The Burnaby Lakers tumbled to the bottom of the B.C. Junior Lacrosse League following an 11-6 loss to the Coquitlam Adanacs at home on Sunday.
Burnaby got its first look at 18-year-old Mitch McDole from Maple Ridge, who was picked up in a Jan. 1 trade with Delta for a couple of players, including intermediate-aged Tavin Grant.
McDole, the 2014 B.C. intermediate A scoring champion and league MVP, tallied a hat trick in his first game in a Laker uniform, including a pair of back-to-back goals in the middle period that drew Burnaby to within a pair of goals after falling behind 5-2 after the opening period.
But, Coquitlam responded with four unanswered goals to end the frame ahead 10-4.
Another newcomer also showed well for Burnaby.
Matthew Hans, picked up from Langley for Evan Hunt in a May 1 trade, took over from starting goalie Aiden Yorke in the third period, allowed just one goal the rest of the way and finished the game with a .900 save percentage in his first outing this season.
McDole tallied Burnaby’s final goal of the game, beating an Adanac defender to the outside with a nifty turn of speed.
“We can handle them, we’re just younger,” said McDole, who finished second in team scoring for NCAA Division II Young Harris College in his freshman season of field lacrosse this year. “Our defence really stepped up in the third period. On offence, we got a lot of good looks, but it will come in time.”
Aidan Milburn led all Lakers with a goal and three assists. Cam Hudspeth chipped in with two goals and a single helper.
Chase McIntyre led all scorers with three goals in a seven-point effort for the A’s. Brett Kujala also contributed three markers for Coquitlam.
A day earlier, Tyler Vogrig signalled his return to the Burnaby Lakers with a nine-point outing in Nanaimo.
Last season’s rookie of the year scored four goals and added five assists in Burnaby’s 16-13 loss to the Timbermen in a junior league shootout in the Hub City on Saturday.
Danny Spagnuolo chipped in with seven points, including a pair of goals, while Milburn registered his 13th goal so far this season in a five-point outing.
“We need a little chemistry for sure,” said McDole about his junior debut. “We need to get our sticks going and when we get them going and dialed in, we’ll be good.”
Burnaby is in Langley on Thursday, before returning home next Sunday for a fixture against the first-place Delta Islanders.
