The BC Junior A Lacrosse League semifinal series between the Coquitlam Adanacs and Nanaimo Timbermen is now down to a best-of-three.
The Adanacs and Timbermen split a pair of games in Nanaimo on the weekend and each team now has two victories and two losses in their best-of-seven series. After Coquitlam reclaimed home floor advantage with a 10-9 victory on Saturday at Frank Crane Arena, Nanaimo rebounded with a 10-5 win on Sunday.
Coquitlam’s Thomas Semple opened the scoring just 24 seconds into Sunday’s game and the Adanacs had a 2-1 lead after 11 minutes had been played. But Nanaimo tied it 21 seconds later on a power play goal by Thomas Vaesen and then the wheels truly fell off for the visitors as they surrendered seven more goals before Semple stanched the onslaught early in the third period with his second goal of the game. Haiden Dickson, Ethan Ticehurst and Jalen Chaster also scored for Coquitlam, who outshot the host team, 55-38.
Saturday, the Adanacs also had a huge advantage on the shot clock, 62-43, but it took a late goal by Dickson in the final minute of regulation time for the defending Minto Cup champions to steal the 10-9 win. He finished the game with two goals and a pair of assists, while Dennon Armstrong had four goals and two helpers to lead Coquitlam’s attack.
Game five of the series will be played Friday, 6:30 p.m., at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, and game six will be played the next day in Nanaimo at noon. If a seventh game is required, it’s scheduled for Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at Poirier.
The winner will advance to the BCJALL best-of-five final against either the Victoria Shamrocks or New Westminster Salmonbellies. Their semifinal is also tied at two games apiece.
Both teams in the league final are guaranteed a berth in this year’s Minto Cup national championship, which will be played Aug. 15 to 26 at the Langley Events Centre.
Senior Adanacs thumped by Burrards
The last place team in the Western Lacrosse Association standings met the team tied for first place on Saturday, and the result was as expected.
The Maple Ridge Burrards, whose 22 points have earned them a share atop the league table with the Victoria Shamrocks, defeated the Coquitlam Adanacs 11-2 at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex. It was the Adanacs’ 14th loss in 17 games.
The Burrards’ Ben McIntosh had a hat trick before the game was five minutes old and his team was ahead 5-0, 6:10 into the first period. While Coquitlam’s Matt Symes got one of those goals back before the intermission, Maple Ridge extended their lead to 8-2 by the end of the second frame.
Tom Johnson got the Adanacs’ second goal, on a power play, as the Burrards’ Dylan Chand served a two-minute penalty for tripping. McIntosh finished the game with four goals and two assists for the Burrards, who outshot the home team 51-33.
The Adanacs close out the regular season Saturday when they host Victoria, 7 p.m., at Poirier.
