal,” said Mark Yingling, who was named first star in both games.

“Last year sucked, and we took it personally. So, we came back stronger, harder, and got the job done.”

Yingling was undoubtedly the star of the weekend, showcasing his all-around brilliance with a hat trick and six points in Game 1, followed by two goals and five points in the title-clinching Game 2.

For Shooting Eagles’ coach Adam Smith, this victory was the culmination of months of preparation and reflection. After a disappointing finish to the 2024 season, the message to his team was clear: be ready for the championship weekend.

“We didn’t perform well at the end of last season,” said Smith. “Since the start of this year, we’ve been preparing for this moment. We’ve been focused on making sure we’re ready for the last weekend of the season, and we did just that.”

The Eagles finished the regular season with a league-best 11-3 record, leading the league in both goals scored and allowing the least goals against amongst the four teams. But the real test would come in the Finals, and the Eagles were determined to be more than just a regular-season powerhouse, they were focused on finishing the job.

In both games, the Eagles wasted no time, opening the scoring in the first minute of each game and never trailing. In fact, over the course of the weekend, the Eagles led for all but 5:28 of the 120 minutes of lacrosse.

“Last year, we weren’t ready. This time, we were dialed in. We stressed focus, and nothing wavered. We came in prepared, and it showed,” said captain Coady Adamson.

Game 2, the clinching match, saw the Eagles jump out to an early 3-1 lead before the Black Fish fought back. The Fish scored two quick goals late in the first quarter, tying the game after one quarter. But in the second quarter, the Eagles responded with four unanswered goals, taking a 7-3 lead into the locker room, and holding a multi-goal advantage all the way until the final minute when the Black Fish battled back to make it a one-goal lead with 58 seconds to play.

A final defensive stand held the Fish at bay as they were unable to get a shot on goal, and when the final whistle blew, the Eagles had secured the 12-11 victory and the championship.

For Smith, the message to his team in the final minute was simple: stay calm and finish the job.

“They got two goals off us being unsettled,” Smith explained. “We just needed to calm down and play our game.”

As for the Black Fish, coach Rod Jensen acknowledged that falling behind early was too much of a challenge to overcome. “It’s tough when you’re chasing the game against a team of that caliber,” he said. “But I’m proud of our guys for fighting back and giving ourselves a shot to tie it up at the end. That’s all you can ask for.”

Game Stats

In the clinching Game 2, the Eagles had several players step up offensively. Dylan Lacroix and Garret Winter each contributed two goals and two assists, while Ben Musso and Declan Fitzpatrick added a goal and an assist. Other goal scorers included Jake Young, Tysen Nielsen, Isaac Richmond, and Rhys Blake.

On the other side, Rhys Porteous was the standout for the Black Fish, recording four goals and an assist. Chase McIntyre added five assists, and Brian Gillis (2-3) and Laszlo Henning (2-1) both scored twice.

Brandon Humphrey made 44 saves on 56 shots in Game 2 while his counterpart, Brody Harris made 30 saves on 41 shots on the heels of a 44-save performance in Game 1. Harris finished with a .796 save percentage in the finals for the Shooting Eagles.

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