Another big night from Massa has Thunder on verge of playoff spot

Langley Thunder goaltender Jensen McGregor makes one of his 45 saves during his team's 9-8 win over the visiting New Westminster Salmonbellies at the Fieldhouse at Langley Events Centre in BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League action. Gary Ahuja photo

Dylan Massa is feeling it.

Massa scored four times — including the game winner, which broke an 8-8 tie with just over five minutes to play — as the Langley Tier 1 Thunder edged the New Westminster Salmonbellies 9-8 on Tuesday night in the Fieldhouse at Langley Events Centre.

Over the first 13 games of the season, Massa scored 11 goals. But after netting four goals in an 18-7 win over the Burnaby Lakers on Sunday and adding four more on Tuesday, the rookie now has eight goals over his last 120 minutes of lacrosse.

“We’ve just been moving the ball very well, and I’ve been in the right spot,” Massa said. “Just getting my shot and picking corners.”

“It was a great team win. Everyone on offence was buzzing, same as the defence, and (goaltender) Jensen (McGregor) played amazing in net.”

McGregor was outstanding in goal, stopping 45 of 53 shots for an .849 save percentage.

“Dylan's one of those kids that you were just waiting for it. He's a special talent and he's shown it in back-to-back games now. The league is going to hear a lot more of Dylan Massa," said Thunder coach Connar Abrams.

The win improved the Thunder to 8-7 and put them in a four-way tie for third place with 16 points, one of those teams being New Westminster. With the top six making the BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League post-season, Langley is on the verge of clinching a spot for a second straight season.

A huge factor in that has been their play following a disheartening home loss to Burnaby on June 2. Since then, the Thunder have gone 4-1.

"It's the final third of the season now. We're down to the last six games and we know we've got a chance at a playoff spot, so the boys are making sure that they're ready every night to give themselves the best chance at playoffs,” Abrams said.

Tuesday’s game had a playoff feel – it was either tied or a one-goal game for all but 1:46 – which will be beneficial for a young Thunder squad which features 14 junior-level rookies.

“It's great that the young guys were a part of this, and a lot of them were in the lineup, and a lot of them saw what it had to take in a game that went back and forth, shot for shot, blow for blow, and they held their own. They came out on top, and you can't ask for more from a young group,” Abrams said.

“It was very intense,” Massa said. “We had to come out with a win because we want to make that push for playoffs.”

While Massa had four goals, five other Langley players each scored once: Josiah Allen (1-2), Cam Smith (1-1), Dreyton Goeson, Dalla Kilpatrick and Jacob Glass.

Noah Faria led New Westminster with a hat trick and Sasha Zuk scored twice and set up one other. Jackson Hastings made 33 saves on 42 shots.

With the home portion of their regular season complete, the Thunder finish with three road games. They visit Port Coquitlam on June 18 (8:00pm) before travelling to Nanaimo on June 20 (12:00pm), with the regular season wrapping up June 26 in Delta.

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