Thunder trounce Burrards, earn first win of the season

Brett Billings led Langley with a pair of goals and five points as the Thunder defeated the visiting Maple Ridge Burrards 13-2 in BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League action in the Fieldhouse at Langley Events Centre on May 5. Ryan Molag photo

After a pair of early-season hiccups, the Langley Thunder offence broke out in a big way on Tuesday night.

The Thunder posted a season-high in goals, rolling past the visiting Maple Ridge Burrards 13–2 in BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League action at the Fieldhouse at Langley Events Centre. Langley improved to 1–2 on the season, while Maple Ridge dropped to 1–4.

The 13-goal outburst surpassed the 11 goals the Thunder had managed across their first two games combined.

Even more encouraging was the balance in the attack, as nine different players found the score sheet and 12 recorded at least one point.

“It is not just one guy, everybody on our offence can contribute,” said captain Logan Claxton, who finished with four assists.

Langley held a 2–1 lead after the opening frame before taking full control in the second period, outscoring Maple Ridge 7–1 to break the game open.

“We started getting inside, getting around the inside shoulder, kept it going and then we were burying the ball,” Claxton said.

Head coach Connar Abrams pointed to the team’s depth and growing confidence as key positives.

“It shows our diversity, especially in the transition game. We had a lot of young guys stepping up to the plate and burying in the big moments and now they know they can do it,” Abrams said.

Brett Billings (2–3), Cam Smith (2–2) and Josiah Allen (2–1) each scored twice, while Colten Lifton (1–1) and Owen Van Ryn (1–1) also chipped in with multi-point performances. Jackson Read, Dylan Massa, James McIntyre, Jake Hagel and Bryce Longacre rounded out the scoring with one goal each.

Billings, a rookie making his season debut after sitting out the first two games, was the team’s player of the game.

While the offence clicked, the Thunder were equally strong defensively. Marcus Khan stopped 25 of 27 shots for a .926 save percentage before Hendrix Wenman came in to close out the win, stopping both shots he faced.

Abrams said having a goaltender of Khan’s caliber—last season’s league leader in wins—provides a steadying presence for the group.

The Thunder outshot Maple Ridge, including holding them to just five shots over the final 20 minutes.

The Thunder are back in action quickly, travelling to Coquitlam on May 6 to face the Adanacs. Their next home game is a matinee on May 17 against the Victoria Shamrocks, with opening faceoff set for 1:00 p.m. at the Fieldhouse at Langley Events Centre.

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