Thunder season comes to a close

Langley Thunder's Logan Kierstead runs the ball up the floor during BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League action at Langley Events Centre on June 27. Ryan Molag LEC photo

As was the case for much of the season, an inability to play a full 60 minutes cost the Langley Thunder one more time.

With the game tied at eight with 13 minutes to play, the Thunder surrendered the final three goals, falling 11-8 to the Maple Ridge Burrards on Tuesday night at Langley Events Centre. The game was the final contest of the BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League regular season for Langley as the Thunder finished with a record of 4-14.

The teams were tied at both the first and second intermissions before the Burrards pulled away late.

Jake Newby and Joseph Killcommons scored two goals apiece while Liam Taillefer, Connyr Welch, Declan Fines and Talon Schroeder had a goal each. Killcommons and Welch each finished with three points.

Parker M’Lot and Dawson McGuiness each had a goal and four points for the Burrards.

“The problem is we are in a tie game in the third period, and we don’t have ‘it’ to get through and that is what happened a lot to us,” said Langley coach Darren Buchan. “A lot of guys got better as the season went on. We had some struggles early; we dug a hole for ourselves where we couldn’t get out of playoff-wise, but game in and game out, the reality is there are a lot of kids who improved.”

Maple Ridge – which still has two games to play – improved to 8-8 and the Burrards have already qualified for the six-team playoffs beginning next week.

Despite the disappointing record, Langley did make progress from the start of the season back in late April, especially considering that as an already young team, the Thunder suffered seven season-ending injuries.

In two of their final three games, the Thunder found themselves in a tie game in the third period against a playoff-bound opponent, as back on June 17, Langley was seconds away from overtime before the host Timbermen (12-4 and in a battle for third place) scored with less than three seconds to play in a 10-9 victory.

“I am proud of this group (and) it is exciting about all the youth we have and all the players coming up next year,” Buchan said.

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