An untimely injury may have cost the New Westminster Salmonbellies a peewee A1 provincial title.
The peewee 'Bellies settled for a bronze medal following an 11-6 win over Juan de Fuca in the bronzemedal final at Civic Arena in Vernon on Sunday.
First team all-star Nicholas Hannay earned New West's game star in the final game.
First-year goalie Johnny Edin was back in the net after missing Game 3 with an injury picked up midway through a 7-6 overtime loss to eventual runner-up Ridge Meadows on Friday.
Runner Connor Pattison stepped in for the injured Edin the following day and played well in his first-ever game in goal.
New Westminster lost that game 7-2 to eventu-al provincial champion Coquitlam.
"We just couldn't pull it out. Who knows what would have happened if (Edin) was in goal for the third game," said Fairplay award New West coach Scott Hannay.
The peewee 'Bellies also won the overall most sporting team award at the provincials.
Erik Maas was named the team's player of the game in an opening day 94 win over Juan de Fuca.
Edin was player of the game in the overtime loss to Ridge Meadows.
Will Malcom was New West's top player against Coquitlam.
In the fun Warrior Trix with Stix competiton on Thursday night, Johnny Purdie of New Westminster placed second overall.
A week earlier, the same New Westminster peewee A1 team won a silver medal at the Canada Day tournament in Calgary.
In the 11-to-12 divisional final, New West dropped a 5-3 decision to Kitchener-Waterloo in what is billed as the biggest minor lacrosse tournament in the world.
In related news, Malcom, Maas and Hannay will not be putting away their lacrosse sticks just yet.
The three New Westminster peewee play-ers will be joining Team B.C. at the Commissioner's national championships in Whitby, Ont., which runs from July 31 through Aug. 6.
Two New Westminster teams, bantam A1 and B, will be taking part at the bantam provincials in Victoria, beginning today (Wednesday).
The championship medal games will take place all day Sunday.
