Coquitlam Looks to Edge Burnaby Early

Last season the Lakers took the season series against Coquitlam two games to one. As for post-season action in the run for the Minto, Burnaby took the series again 3-1 in the best of five games. Interesting note from the regular season, both Laker victories had a difference of only one goal, and the scores were low considering the fire power from both teams (May 30th 5-4; and July 4th 6-5).

Chit chat around the league has Coquitlam rumoured to be the dominator team in Junior this year; capitalizing on Burnaby's graduating players and their pre-season goaltending issues. So tonight was a perfect chance to see what these two teams were made of, in a re-match of last years BCJALL Finals.

The first period started out with a slow pace, there were lots of thoughtful plays and drawn out shot clocks. There were four penalties handed to Burnaby in the first, and three to Coquitlam. The Lakers were first on the score sheet with a short handed goal when Joe Vetere set up Riley Loewen, who shot low right on new Adanac goalie Chris Seidel.

Scott Defrancesco answered back for the A's halfway through the first, but the period would end 2-1 for the home team after Vetere assisted Alex Gajic with seven minutes left to go.

The second period was just as slow as the first when it came to pace, there were no real risks from either team, and it took penalty trouble to create more offense. With seven minutes left in the middle frame there was a delayed penalty against Matt Beers for roughing, Tom Wray ran to the bench for the extra Laker attacker, and Shaun Dhaliwal scored from way outside the crease.

Again the A's would answer back, and again it was Scott Defrancesco who capitalized; this time on the power play when Gajic got called for high sticking Matt Beers. With a minute left in the second Defrancesco scored again for his third of the night to tie it up at three, in alone on net and shooting low on Seidel.

But the Lakers pushed every last second of the period and Riley Loewen had a beauty goal to go ahead into the third.

The final period was packed with three on three, and four on three play. With all the penalties being called, there was a ton of intermingling by the benches and it was only a matter of time before things escalated into a scrap or two. Mike Gilmore and Coquitlam captain Matt Wilson looked like they were the chosen ones with six minutes to go, but they just wrestled to the ground and nothing much became of it. Joe Vetere and Matt Beers exchanged pleasantries in the final minute, but again- just a lot of talk with minimal action.

Final score was the same as the end of the second, 4-3 for the Lakers; and final shots were 42-31 in favor of the Adanacs.

To see these two teams in action this week- Coquitlam hosts Delta this Wednesday the 30th and then visit South Fraser on Thursday the 1st. Burnaby is off until Saturday May 3rd when they head to the Island to take on the Shamrocks at Bear Mountain Arena.