Thunder clinging to final playoff spot

Langley Thunder's Caydon Beck-Boreson bears down on Coquitlam Adanacs goalie Tristan Lomas during BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League action at Langley Events Centre on April 25. Ryan Molag LEC photo

The Langley Thunder will be anxiously watching the scoreboard over the season’s final 10 days.

The Thunder have just one game remaining – Tuesday (June 27) at Langley Events Centre against the Maple Ridge Burrards – but even a victory won’t ensure the team a spot in the BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League playoffs.

Langley enters the weekend with a record of 4-13 and eight points, which currently puts them in the eighth and final playoff spot. The problem, however, is the Burnaby Lakers sit just a point behind but have two games to try and surpass the Thunder.

Langley is coming off a 15-6 loss to the first-place Coquitlam Adanacs (14-2) on Tuesday at Langley Events Centre. (The game was played in two parts as the original contest back on April 25) was suspended midway through the second period after an issue with one of the gates).

The Adanacs used two large five-goal scoring runs to break open the game.

Joseph Killcommons (2+1) and Connyr White both scored twice in the defeat while Kai Sephton (1+2) and Talon Schroeder (1+1) had the other Langley goals. Todd Hensrud made 44 saves on 59 shots.

Luke Turenne led the Adanacs with a hat trick while Aidan Lalonde (2+3) had a five-point game.

The defeat comes on the heels of a heartbreaking loss on Saturday afternoon at Nanaimo’s Frank Crane Arena with the host Timbermen potting the game-winner with seconds to play in a 10-9 victory.

At 11-3 and with four games remaining, the Timbermen sit in third place in the league and are firmly entrenched in a playoff position.

Caleb Kahn – called up from the Langley midget team for the game – did not look out of place, stopping 46 of the 56 shots he faced, an .821 save percentage. Killcommons led the offence with four goals while Jake Newby (2+4) had a six-point game. Welch and Declan Fines each set up four goals while Kai Sephton (2+2) and Vaughn Pinchin (1+1) rounded out the scoring.

Jayden Thomas scored three times (including the winner) as part of a four-point game while Logan Schmidt and Brett Bilodeau each scored twice for Nanaimo. Bostyn MacDonald stopped 31 of 39 shots.

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