The New Westminster Salmonbellies made their case for being best in the West following an 11-5 win over Coquitlam.
The junior A Salmonbellies rocketed out to a 6-1 first-period lead, and save for a mini-letdown in early in the middle frame, cruised to a relatively easy, and unplayoff-like victory over the nationally No. 2-ranked junior Adanacs at Queen’s Park Arena on Tuesday.
Johnny Pearson led the home team with a hat trick, while Luke Gillespie, Connor Robinson and Chris Nasato all recorded five-point games.
Gillespie and Robinson, the Jr. A scoring leader, both notched a pair of markers. Nasato moved into fifth place in overall scoring with a goal and four helpers.
Quinn Mackay opened the scoring in the first two minutes on an unassisted tally.
Robinson, Nasato and Pearson, with his first shorthanded counter of the season, had New West ahead 4-1 at the midway mark of the opening period.
“We came out and wanted to prove something to Coquitlam and we took it to them,” said New West defender Justin Goodwin. “The way we started the first, I definitely liked that, and the way we finished.”
The A’s got back into it briefly, potting four goals in a five-minute span to close the deficit to two goals to start the second period.
But Gillespie helped regain the momentum for the ’Bellies, notching back-to-back goals later in the frame.
Surprisingly, the third period showed more of the Salmonbellies’ dominance in play and less apparant desperation from the Coquitlam club, which toppled out of first place in the junior A table with the loss.
The Delta Islanders hold on to third place with a 6-4 record.
New West outshot the top-ranked A’s 54-33 in the contest, including 16-8 in third stanza.
Ross Bowman recorded the win in goal with 28 saves. Riley Camazzola made 43 saves in the Adanacs’ cage.
“We played our game, but we did what we wanted to do, we didn’t worry too much about them,” said New West head coach Dan Perreault. “We were disciplined and played smart lacrosse, and limited our mistakes.”
That discipline and near-mistake free effort has been the mantra of the New Westminster coaching staff over the past years.
To have such a youthful lineup already picking up on the lessons of trying to make the right decision on the floor bodes well for the Salmonbellies later in the season, added Perreault.
“It’s huge when you get down into the playoffs,” Perreault said.
Goodwin said the incoming players are getting the message from their time spent in intermediate ranks.
“We’re just learning to be smarter as a team,” Goodwin said. “Be smart, be tough.”
New Westminster, now 7-1-0 is home again this Sunday to the 4-3-1 Victoria Shamrocks at Queen’s Park Arena.
Note the earlier game time is scheduled for a 5 p.m. afternoon start.
