Not everyone gets a second chance in life, but the New Westminster Salmonbellies mean to make the best of their new opportunity.
The junior A Salmonbellies lost the B.C. Junior Lacrosse League banner to the defending champion Coquitlam Adanacs following a 15-11 best-of-five final game at the Coquitlam Sports Centre on Sunday.
The loss, while painful, was not the end of the line for the 'Bellies, who qualified for the upcoming Minto Cup, hosted at Queen's Park Arena from Aug. 17 to 26, by virtue of their earlier semifinal series win over Langley. "Disappointment is the word," said first-year New Westie Alex Bohl. "A lot of us thought everyone considered us the underdog, but (we) showed major character."
Although that team fortitude was not enough to take the club one period further after a gallant rally that tied the final game 8-8 on Sunday, Bohl said the six-goal comeback showed everyone what the Salmonbellies are made of.
"We showed we're not going down without a fight," said Bohl, who came west this season after playing two seasons of junior B lacrosse with Newmarket in the Ontario league. "We're going to come harder and even stronger. Prepare for a new New Westminster team, that's for sure."
Some in attendance might rightly have felt they had just witnessed a new Salmonbellies squad after last week's turnaround 14-9 win in Coquitlam.
Followed up with a 9-6 victory over the A's on the strength of a strong four-goal third period that knotted the series at two games apiece at Queen's
Park on Aug. 9, and New West erased any lingering doubt that they might not be Coquitlam's equal.
"We feel we're right there. Winning games 3 and 4, we showed we're capable of coming back," said Salmonbellies head coach Dan Perreault. "Tonight was not our best game."
Regardless, New West made a game of it, despite falling behind 4-0 in the opening period and trailing 7-2 just minutes into the middle frame.
Brendan Ranford, known arguably more for his scoring talents in the Western Hockey League with the Kamloops Blazer, was a key contributor to New West's miracle midgame rally.
Ranford sparked the comeback with an unassisted breakaway goal off a loose ball at 7:15.
Three minutes later, he scored his second of the period to close the deficit to 8-5. Then off the ensuing faceoff, Ranford set up teammate
Luke Gillespie for another counter that sent Coquitlam starter Davide DiRuscio to the bench in favour of back up Peter Dubenski.
Eli McLaughlin got another goal back with a quick move in close on assists from Anthony Malcom and Ranford.
Justin Goodwin completed the comeback on a breakaway pass from goale Ross Bowman.
But to start the third period, Coquitlam stole back that momentum swing with three quick strikes before New West began to claw its way back again.
McLaughlin brought the deficit to 12-11 with his second goal of the game, assisted by both Malcom and Quinn Smith, with their third points of the period.
Under intense pressure from the 'Bellies, Dubenski might have stolen back the advantage following four huge saves one after another at the 14-minute mark.
"They responded well, and I knew they would," said Perreault. "That easily could have been a 12-12 game."
But playoff MVP Steven Neufeld countered with his hat-trick goal, and Coquitlam captain Tyler Garrison added a pair of empty-netters to give the A's their fifth playoff banner.
Bowman stopped 40 shots in the New West net.
Malcom led his team with six points, while Cody Nass also potted a pair of goals.
"Our heads are high, and we'll come back and show them what we're made of," said Bohl.
Perreault was equally undaunted with the loss.
"We didn't win this final game, but we're very confident," he said. "It's a matter of being consistent. They play their lives for a chance like this."
In the Ontario final, the Whitby Warriors came back in each of the three periods to defeat the Six Nations Arrows 9-8 in Game 7 of their best-of-seven final on Sunday.
Okotoks will represent Alberta at the Minto Cup.
The Minto will kickoff at Queen's Park Arena on Saturday, with New West versus Whitby at 5 p.m. [email protected]
Lisa King, The Record / Character guy: New Westminster Salmonbellies' Brendan Ranford, in white, led a second-period comeback in Game 5 of the B.C. Junior Lacrosse League playoff final against Coquitlam. The Adanacs won the series 3-2.;
