The Port Coquitlam Saints, with their back against the wall, made a heroic push against B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League rival New Westminster, before succumbing 13-10 in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series.
And while it’s not the result Saints’ coach Kelly Scott wanted, he said the team’s ascension into the league’s upper tier is a building block he can build on.
“We accomplished where we wanted to finish,” said Scott, whose side overcame an 0-4 start to the season to finish in third place, their highest position in the final standings since 2006.
With the Saints losing only seven players to graduation this off-season, Scott said he’ll put considerable energy into mining local Intermediate and Junior B leagues for quality call-ups who will be able to capably fill the early-season gaps in the lineup left by regulars playing out their collegiate schedules south of the border.
That’s what cost his side earlier this season, Scott said. But once his regulars returned from their school commitments, the Saints were able to finish the regular season with a six-game winning streak that vaulted them into the playoffs.
“It’s always going to be a struggle,” Scott said.
Another big hole he’ll have to fill will be between the pipes, as starting goalie Andrew Gallant is one of the graduating Saints. Scott said he’s confident young Cam Overby, who played more than 300 minutes in his first full season in the BCJALL, is ready to step into the lead role, so he’s on the hunt for a young backup.
“We’ll have to get the goaltending duo we’re confident in,” Scott said.
Tuesday, New Westminster’s Queen’s Park Arena, the Saints grabbed leads of 6-3 and 8-5 but couldn’t stop the high flyin’ Salmonbellies, who counted five straight goals in a wild second period where momentum changed hands like coins at a laundromat.
Underdogs in the series, PoCo jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Keegan Bell, Carson Rees and Daylan Kellough counted goals 1:15 apart early in the first period. But New West replied, tying it early in the second before the Saints went on another three-goal run. Just when it looked like the ‘Bellies were reeling, they responded with a couple of goals to make it a one-goal contest, as the two teams peeled off seven goals in a span of 3:42.
Dylan Foulds’ second of the night, on the heels of captain Sam DeGroot’s marker five minutes into the second period, briefly restored PoCo’s three-goal advantage with 30 minutes to play. New West, however, only needed 2:18 to reverse that trend, as the home team peeled off five quick goals before the period ended.
“When you have leads like that, it’s tough to give them up,” Scott said.
In the third, New West played it close to the vest and countered the Saints’ period-opening tally by Connor Frost with three of their own. Sam Shiel finished PoCo’s season with a goal as time expired.
DeGRoot and Foulds finished with two goals and two assists each, while Keegan Bell, Daylan Kellough, Carson Rees and Ryland Rees counted other goals for the Saints. Greg Lunde collected four assists.
“The guys showed up, they played hard,” Scott said.
New Westminster now goes on to face the victor of the Coquitlam-Victoria semifinal, where the defending Minto Cup champion Adanacs lead 2-0.
