The New Westminster Jr. Salmonbellies will finish second in the 2017 B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League season and will likely play the Port Coquitlam Saints in the semifinal.
The ’Bellies finished out the campaign with a 14-9 victory over the Burnaby Lakers at Bill Copeland Arena on Sunday. Before Wednesday’s action, New West (16-5-0) was the only team to have already completed its season. The Coquitlam Adanacs will finish first. They were 19-1-0 prior to their game against the Delta Islanders (4-15-0) and are riding a 17-game win streak.
The Salmonbellies will play the third-place team in the semifinals. The Port Coquitlam Saints (12-8-0) hold down that spot, two points ahead of Langley (11-9-0) and Victoria (11-9-0) with all three teams having a game remaining. The fourth- and fifth-place teams will play a wild card game to determine who will face the A’s.
In Burnaby, Carter Dickson fired four goals, including two in the first period when the Salmonbellies jumped out to a 6-3 lead. He also picked up an assist. Nick Chaykowsky had the hot stick points-wise with two goals and five assists while Connor Robinson had a goal and five assists.
Preston Lupul scored twice with singles going to Carter Jensen, Taylor Jensen, Larson Sundown, Jayden Campbell and Jordan Mckenzie.
In a potential preview of the league final last Friday, the Adanacs scored the only two goals of overtime, both shorthanded, to defeat the Salmonbellies 11-9. A late charge forced the extra frame when New Westminster outscored Coquitlam 4-1 in the third period including markers by Jeremy Bosher and Robinson in the last 35 seconds with an extra attacker and the New West net empty.
It was Robinson’s fifth goal of the game to go along with an assist. Bosher also had three helpers. Taylor Jensen had two goals and Chaykowsky one.
