With two-thirds of their Western Lacrosse Association, the New Westminster Salmonbellies are looking way up at a cluster of three teams above them in the standings and looking way down on three others.
Their middle-of-the-standings predicament comes after a split of two games against upper-echelon teams leaving them in fourth place with a 6-5-1 record.
First came the good news, in more ways than one. Last Thursday, Kevin Crowley returned to Queen’s Park Arena, and, man oh man, was it ever a welcome sight for Salmonbellies fans to see the hometown boy wearing the flopping fish on the front of a red, white and blue jersey again.
In his first game of the season, Crowley scored two goals and three assists as the New Westminster Salmonbellies downed the first-place Maple Ridge Burrards (9-4-0) 10-8 Thursday night. He didn’t waste time putting his skill on display with three points in the first six minutes. He scored on his first foray down the floor 52 seconds into the game for a 1-1 tie. Four minutes later he set up Logan Schuss for a goal and then a minute after that Curtis Hodgson as the ’Bellies broke out to a 4-1 lead.
The stick wizard is back in town for his summer lacrosse camps following his National Lacrosse League season with the New England Black Wolves and in between his duties with the Charlotte Hounds of the Major Lacrosse League.
Hodgson and Mike Messenger scored twice for New West. Mitch Jones, Anthony Malcom and Joel McCready had singles.
New West held a 9-5 lead after two periods and had to withstand receiving the only four penalties of the period, including a five-minute slashing major to defender Ian Hawksbee that put the ’Bellies two-men short for 97 seconds. Maple Ridge managed to score twice on the power play in the period and were 4-for-8 on the night.
New West also was tabbed for two majors in the second period, a charging major to Justin Goodwin and a checking-from-behind penalty to Brett Mydske, who was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a game misconduct on the play. Maple Ridge’s Colton Porter was thrown out of the game in the second period after receiving a match penalty for roughing. The Salmonbellies did not score on either of their two-man advantages.
The next night came the bad news when the ’Bellies were dumped 13-6 by the Burnaby Lakers at Bill Copeland Arena. The Lakers are 8-3-1 tying them in points with Victoria (8-4-1) and just a point back of the Burrards (9-4-0).
Crowley had two goals and an assist for New West with Jones also sniping twice. Messenger and Malcom had singles.
The Salmonbellies played in Langley last night (after Record deadline). Burnaby and New West will play a rematch at Queen’s Park Arena tonight (7:30).
