The New Westminster Salmonbellies scored the first five goals and the Port Coquitlam Saints never recovered as they lost their BC Junior A Lacrosse League game, 10-6, at Queen’s Park Arena on Tuesday.
The loss was the Saints’ second in a row after a modest four-game winning streak put them in a position to challenge for fourth place. They’re now four points behind the Victoria Shamrocks, but PoCo still has two games in hand.
The first-period barrage put an early dagger in the Saints’ hopes to gain ground in the standings. Connor Frost finally ended the deluge when he converted a setup by Mickey Fitzpatrick and beat New West keeper Erik Kratz. But the reprieve lasted all of 15 seconds when Dalton Lupus restored the ‘Bellies five-goal margin. Fitzpatrick scored a goal of his own with just under two minutes to play to send the Saints to the dressing room down 6-2.
New West went up 7-2 when Connor Robinson scored his third goal of the game. But then a three-goal run by PoCo got the visitors to 7-5. Two of those goals were by Fitzpatrick, who also set up Dylan Foulds on the other.
Robinson’s fourth goal with a minute before the break put New West back up by three. But less than two minutes into the third period Frost sent a chill into the hosts when he scored to again narrow the margin to two.
The Salmonbellies, who’ve lost only once this season, weren’t phased. Erik Maas, and Larson Sundown each scored power play goals to seal their tenth win and move them into a tie for first place with the Coquitlam Adanacs. Each team has played 11 games.
Fitzpatrick finished the night with five points lead the Saints’ offence. Foulds added two assists to his goal.
The Saints host the Delta Islanders Friday, 8p.m. at the PoCo rec centre.
Adanacs swamp Islanders
Keenan Koswin had a 10-point night and Dennon Armstrong and Thomas Semple each pitched in with eight points to lead the Coquitlam Adanacs to a 24-7 pounding of the Delta Islanders Wednesday at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
Koswin’s effort included four goals, including two of the eight the Adanacs scored in the first period. The Islanders only scored once in reply.
The pasting continued into the second frame and less than five minutes in, Coquitlam was leading the visitors 14-1. By the end of the period they were up by 15 goals, 19-4.
The Adanacs fired 66 shots at beleaguered Delta goaltenders Roman Rose and Matt Hills. Coquitlam keepers Christian Del Bianco and Nate Faccin faced only 33 in reply.
