Port Coquitlam fell just short in their quest for provincial gold at the female minor box lacrosse championships on the weekend.
New Westminster #2 shaded Port Coquitlam Saints 4-3 Sunday to win the midget division at the provincial championships at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex. Brianna Stroup supplied a pair of goals for the Saints, while Elexa Pakozdy chipped in a goal and assist.
"If anybody had said at the beginning of the season I bet you'll be playing for the gold medal, I would have taken that bet," said manager Debbie Berg. "I don't think they could have done anything better. There wasn't one girl who didn't do their absolute 110% best."
Coquitlam Adanacs topped New Westminster #1 6-4 to take the midget division bronze. Harlowe Steele powered the Adanacs offence with three goals and three assists, while Megan Showvar tallied two goals and Bianca Santucci added a single.
"They battled really hard. I was really proud of them," said Adanacs coach James Abbott. "It's tough because you sit for almost a month and then you get into all these intense games. From top to bottom, I thought our players got better and better as the tournament went on."
Port Coquitlam held off Coquitlam 5-4 Saturday night to earn a spot in the finals.
In the bantam division, Ridge Meadows #2 dumped the Port Coquitlam Saints 7-2 in the gold medal game. Cassandra Gill and Kelsey Towers scored for the Saints. Ridge Meadows #1 outlasted Coquitlam 4-1 to claim bronze. Rylee Mackenzie scored the lone Coquitlam goal.
In the semifinals, Ridge Meadows #2 topped Coquitlam 7-3, while Port Coquitlam outlasted the other Ridge Meadows squad 3-2.
New Westminster was the class of the junior division, with the #2 squad blanking their cross-town rivals 6-0 in the finals. Ridge Meadows took bronze by doubling Coquitlam #2 6-3. Sydney Roy scored all three goals for Coquitlam, earning the MVP award in the junior division.
In Saturday's semifinals, New Westminster #2 doubled Ridge Meadows 6-3, While New Westminster #1 polished off Coquitlam #2 11-3.
New Westminster struck gold in the peewee division as well, knocking off Port Coquitlam #1 8-3. Katelyn Walker had a pair of markers for PoCo with Amy Vegh chipping in a single.
Port Coquitlam #2 hammered Coquitlam #1 11-1 for the bronze. Natalie Gane and Molly Schmidt each scored hat tricks for the Saints, while Daniella Stroup added a pair and Alyssa Wahl, Shannon Pilgrim and Taya Schubert supplied singles. Darci Johal replied for Coquitlam.
Port Coquitlam #1 got past Coquitlam #1 5-2 in Saturday's semis, while New Westminster upended Port Coquitlam #2 6-2.
"From an organizational standpoint, it's one of the best provincials I've been to and I've been to a fair amount over the last eight years," said Abbott. "Heather (Wilson-Banks) did a phenomenal job."
Wilson-Banks was presented with the BCLA Volunteer Award.
