Lakers victorious in season opener

Saturday night provided just the start to the season that the Lakers had been hoping for - a victorious one. The team faced the Coquitlam Adanacs in the first outing of the season for both squads.

The first period started off slow while the teams felt each other out and got their bearings on the new season. After twenty minutes and Laker goals from captain Dane Stevens and Robert Church, the score was tied at two.

Both teams looked more comfortable as they came out after the first intermission and the game picked up from there. The Adanacs went up with two quick goals early in the period and the Lakers found themselves trailing 4-2. This deficit propelled the Lakers into game mode and fans could see the shift as they warmed up and took control of the game. Once that happened, it didn't take long to turn things around with Scott Jones getting his first goal of the season and Church getting his second goal of the night. Daryl Veltman scored the go ahead goal with his first as a Laker and Stevens followed up with his second. Robert Church completed his hat trick before second intermission, making it 7-4. Coquitlam eked out one more goal in the second period just as the shot clock sounded with only seconds left on the game clock.

The third period was all Burnaby. The team put up four goals and held the Adanacs to none of their own. Church added two more, Jones scored his second and Stevens secured his own hat trick with the final goal of the game. The Lakers won this one 11-5.

Eric Penney was outstanding in net, saving 49 of the 54 shots he faced. Robert Church put up five goals and was credited with three assists. Dave Stevens and Scott Jones both had five points on the score sheet. Daryl Veltman had four.

The three stars of the game were:

  1. Robert Church
  2. Eric Penney
  3. Wes Berg

Next up for the Lakers: the Langley Thunder. That game takes place at the Langley Events Centre on Wednesday, May 29th at 7:30pm. As a special fundraiser promotion, A&W root beer floats will be on sale with proceeds going to support Kidsport Langley.

Home opener: the Lakers home opener is still nearly two weeks away. Burnaby will host its first game of the 2019 WLA season at Bill Copeland Arena on Friday, June 7th at 7:30pm. 

Photo credit: Garrett James