Tony the Tiger could not have scripted a better finish at the B.C. Junior B Lacrosse Championships.
The Saanich Tigers spoiled the host Burnaby Lakers' provincial debut with a six-goal third period to win the B.C. junior B box title in just the third year of the team's existence.
Saanich, which had lost 10-9 to Burnaby earlier in the provincial tournament, overcame a 9-6 secondperiod deficit to claim its first championship following a 12-10 victory over the Lakers at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Sunday.
"We knew (Burnaby) worked hard. They were the hardest working team in the tournament. We learned from that in the first game," said Saanich assistant captain Trevor Hanson, who scored the eventual game-winning goal with less than two minutes left in the gold-medal final game.
"We knew we had to work really hard in the third period. On the Island there is a team called Westshore, and they're just like Burnaby. We got by them, so we knew we could get through this one."
But for the first 40 minutes, particularly the middle period, it appeared Burnaby had the edge.
Scott Petursson tied the game 3-3, with his second goal of the period late in the opening frame.
Provincial all-star and Burnaby's player of the game Kevan Galte gave the hosts the lead, and intermediate call-up Aiden Milburn counted a second goal 20 seconds later as the Lakers took advantage of a Saanich major penalty in the final minute of the period.
Burnaby extended that lead to four goals eight minutes into the middle frame on goals by Chad Engelson and Matt Shields.
The Lakers built up a second four-goal advantage later in the period on Colin Galte's second of the game, followed by Milburn's second on transition made possible by some good loose ball work by Brendan Brauer.
But the third was the Tigers' period to roar.
Quinton Hamilton opened the final period with a quick cut down the right side, slipping a ball past all-star keeper Cody Gilliam off the opening faceoff.
Seconds after, teammate Cody Short, who tied the game 10-10 with his hat-trick goal later in the period, closed the gap to a single goal with less than one minute gone off the clock.
Kevan Galte got one back, but
Saanich team captain Ethan Garland closed the deficit to 10-9 midway through the period with a clever shot over Gilliam on a drive to the net.
Hansen put the Tigers into the lead at 18:03 of the final period with a one-timer from right in front following some good loose ball play behind the net by Hamilton.
"We wanted to do it for a couple of our third-years who weren't out there, and we wanted to do it for our goalie, who had never won a gold medal," said Hanson. "But more, we wanted to do it for ourselves. This is only our third year in existence."
Saanich goalie Cory Mayzes stopped 30 shots in the provincial win, including 14 in the turnaround final period.
Gilliam, who sported an 80-plus save percentage in his opening three games at the provincials, made just 30 stops in the gold-medal final.
Burnaby opened the four-team tournament with an 8-8 draw against West Coast league champion and nemesis Delta Islanders.
Gilliam was a big factor in the win, stopping 47 shots for Burnaby.
Kevan Galte, Milburn and Jordan Lashar all tallied two goals in the comefrom-behind tie on Friday.
Engleson scored the game-winner in Burnaby's earlier 10-9 win over the Saanich Tigers on the Saturday.
Aaron Roberts led the Lakers with two goals and four assists. Milburn counted his first of two hat tricks. Petursson chipped in with four helpers.
On Sunday morning, Burnaby outlasted the Vernon Tigers 11-9 to finish the round-robin first overall.
Roberts led the Lakers with a goal in a five-point game. Milburn and Lashar had three and two goals, respectively, in four-point outings. Franko Corporale, Galte, Shields and Chapin Adlington, with a goal and two helpers, also scored for Burnaby in the win over Vernon.
Saanich upset Delta 7-6 in the other Sunday morning game to advance to the championship final.
"Realistically, (Saanich) was ahead the first time (we played them). They literally did to us what we did to them," said second-year coach Baun Adlington. "I think we would have won a series against Delta and Saanich, but Saanich won the one that mattered.
"We're definitely a rag-tag group of guys. There's definitely a lot of heart in that dressing room."
