The Nanaimo Timbermen scored three straight goals in the third period to defeat the Coquitlam Adanacs 9-7 in Nanaimo Friday and sweep the Adanacs out of the Western Lacrosse Association semifinals in four straight games.
Facing elimination from its first playoff appearance since 2013, Coquitlam spotted the home team a 4-1 in the first period then clawed its way back to tie the game 4-4 on a power play goal by Adam Dickson 49 seconds into the second frame.
Dylan Watson then put the visitors in front, 5-4, almost 11 minutes later.
But goals by Colton Lidstone and Teoshontateh McComber less than two minutes apart game the Timbermen the lead again before Watson was able to put the teams even just before the second intermission.
The Adanacs regained the lead 2:52 after the break when Riley Loewen beat Devin Shanahan in the Nanaimo net.
That’s as good as it got for Coquitlam, as goals by Adam Wiedemann, Jerome Thompson and Taggart Clark vaulted the Timbermen into the WLA final where they’ll meet the winner of the other semifinal between the Victoria Shamrocks and Langley Thunder. That series is tied 2-2.
Brett McIntyre set up six goals to lead the Adanacs’ offence. Christian Del Bianco stopped 53 of the 62 shots he faced in Coquitlam’s net while Shanahan made 43 saves in Nanaimo’s net.
