The Langley Thunder had no problems finding the back of the net Wednesday night as they shelled the floundering Maple Ridge Burrards 16-11, handing the Burrards their eighth loss in 10 games this season.
With the win, Langley takes over sole possession of the top spot in the Western Lacrosse Association, while the Burrards cemented their position in the league cellar.
Despite shots being an even 44-42 in Maple Ridge’s favour, the Thunder seemingly scored at will for much of the game.
The Burrards fell behind early, and stayed behind, as the WLA’s top offence outscored them 6-3 in the first period.
The Thunder scored less than a minute into the opening frame, and opened up a 2-0 lead before Riley Loewen and Brandon Bertoia scored for Maple Ridge to tie the game.
Langley pulled ahead early, however, scoring four goals in the remaining six minutes of the period, as Tyler Codron scored Maple Ridge’s only marker in that span.
Despite being down by three goals, the Burrards were able to keep pace with the Thunder in the second period. Goals by Jarret Davis, Sam Cook, Randy Daly, Simon Giourmetakis, and Loewen helped the Burrards bring the score to 10-8 late in the period. With time about to expire in the period, the Burrards opted to pull their goalie while deep in Langley’s end to press for a goal. However, it was Langley who would a score; an empty-netter with three seconds left in the middle frame to restore their three-goal lead.
The third period was all Langley as they scored five times before the halfway mark to take a seven-goal lead. Creighton Reid, Davis and Loewen each had goals for the Burrards in the third, but it was not enough.
Neither goaltender for the Burrards had much luck against the Thunder’s shooters.
Drew Dickie, fresh off the team’s first win of the season on Sunday against the Burnaby Lakers allowed nine goals on 28 shots in 39 minutes of play, while Blake Duncan allowed six goals on 13 shots.
Langley’s special teams plagued the Burrards, as they scored four powerplay goals and an empty-netter. The Burrards, to their credit, managed to score three short-handed goals, two of them from the stick of Davis
While the Burrards struggled defensively, the team once again saw a balanced attack from their forwards, with eight different players scoring goals.
Loewen led the Burrards in scoring with a hat trick and an assist, while Davis also had four points, including two goals. Daly, Bertoia, Reid, and Giourmetakis each a goal and two assists, while Derek Lowe and Colton Porter each had two assists.
The Burrards are back home this Sunday, June 24 to take on the Nanaimo Timbermen in their first meeting of the season. The action gets underway at Planet Ice Maple Ridge at 6:45 p.m.