The New Westminster Salmonbellies found they’re not quite ready for prime time in the B.C. Junior Lacrosse League.
The junior A Salmonbellies scored first on a game-opening goal by Nathan Stewart but held the lead for a scant four minutes before falling 10-6 to the first-place Coquitlam Adanacs at Queen’s Park Arena on Tuesday.
Chase McIntyre tied the contest and Evan Wortley, with his first of back-to-back markers a minute later, put the visiting A’s into the lead for good.
Coquitlam held a 5-3 lead heading into the second period, before busting the game wide open with five straight goals, including 4-0 middle period, before Brandon Clelland got one back on a penalty kill from Adam Dickson and New West game star Johnny Pearson.
With five minutes left to play and New West trailing 10-4, the game turned ugly as fights broke out and 11 game misconducts were handed out, including one to a Salmonbellie player for leaving the bench to join an altercation.
Pearson tallied New Westminster’s final two scores on a pair of ensuing powerplays to make the score somewhat respectable.
Pearson led all scorers with three goals and two assists. Four Coquitlam runners had a pair of goals apiece, including Challen Rogers, who scored both on transition breaks from goalie Christian DelBianco, one of which came shorthanded.
DelBianco recorded the win for the Adanacs, while Michael Flintoff shared the goalkeeping duties for the ’Bellies making 31 stops in 46 minutes between the pipes.
Next up for New West are the Port Coquitlam Saints at the PoCo rec centre on Friday. Game time is 8 p.m.
The junior Salmonbellies host the Burnaby Lakers at Queen’s Park Arena next Tuesday, June 23 at 8 p.m.
