There is no gold medal to play for, but beating Ontario 6-3 in Game 3 of a five-game series is reward enough.
“It says we pretty much (are the best in Canada),” said Team B.C. midget lacrosse runner Mackenzie Burns of Burnaby. “I think it’s the first time (B.C.) has ever won.”
B.C. opened the series last Sunday with a 10-2 victory in Coquitlam and followed up the win with a narrow 4-3 triumph at Queen’s Park on Monday.
On Tuesday, B.C. surrendered an early one-goal lead but ended the first period with a three-goal to run, including go-ahead goals from Dennon Armstrong and Reid Bowering of Coquitlam.
Port Coquitlam runner Clark Walter put the hosts ahead 4-1 on a power-play goal, but Ontario replied, closing the deficit to 4-3 heading into the final period.
In the third, Tavin Grant of Burnaby, who finished the game with three assists, set up both Jack Kendall and Jacob Campbell of Juan de Fuca for back-to-back goals to ice the win and the series for B.C.
Team B.C. outshot Ontario 34-28 in Game 3.
Earlier this month, B.C. ran away with its first midget national championship title without Ontario and the Iroquois Nation in attendance.
“I think that is why we were so successful this year. We were not just all offence,” said Burns of the team’s overall balanced lineup.
Ontario’s box lacrosse team missed the nationals because of a commitment to its province’s Summer Games.
The five-game series continues on Thursday at the Coquitlam Sports Centre at 5:30 p.m. and will wind up on Friday at the Langley Events Cenre in Langley at 6 p.m.
