New Westminster’s 13th straight win wasn’t the prettiest, but the junior ’Bellies will take it.
The junior A league leaders defeated the Burnaby Lakers 12-5 at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre despite outshooting the home team by more than three to one.
Johnny Pearson led the Salmonbellies with two goals, including his 41st of the season, in a five-point outing.
Nathan Stewart also garnered a hat trick for the winners.
“With a game like that you think of things you can do better,” said Pearson, who solidified his place in fourth position in overall B.C. Junior Lacrosse League scoring with 79 total points.
The juniors will have to do better tonight when they meet the second-place Coquitlam Adanacs for a third and final time in the regular season.
“For us, we have to treat it as a playoff game,” said the 6-4 lefthander, “come out prepared and carry on our momentum.”
In Burnaby, New West gradually shook off the plucky Lakers, who were missing four key players from their starting lineup.
New West led 4-3 after one period, despite raining 29 shots on goal on Burnaby’s David Mather, who made 56 stops and has a respectable 78.19 save percentage for the 4-14-1 junior Lakers.
Ross Bowman and newly acquired St. Catharines, Ont. product Eric Penney shared the goalkeeping duties for New West.
Penney came on midway through the second period and made 21 stops the rest of the way, allowing a pair of goals.
League scoring leader Connor Robinson moved to within a single point of a scoring century with a three-point night, while Josh Byrne and Anthony Malcom both chipped in with four-point efforts.
Brett Dobray made his Salmonbellie debut, scoring a goal and adding two assists.
Burnaby captain and New Westminster product Peyton Lupul said the junior Lakers’ resurgent season has made the club feel like a family again.
“It needed to be done,” said Lupul, who was one of the injured players not in the lineup Sunday. “The difference is we have a lot more of the guys who want to play and not just go through the motions.”
But with New West gearing up for the post-season push, the Lakers managed just 22 shots on goal on the Salmonbellie keepers.
Although New West has all but wrapped up top spot in the eight-team loop and has already won the season series against Coquitlam, Pearson calls Wednesday’s final meeting with the Adanacs “critical”.
“Everything we’ve been working towards will be what we carry forward into the playoffs,” he said. “Everyone has a role and if everyone plays their role we’ll be successful.”
The junior ’Bellies take on the Adanacs at the Coquitlam Sports Centre today (Wednesday), beginning at 7:30 p.m.
