Some second-period struggles and penalty problems proved costly as the Langley Junior B Thunder saw their season come to an end on Thursday night.
Playing the Port Coquitlam Saints at the Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex in the third and deciding game of the BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League quarter-finals, a late Langley rally fell short, 10-9.
Half of the Port Coquitlam goals came with a Thunder player in the penalty box.
In games one and two, Langley trailed 4-0 and 3-0, losing the former 7-6 while winning the latter 10-6. But in game three, the Thunder special teams staked them to a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal from Chase Moore and a short-handed marker from Kyle Brunsch.
Langley led 3-2 after one period but Port Coquitlam opened the middle frame with five of the next six goals to take a 7-5 lead after 40 minutes. The Thunder battled back to tie the score at seven, but the Saints power-play responded with three straight goals and Langley’s late rally ran out of time.
Moore finished with five goals in the losing cause while Brunsch, Trevayne Hunter, Matthew Abbott and Tristan Kirkham had a goal apiece.
Port Coquitlam, the fourth seed, now advances to play the top-seed Victoria Shamrocks in the semifinals.
