It's quickly becoming apparent -- for the few who couldn't see it coming from a mile away -- that the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League final has evolved into an old fashion showdown.
Shaking off just their second loss of the season, the Coquitlam Adanacs rallied with two late goals to edge the New Westminster Salmonbellies 5-4, taking a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven championship final.
Coquitlam got two goals from Colorado native Colin Munro and a single by Dennon Armstrong to lead 3-0 before the three-minute mark of the second period. The pendulum began to swing the other way when the 'Bellies' Larson Sundown and Jeremy Bosher cashed in goals 1:03 apart midway through the second. New West maintained that momentum and grabbed a 4-3 lead on goals in the third period from Sundown and Connor Robinson.
But resilient to the end, the Adanacs weathered that storm and drew even when Reid Bowering beat Erik Kratz with 2:52 on the clock. Just 24 seconds later, Coquitlam got the winner from Angelo Pontellini.
Kratz face 53 shots on the night, while New West fired 48 at the A's Christian Del Bianco.
New West now trails the defending Minto Cup champions 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, needing a win to avoid elimination. Game 5 goes Monday, 7:30 p.m. at the Poirier Sports Centre.
