A pair of former New Westminster Salmonbellies played pivotal roles in a lacrosse championship.
Keegan Bal and Richard Lachlan were mainstays with the St. Albert Miners in their pursuit of the Canadian Senior B national lacrosse title, which ended last week in a 12-7 victory for the Alberta-based hosts.
By beating the Kahnawake Mohawks in the final, the Miners claimed its first-ever Presidents Cup title in what was an undefeated season.
And while St. Albert was considered one of the favourites, having dominated their rivals in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League at 20-0-1, the Mohawks had history on their side. The Federation of Quebec Lacrosse representatives had a pair of silver medals and three bronze for their efforts over the past 15 years, while the Miners had only a national bronze to show in their history – registered two years ago in Coquitlam.
Lachlan counted the game’s first goal on just the second shot at 1:27, and followed up with four more on the day. St. Alberts built up an 8-0 lead and held Kahnawake in check when it needed to. The 25 year old was named the player of the game for his six-point performance.
Bal, a New West minor product, scored three times and set up three others and led the eight-team tournament with 36 points – 12 goals and 24 assists – over just five games. The righthander, who played last year with the Vancouver Stealth, was named the tourney’s MVP and a first team all star after pacing the Rocky Mountain circuit with 70 points over 13 games.
Bal is expected to be back in Salmonbellies colours for the 2017 Western Lacrosse Association season.
Lachlan dominated the Alberta circuit in 2016, tallying a league-best 36 goals in 15 games, followed by 15 at the nationals.
“It came down to the players. They poured their hearts out on that floor in front of a sold-out arena that included their family, friends, alumni and fans,” Miners head coach Vay Diep told the St. Albert Gazette.
