The Delta Islanders showed they would not go gentle into that good B.C. Junior Lacrosse League final playoff series.
The third-place-finishing Islanders fell behind runaway regular-season champion Coquitlam Adanacs in the first period of their best-of-seven championship final Wednesday, but rallied before eventually falling 9-8 at the Coquitlam Sports Centre.
The 20-1 Adanacs raced out to a 4-0 lead in the opening half of the first period and led 6-2 after 20 minutes before the Islanders finally found their legs.
Junior A rookie of the year Tre Leclaire got things going for Delta, sparking a four-goal Islander second period with the first of two tallies.
Leclaire’s second of the game in the final minutes of the middle frame shaved the deficit to 7-6.
Delta drew even on two separate occasions of the third on goals by Chase Fraser, including an unassisted goal to open the final period.
Cole Shafer got the game winner for the Adanacs in the final four minutes of play.
Ryland Hood backstopped Delta with 51 stops, while Christian Del Bianco was called on to make 30 stops in the Adanac’s cage.
Game 2 is Saturday at the Ladner Leisure Centre. Game 2 is back at the Coquitlam Sports Centre on Monday. Both games are 7:30 p.m. starts.
