The Langley Thunder, fighting for their playoff lives, took it out on the Coquitlam Adanacs Wednesday night at the Langley Events Centre.
The Thunder put themselves into playoff position in the Western Lacrosse Association standings by trouncing the Adanacs 15-2.
The win improved Langley’s record to 9-8 as the Thunder moved into a three-way tie for third place in the WLA standings with the Burnaby Lakers (also 9-8) and the Maple Ridge Burrards, who are 9-9 and finished for the regular season.
The Burrards’ playoff hopes are in the hands of the Thunder and Lakers, who both have one game to go in their respective seasons.
The Thunder will look to clinch a playoff spot in their final game of the regular season on Friday night, when they head to Victoria to play the league-leading Shamrocks.
The frontrunning Shamrocks (13-4) and second place New Westminster Salmonbellies (11-6) have locked up the first two playoff spots in the WLA.
The remaining two teams they’ll meet in the opening round of the playoffs will be decided by weekend’s end.
The Adanacs (6-11) and Nanaimo Timbermen (3-14) will be on the outside looking in as they round out the bottom of the standings.
On Wednesday, the Thunder led 4-1 after the first period and scored the only seven goals of the middle frame to take a commanding 11-1 lead.
The Thunder continued to dominate in the third period, scoring four goals to the Adanacs’ one.
Patrick Saunders led the Thunder’s offence with five goals and an assist, and was named the game’s first star.
Alex Turner (three goals, four assists) and Lewis Ratcliff (one goal, five assists) also had big games offensively for Langley.
Anthony Malcom, Athan Iannucci, Matt Kristiansen, Steve Hinek, Matt Leveque, and Jacob Ruest rounded out the list of Langley goal-scorers.
Brodie MacDonald had a relatively easy night in the Langley cage, stopping 26 of 28 shots fired his way as the Thunder outshot the Adanacs 63-28.
