Dennon Armstrong scored six goals and added an assist to lead the Coquitlam Adanacs to a 17-10 win over the Langley Thunder in their BC Junior A Lacrosse League home opener at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex on Wednesday.
Armstrong had his first of the two hat tricks by the time the first period was just over half over. In fact, he scored those three goals on the power play within 1:05 of each other, to give the Adanacs a quick 4-0 lead after Kyle Nichols had opened the scoring.
But the Thunder stormed back with four straight goals of their own to get them back on even terms with 42 seconds left in the first period.
Gabe Procyk scored for Coquitlam with just a second left on the clock to restore their lead heading into the second period.
The advantage didn’t last.
Langley’s Nathan Mckeigan tied it up again just 36 seconds after the break. Then goals by Nathaniel Kozevnikov and Mckeigan put the Thunder up by two midway through the game.
But their lead was short-lived as well.
Goals by Armstrong — his fourth — and Gabe Procyk, less than a minute apart tied it, then two more by Tyler Kralj and Anthony Buono just 22 seconds apart gave the home team the lead again.
Kozevnikov got one of those back for the Thunder, but a run of six straight goals by the Adanacs sealed their fate.
In addition to Armstrong’s prolific night, Jalen Chaster netted a pair of goals as well as three assists, while Procyk, Jeremy Basic and midget call-up Luca Antongiovani each counted four points for the Adanacs.
Coquitlam keeper Nate Faccin stopped 34 of the 44 shots he faced, while his teammates fired 52 shots at Langley netminders Braden Washington and Riley Richardson.
The win puts the Adanacs even with the Port Coquitlam Saints; each team as four points although the Saints have played one more game. The two teams meet Friday at 8 p.m. at the PoCo rec centre.
