The Stony Brook connection sunk the Maple Ridge Burrards Thursday night at Queen's Park Arena.
The New Westminster Salmonbellies finished off the Burrards 8-5 in Game 5 of their playoff series, taking the series 4-1.
The 'Bellies were led by first star Jordan McBride and second star Kevin Crowley, who each finished with a goal and four assists. The two have a unique rapport together, having played their college lacrosse together on Long Island, New York for the Stony Brook Seawolves.
The 'Bellies got off to a slow start at home, giving up the first three goals to Maple Ridge - Riley Loewen, Aaron Pascas and Curtis Dickson beat Tyler Richards in a four-minute stretch midway through the period - before Jeff Zywicki got a pivotal marker with only 15 seconds left in the first period.
New Westminster then came out like a house on fire in the second period, scoring another four goals - Sean Robinson, Cliff Smith and McBride on the power play and Martin Cummings - in the first 11 minutes of the second before Loewen's pair of goals in an 81-second stretch knotted the game at 5-5 with only four minutes left in the second.
That's when the Seawolves bit the Burrards for the killing blow, as McBride fed Crowley, who fired it high over Maple Ridge goalie Drew Dickie for the eventual game-winner at 18:30 of the second. Making McBride's accomplishment even more impressive was he garnered all five of his points in the second period.
Smith and Zywicki both got their second goals of the game in the third period to put the game away and punch the 'Bellies ticket to the WLA Final against the Langley Thunder, who had previously advanced with a four-game sweep of the Victoria Shamrocks.
McBride complimented the Burrards for a close, tough series.
"Maple Ridge came out strong. Yeah, they had a lot of fight in them," McBride said afterwards. "It sets the stage for the next series. We know Langley is a good team. We have to be ready to come out and play 'Bellie ball."
The Burrards were led by Loewen's hat trick and a four-point effort from Curtis Dickson.
The WLA Final is tentatively scheduled to start at Queen's Park Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
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