Jr. Salmonbellies move into semifinals
The New Westminster Salmonbellies will face the Delta Islanders in the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League semifinals after the ’Bellies swept the Victoria Shamrocks in a best-of-three series.
The Salmonbellies, who finished the regular season in third place, downed the sixth-place Shamrocks 12-10 at Queen's Park Arena on Saturday, and then followed that win up with a 13-6 triumph in Victoria on Sunday.
The best-of-five semifinal will begin Saturday at Ladner Arena, with Game 2 at Queen's Park Arena on Monday. The third game will be on Wednesday. If a fourth game is necessary it will be next Friday (July 27) followed the next night by a fifth and deciding game if the series is tied 2-2. All games start at 8 p.m.
The Langley Thunder swept the Port Coquitlam Saints in the other first-round series and will now face the first-place Coquitlam Adanacs.
On Sunday, the Salmonbellies scored the final three goals of the first period and then all four of the game's goals in the second to take a 9-3 lead. Reagan Harding led the way with four goals and three assists while Josh Byrne had a big night with three goals and five points. Chase McIntyre also scored twice for the Salmonbellies with singles going to Keegan Bal, Reid Mydske, Alex Lohr and Kyle Dobbie, who also hard two assists.
New West outshot Victoria 48-34.
On Saturday, the Salmonbellies scored four unanswered goals in the third period to secure the victory with the winner coming from Bal with just 75 seconds left with an insurance marker by Luke Gillespie 33 seconds after that.
Harding had another seven-point performance with two goals and five assists while Bal racked up a pair of goals and four assists. Brandon Goodwin tallied four goals and assisted on another with single markers going to Anthony Malcom and Byrne.
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