Every game could be the last for a core group of eight junior New Westminster Salmonbellies.
New West dropped Game 4 of its best-of-seven B.C. Junior Lacrosse League playoff final series 9-6 to the Coquitlam Adanacs on Wednesday.
The loss gave the defending Minto Cup champion Adanacs a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 was rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 13 in Coquitlam at 8 p.m.
"Lacrosse is my life right now," said New Westminster defender and key faceoff man Jordan Catton, who gave the Salmonbellies their only lead of the game midway through the middle period. "I still think we can do it even though we're three games down. We're grinding and giving everthing we have, and every other player on this team is doing the same thing."
Catton, one of eight homegrown talents who have been playing together since their preteen days, tallied the 5-4 go-ahead goal on an unassisted breakaway, more than a minute after defender Kyle Robinson scored his second counter of the game on a solo shorthanded effort.
The markers underline the solid contribution the 'Bellie backline is making in New Westminster's brave struggle to unseat the No. 1 junior A team in the country.
"We're keeping them down to eight goals. Our offence is not just the top seven players out of the gate, it's transition, too. Loose balls are our bread and butter," Catton said.
New West fell behind 3-1 in the opening stanza but got back on even terms on backto-back goals from Justin Salt.
Coquitlam's Ben McIntosh, the hero of Game 3, gave the visitors an early 4-3 lead in the opening minute of the second period. But Robinson's clever interception and timely goal in front of the Adanacs' net knotted the score at fours.
Later, David Joyce closed out the period with the go-ahead goal on a two-on-one break.
But the Salmonbellies were not done. Reagan Harding tied the game for a fifth time on assists from Catton and another of the Royal City eight, Daniel McQuade.
Coquitlam's Brandon Bertoia got the game-winner minutes later. Kevin Neufeld finished off the Adanacs' scoring with a shot the length of the floor into an empty New Westminster net.
Despite the daunting task of having to win the next three games, Catton said there is a calmness in the 'Bellies dressing room.
"We can do this. We have to do this. I have a lot of confidence we can do this," he said. "I don't want it to end. It's very unlikely we'll ever play together again."
