A two-goal advantage at the end of the first period proved decisive as the Coquitlam Adanacs defeated the Okotoks Raiders 10-8 in their opening round game at the 2024 Minto Cup national junior lacrosse championship, Saturday at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
Coquitlam held a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes then the teams played evenly through the remaining two periods. Each scored six times in the second period and once in the third.
It took almost 10 minutes for the Adanacs to open the scoring against the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League champions from Alberta as the sides traded chances with neither conceding an inch.
It was Cody Malawsky who broke the stalemate, breaking in alone and beating Raiders goalie Tommy Wood between his legs.
Okotoks tied it less than three minutes later but Parker Kennedy put the home team back in front just 33 seconds after that.
Jaxon Dillon increased the margin to 3-1 when he scored with less than a second left to play in the first period and Coquitlam goalie Jack Kask on the bench as the Adanacs played the final possession from its own end with 22 seconds remaining.
Dillon scored again 2:32 after the break to make it 4-1.
Two goals a minute apart got the Raiders back to within a goal, but that’s as close as they would get; 22 seconds later Ryan Colsey restored a two-goal cushion for Coquitlam.
The Adanacs led 9-7 at the end of the second period.
Colsey and Malawksy each scored twice and added three assists to lead all Coquitlam scorers.
The Adanacs fired 46 shots at Wood while Kask made 34 saves in the Adanacs’ net.
Coquitlam will play crosstown rival PoCo Saints in Sunday’s late game that begins at 7 p.m. at Poirier.
The winner heads into Monday’s final game of the opening round undefeated, after the Saints upended the Orangeville Northmen, champions of the Ontario Lacrosse League, 12-7 earlier Saturday.
Hudson Halliday had three goals and an assist while Anahalish Doxtato chipped in a goal and five helpers to lead PoCo to its first win in its first Minto Cup appearance.
Ashton Brown made 41 saves in the Saints’ net while his teammates fired 40 shots at Orangeville goalies Connor O’Toole and and Lindyn Hill.
The Adanacs swept PoCo in the BC Junior A Lacrosse League best-of-five final, 3-0.
The Raiders and Northmen will play in Sunday’s first game, at 4 p.m.
