First-year junior Nathan Stewart scored five goals, including a first-period hat trick, to lead the New Westminster Salmonbellies to a 16-9 victory over the Rocky Mountain champion Okotoks Raiders on Day 3 of the Minto Cup championships at Queen's Park Arena on Monday.
The win gave the junior A 'Bellies second place after the round robin portion of the competition. Okotoks was eliminated from further play.
New West's win also set up a final showdown this season between the two B.C.
teams in contention following the Coquitlam Adanacs' 12-7 loss to the unbeaten Whitby Warriors also Monday.
New West carried the momentum from Sunday's 9-7 upset win over the B.C. champion Adanacs into the opening period against Okotoks, building up a 6-1 lead before the Raiders began playing perhaps their best lacrosse of the championship.
The Alberta champs scored three times in a four-minute span late in the frame to close to within two goals, heading into the middle period. They then closed the deficit to a single goal on two separate occasions in the second period on markers by Kevin Pym and Holdon Cattoni, but it was not enough.
New West finally found its stride in the third frame, outscoring the visitors 7-2 in the period, including the first five goals that proved the difference in the final outcome.
Luke Gillespie, Alex Bohl, aged-up intermediates Connor Robinson and Jeremy Bosher, and Stewart, with his fifth, all scored to give New West a 14-7 lead midway through the final period.
"That picked us up," said Salmonbellie assistant captain Justin Goodwin. "It put away any doubts we had."
Michael DeGirolamo stopped just 12 shots in the Alberta goal before being replaced with 12 minutes remaining in the game by backup Kanathonson Horn-David. New West starter Frank Scigliano also gave way to Ross Bowman late in the game.
Okotoks game MVP Matthew Kristiansen led his team with one goal and three assists. Stewart was New West's MVP following a game-high sevenpoint night.
Anthony Malcom also garnered seven points, all assists.
Monday's win set the stage for a 10th showdown this season between New West and Coquitlam, with the winner taking on the eastern champion Warriors in a best-of-five series, starting Thursday at Queen's Park.
Whitby finished the preliminary round with a 3-0 record, including an 11-5 victory over the 'Bellies last Saturday.
Goodwin said Sunday's 9-7 win over the A's was a big confidence boost for the B.C. Junior Lacrosse League runner-up.
In the game, Jimmy McBride sparked a fivegoal New West second period, firing the go-ahead goal in the opening minute of the frame.
The 'Bellies also took advantage of special team opportunities, with Bosher and Josh Byrne scoring power-play goals.
Brendan Ranford, who is having a great Minto to date, gave New West its biggest five-goal lead six minutes into the third period.
Scigliano was also on his game, making 31 stops.
"But we're still the underdog coming in. They have depth and the experience," Goodwin said, adding the difference will be focus and execution.
"Everyone has played in a big game before, but not at this level. When you focus on just the game, they will come through," he said.
Tuesday's matchup was played after The Record deadlines.
