Lakers stumble at home
On Friday, the Lakers played host to the Coquitlam Adanacs for the first and only time this season. It was a night left Coquitlam celebrating their first win of the season and sent the Lakers still searching for their first win at home.
Though the Lakers had already won the three game season series vs the Adanacs, both on the road, the most recent overtime victory was a good indicator that the Adanacs, despite coming in winless, were not a team to be taken lightly.
As has been the custom in recent Lakers first periods, the team was outscored and went into the first intermission down by one. Thought the Adanacs had enjoyed a short three-goal advantage, Scott Jones, fresh off a three game absence, tallied two power play goals less than forty seconds apart to keep the Lakers in the game.
Coquitlam opened the scoring in the second frame with two goals that were answered by former Adanac Daryl Veltman who scored two himself. While that would be the only Lakers scoring for the middle period, the Adanacs doubled with two more to close out the first forty minutes, leaving the Lakers down by three going into the third.
The third period saw the Adanacs increase their lead by one before Daryl Veltman secured his hat trick and the Lakers scored again. A three goal run led by Robert Church's two goals and the first from rookie Ryland Rees sandwiched between then seemed to breathe some life into the Lakers game and brought them within one with less than eight minutes to play. Two Coquitlam goals widened the gap again and as time ticked down, it became evident that this game was going to be another in the loss column for the Lakers. Daryl Veltman netted his fourth of the night before the final buzzer, but there was no coming back overall.
Shots in this game were 51-43 in Burnaby's favour with Eric Penney making 32 saves.
Next game: Friday, June 21st when we'll host the Langley Thunder and our own Aboriginal Day celebrations featuring an opening ceremony, ceremonial face-off and intermission entertainment.
Photo by Garrett James