The New Westminster Salmonbellies have booked a spot in the Western Lacrosse Association playoffs. They just don’t know what spot it will be.
The ’Bellies clinched a post-season berth by defeating the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs 14-5 at Queen’s Park Arena on Thursday.
That gives New West a 9-6-1 record and puts the in third place, two ahead of Burnaby (8-5-1) although the Lakers have played two fewer games. The Salmonbellies’ 19 points puts them out of reach of the fifth-place Nanaimo Timbermen (5-9-1) and Coquitlam (5-9-0) heading into the final days of the 2017 WLA season.
The Maple Ridge Burrards (11-5-0) lead the league in points with 22, one more than Victoria (10-4-1), but the Shamrocks have a game in hand. The ’Rocks are two points in front of the Salmonbellies.
New Westminster finishes its regular season by making another Sunday evening visit to Maple Ridge, having beaten the Burrards 15-5 last Sunday (July 16), and then by playing host to the Shamrocks on Thursday (July 27, 7 p.m.). Victoria and Burnaby face off at Bill Copeland Arena today (July 21) and next Friday in the capital city.
Thursday night, the Salmonbellies weren’t about to let the Adanacs get a sniff of a playoff spot jumping out to an 8-1 lead just 11 seconds into the second period. They unleashed 20 shots in the first period while allowing the A’s only 10.
Mitch Jones was on fire with four goals and two assists while Brandon Goodwin had a hat trick. Logan Schuss also had a six-point performance with a goal and five assists, Other New West goal scorers were Curtis Hodgson, Nathan Stewart, Kevin Crowley, Mike Messenger, Joel McCready and Zach Herreweyers.
Alex Buque made 33 saves in the New West net.
