The Coquitlam Adanacs broke a 2-2 tie with just over five minutes left in the first period of Friday's fifth game of their BC Junior A Lacrosse League final against the New Westminster Salmonbellies and never looked back.
In fact they scored the 11 goals and won the game 13-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. It was also the first time in the series the home team won. The Adanacs can clinch the league title, and a berth in the Minto Cup national championship with a win Sunday in New Westminster’s Queen’s Park Arena, where they’ve already scored two decisive victories in the final.
Coquitlam’s John Hofseth opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex. But exactly three minutes later, the Salmonbellies pulled even when Ryan Jones beat Adanacs’ keeper Christian Del Bianco.
Will Clayton reclaimed the lead for the Adanacs and then it was Jones again who tied it. And that was as good as it got for New West, because 30 seconds later Chase Scanlan put Coquitlam in front to stay. The rest was just icing.
Larson Sundown led the Adanacs’ attack with four goals and three assists, while Scanlan counted a hat trick and a pair of helpers. Coquitlam outshot the visitors 51-31.
With the score already out of hand in the third period the game soon followed as a major melee midway through the final frame saw eight players ejected for fighting.
Game six of the series, to be played at Queen’s Park Arena, begins at 5 p.m. Sunday. If the Salmonbellies are able to force a seventh game, it will be played Tuesday at Poirier.
