The New Westminster Salmonbellies didn’t do the visiting Burnaby Lakers any favours in their final Western Lacrosse Association regular season game.
The senior A Salmonbellies shrugged off a huge disadvantage in shots on goal and settled for a 9-8 victory over the Lakers in a must-win matchup for the Burnaby club at Queen’s Park Arena last Thursday.
The win padded New West’s 12-6-0 second-place record in the seven-team loop, while leaving the Lakers in a three-way tie with Langley and Maple Ridge, which claimed the two remaining playoff berths on the league`s tiebreak formula.
“We got a good young team and we’re having fun out there,” said third-year Salmonbellie defender Reid Mydske. “We’re getting hot at the right time. It’s a brand new season and I feel confident.”
The ’Bellies have every right to feel good about themselves.
After starting the season at 6-0 before a minor blip at the midway mark of the season had some questioning the direction of the team.
New West righted the ship and sailed a resolute course into the playoffs, winning its last six games in a row, if you take into account the 12-11 win over Maple Ridge, which was disputed and later lost following an appeal.
The Salmonbellies will take on the Langley Thunder in the first round of best-of-seven playoffs, beginning tonight (Tuesday).
New West took its season series 2-1 over the Thunder, but in the tightest manner possible, with both teams tallying 20 goals in the three games between them.
Game 2 is at the Langley Events Centre on Thursday at 7:45 p.m.
Game 3 is back at Queen’s Park on Saturday.
New Westminster will be led by star lefthander Logan Schuss, who finished fourth in Western Lacrosse Association scoring this season.
Schuss finished the regular season with 68 points, including 45 assists.
Eric Penney has shown rookie-of-the-year form since taking over from injured starter Alexis Buque earlier this season.
Penney finished his rookie debut with a league-best eight wins and a 0.829 save percentage.
In front of Penney is a defensive corps that allowed just 144 goals against this season, despite being penalized a whopping 572 minutes in 18 games.
“Penalties are something we’re going to clear up in the playoffs,” Mydske said.
Leading the way for the Thunder is Patrick Saunders, who finished third in league scoring with 71 points, including a second-best 33 goals this season.
The Thunder will also call upon veterans Athan Iannucci, Alex Turner and Lewis Ratcliff, and former New West junior Anthony Malcom.
Langley also has a solid defensive lineup, including one of the top goalies in the league in 6-7 Brodie MacDonald.
But Mydske says the playoffs are all about the ’Bellies coming out and playing as a team.
“There’s not a better group of guys I want to go to battle with,” he said.
