Lakers first goal of the year a thing of beauty

It took 22 minutes and 40 seconds for Jason Jones to score the first goal of the Western Lacrosse Association season for the Burnaby Lakers in 2016.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="400"] Jason Jones scored 19 goals for the Burnaby Lakers this season, including the club's first of the year in an 8-6 win over Coquitlam in the WLA season opener. Garrett James photo[/caption]

The crafty lefthander took advantage of a hesitation by rookie Jaeden Gastaldo and got behind the Coquitlam defence to score the marker on his wrong side off a short pass from teammate Dane Stevens and an initial setup from Scott Jones to start the second period.

Jason Jones would go on to tally a hat trick, including the eventual game-winning goal scored early in the final period from Scott Jones and junior call-up Chase Fraser, to earn the first star mention in the WLA season opener.

Jason Jones garnered four game stars through the 2016 season, including three first-star nods. Jones also matched his 2015 goal output with another 19-goal season for the Lakers.

Burnaby finished the regular season with a total of 151 goals and earned a spot in the playoffs, finishing fourth overall in league standings with a record of 10-7-1.

After finishing the season on a 6-3-1 run, the Lakers surprised the league champion Victoria Shamrocks by taking the defending Mann Cup champion to a seventh and final game in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out of the post season.