The Coquitlam Adanacs have some bad news and good news heading into Tuesday’s fourth game of their BC Junior A Lacrosse League final series against the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
The bad news is: they’re trailing the Salmonbellies in the best-of-seven final two games to one after dropping both their games over the weekend.
The good news is: tomorrow night’s game is at New Westminster’s Queen’s Park Arena and the visiting team has won every game in the series so far.
Coquitlam will need to continue that pattern if they’re to square the final after the Salmonbellies’ Ryan Jones scored the game-winner with 3:06 left to play in Sunday’s third game at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre to take a 7-6 win and the series’ advantage. The visiting Bellies also beat the Adanacs in Coquitlam in last Friday’s second game, 6-4 after Coquitlam had opened the series last Wednesday with a 9-3 win in New West.
Sunday, the Salmonbellies built a 4-2 lead late in the first period but Larson Sundown and Chase Scanlan scored in the last 1:05 to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the break.
Tre Leclair put the visitors back in front with a shorthanded goal just over a minute into the second period, then Jones restored New West’s two-goal advantage shortly after the frame’s midway point.
Again, Coquitlam battled back.
Former Salmonbellie Larson Sundown made it 6-5 after five minutes had been played in the third period then Ryland Rees tied it 35 seconds later.
That set the table for Jones’ winner, which was also his third goal of the night.
Just as on the scoreboard, there wasn’t much to choose between the two rivals on the shot clock either, as New West held a slim advantage there as well, 43-42.
Sundown’s three points, which included a pair of goals, led the Adanacs’ attack in which 13 players registered at least a point.
Jones added a couple of assists to his three goals to lead all New West scorers.
Friday, New West had a 5-2 lead early in the third period and hung on for the 6-4 victory, after Chase Scanlan scored a pair of goals late in the game to get the home team to within a goal. But Tre Leclaire snuffed any hope of overtime when he scored an insurance goal into Coquitlam’s empty net with three seconds left in regulation time.
The Salmonbellies led the game 3-1 after the first period on goals by Will Malcolm, Charlie Kurtenback and Cam Garlin. Scanlan, with his first of all four Coquitam’s goals, replied for the Adanacs.
Nathaniel Kozevnikov extended New West’s lead to 4-1 just over seven minutes into the second period, but Scanlan got that back on the power play, converting the set up from Dylan Foulds and Dennon Armstrong.
Malcolm’s second goal of the game extended New West’s lead to 5-2 before five minutes had been played in the third period.
Scanlan’s four goals was Coquitlam’s offence, while John Hofseth contributed three assists. The Adanacs fired 33 shots at New West’s keeper, Erik Kratz. The Adanacs’ Christian Del Bianco faced 46 shots.
Tuesday's game at Queen's Park Arena begins at 8 p.m.
Game five of the series will be played Friday, 7:30 p.m., at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.
