The Port Coquitlam Saints spotted the visiting Victoria Shamrocks a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into their BC Junior A Lacrosse League season opener, then scored the next seven goals in a row to a romp to an 11-5 win Sunday at the PoCo rec centre.
After Ben Preston scored a power play goal for the visitors 1:11 into the game, the Saints wrested control when they scored three times in less than a minute-and-a-half. Jacob Patterson tied it with a power play goal of his own with just over eight minutes left in first period. Then, 34 seconds later, Ty Goff put the Saints in front with an unassisted goal and 44 seconds after that Patterson scored again, from Justin Digby and Junior B call-up Jaden Labranche.
Connor Frost scored with 2:14 left in the first period to give the Saints a 4-1 advantage heading into the second, then ballooned that to 7-1 before the frame was half over, including goals by Garrett Winter and Daylan Kellough 11 seconds apart.
The Shamrocks got three of those back to get as close as 7-4 midway through the third period, but the Saints answered with three of their own, including Patterson’s third goal of the game followed nine seconds later by Goff’s second.
Victoria’s Skyler Wilson and PoCo call-up Evan Wray rounded out the scoring.
Saints’ goalies Cam Overby and Diesel Deguzman stopped 31 of the 36 shots they faced, while their teammates fired 66 shots at Victoria keeper Cameron Dunkerley.
The Saints play the Delta Islanders Saturday at the Ladner Leisure Centre then return to the PoCo rec centre to host the Nanaimo Timbermen on Sunday. Game time is 5 p.m.
The Coquitlam Jr. Adanacs begin their season in Victoria on Saturday against the Shamrocks. They'll play their first home game at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex next Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., against the Langley Thunder.
