New Westminster let slip an important matchup in B.C. Junior Lacrosse League play.
The junior A Salmonbellies gave up multiple unanswered goals in each of the three periods before finally dropping a 10-9 decision to the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs at Queen’s Park Arena on Tuesday.
New West frittered away leads of 3-1 in the first period, 6-3 in the second and 9-7 in the final frame to witness its record fall to 1-3 and to share a spot at the bottom of league rankings with the struggling Burnaby Lakers.
Former junior Orangeville Northmen runner Brandon Clelland opened the scoring in the first minute in his West Coast debut. The 21-year-old Ontario lefthander led all scorers with three goals in a six-point outing.
“We’re just lacking chemistry out there,” said Clelland after the game. “We just need to get a few more practices in and we’ll be fine. It’s my first game on offence, I’m usually on transition.”
New West took a 3-1 lead early in the opening period on Adam Dickson’s quick shot from the right crease on a great cross-floor pass from Connor Robinson, who was playing in his first game this season.
But Coquitlam tied the score 3-3 just before the interval on back-to-back goals 28 seconds apart.
A similar scenario took place in the middle frame.
Clelland, a fourth-round selection of the Vancouver Stealth in the 2014 NLL draft, got the home team kickstarted again with a pair of goals a minute apart, including a bullet from the top circle at the eight-minute mark.
Minutes later, Robinson added a nifty shorthanded counter on a nice set up by Clelland.
But the Adanacs replied again with three in a row less than three minutes apart and all on transition.
In the final period, the junior ’Bellies took the lead for a third time, with Nathan Stewart scoring the go-ahead marker on a rebound in close.
Cole Bevan gave the Salmonbellies a 9-7 lead with his first junior A goal off a screened shot from the right side near the midway mark of the period.
But even that milestone marker failed to hold up.
Evan Wortley got the A’s right back in it with yet another goal on transition.
Reid Bowering then knotted the contest with the prettiest goal of the night, taking a no-look pass from the left crease and burying the ball behind Salmonbellie keeper Michael Flintoff with four minutes left on the clock.
Two minutes later, Mike Rybka whipped a low shot by Flintoff from the left side for the game winner.
“You can tell it’s a rivalry,” said Clelland of the Coquitlam matchup. “I love it, there’s nothing better than a little rivalry. We’ll get’m back in the last stretch of the season.”
New Westminster is in Port Coquitlam for a game against the Saints on Friday. The junior ’Bellies are back at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, May 19 to take on the Langley Thunder. Game time is 8 p.m.
