Justin Goodwin's goal 2:17 into the third period stood up as the winner, lifting the New Westminster Salmonbellies past the Victoria Shamrocks 9-7 in Game 1 of the Western Lacrosse Association final.
It was a game where the referees rarely needed their whistles, calling just four minor penalties. But there was plenty of tension to go around.
After a wild second period, where the two teams counted nine goals between them and took turns with the lead, the No. 3-seed Salmonbellies effectively clamped down on Victoria's attack and received another strong outing from netminder Alexis Buque.
New West junior stickman Connor Robinson, playing his sixth game of the senior A playoffs, scored two key goals and Mitch Jones continued to untangle the twine for the home team, picking up a hat trick.
Robinson's first marker came halfway through the second period to tie the game 4-4, after Victoria had counted four straight to take its first lead of the game. The visitors, who finished fourth during the regular season but upended Burnaby 4-3 in its semifinal series, retook the lead just 1:37 after Robinson scored, but Jones bulldozed his way in for a pair of tallies 14 seconds apart to make it 6-5 for New West.
Evan Messenger notched his second of the period to draw Victoria even once more, but Robinson restored the one-goal margin with five minutes left in the middle period to cap a rapid scoring blitz. All in all, the scoring flurry between the two squads totalled five goals in a span of 2:21.
It set the stage for Goodwin's goal early in the final frame, as Buque and the 'Bellies defence kept the 'Rocks off the scoresheet for the first 17 minutes of the third. Logan Schuss provided an extra cushion with a powerplay goal at 16:43, before Victoria's Rhys Duch counted his second of the night with three minutes left. Duch had missed the entire Burnaby series due to injury, and his inclusion into the lineup was a huge boost for the Islanders, who were without sniper Joe Resetarits. Both squads entered the final after surviving hectic seven-game marathons in the first round.
Zach Herreweyers and Jones had opened the scoring in the first to give New West a brief 2-0 lead. MIke Donaldson netted the team's other goal.
Aaron Bold faced 56 New West shots, while Buque finished with 40 saves and the win.
Jones continues to lead all scorers in the postseason with 21 goals and 37 points over eight playoff games.
Game 2 of the series takes the teams to Victoria on Saturday, while Game 3 returns to Queen's Park Arena on Tuesday. Game 4 goes next Friday in Victoria, and a fifth game, if necessary, would be played Aug. 27 in New West. Games 6 and 7 would follow on Aug. 29 and Sept. 1, if required. All games start at 6 p.m.
