The Langley Junior Thunder are through to round two.
The Thunder scored a decisive 13-2 victory on Friday (July 12) at the Poco Rec Centre over the Port Coquitlam Saints in game two to win their best-of-three B.C. Junior Lacrosse League quarter-final series 2-0 (see below).
Langley won the first game 14-10.
It sets up a best-of-five semifinal series against second-seed New Westminster, which begins tonight (Tuesday) at Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminster. Game two is Thursday at the Langley Events Centre at 8 p.m.
The other semifinal pits top-seed Coquitlam against No. 4 Victoria.
Langley was the third seed following a regular season which saw them go 14-7.
“I thought we had a pretty legitimate shot to make top two, but we ran into some pretty serious injury trouble about three quarters of the way through the season and weren’t quite able to get over the hump against Coquitlam or New West,” said Thunder coach Jake Elliott.
“But I think we are right where we want to be now and very close to being 100 per cent healthy and feeling pretty good about ourselves.”
The Thunder also made the league semifinals last year, before being eliminated, and Elliott says the players can build on that.
“It is just experience that you can’t buy,” he said.
“It is something that these guys have gone through now — most of them at least — that leaves a sour taste in your mouth and makes you realize how bad you really want it.
“And probably, more importantly than anything, what it is going to take to get over the hump.”
Both Coquitlam and New Westminster had first-round byes in the quarter-finals.
The winners of the semifinal series will battle it out for the league title and will also be guaranteed spots in the Minto Cup junior A national championships, which will be held at New Westminster’s Queen’s Park Arena.
