FINALS PREVIEW: Adanacs and 'Bellies Battle Once Again

(1) COQUITLAM v. (2) NEW WESTMINSTER

COQUITLAM WON SEASON SERIES 2-1

BEST-OF-7 SERIES

GAME 1 - WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 - 8 PM - QPA

GAME 2 - FRIDAY, JULY 27 - 7:30 PM - COQUITLAM SPORTS CENTRE

GAME 3 - SUNDAY, JULY 29 - 7:30 PM - COQUITLAM SPORTS CENTRE

GAME 4 - TUESDAY, JULY 31 - 8 PM - QPA

DATES FOR GAMES 5, 6 & 7 (IF NECESSARY) WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW

As BCJALL Finals broadcaster Brad Challoner put it on Twitter, it wouldn't be summer in BC without the Adanacs and Salmonbellies doing battle to clinch a spot in the Minto Cup. 

The two rivals have been the prominent clubs in the BCJALL for upwards of a decade now, and more times than not, Coquitlam has finished on top. Despite struggling in the early part of the season, the A's have been on an absolute tear to finish out the regular season and will be considered a heavy favourite to win a provincial championship once again. 

WATCH THE BCJALL FINALS ON PPV WITH PLAYFULLSCREEN

It will be the Salmonbellies trying to play spoiler through a deep offence and great goaltending. While the 'Bellies may not be as well-rounded as last year's team, there may be even more quality coming out of the front gate in this edition of the Finals, and last season's BCJALL Goaltender of the Year Erik Kratz has been every bit as dominant as when he beat out Coquitlam 'tender Christian Del Bianco for the award in 2017. 

Deadline additions made by both teams have given them even more firepower and depth. Coquitlam focused on keeping a strong balance through their team while still adding the league's second-leading scorer in Dylan Foulds, who already had 23 goals and 79 points in 15 games before donning the yellow and gold, joining from Port Coquitlam. The 'Bellies elected to add Langley's Nathaniel Kozevnikov among others, knowing that goals will be at a premium, but still bolstered their back-end, which may have been the biggest question mark on the team. The more guys New West could add to keep up with the Adanacs, the better. 

Goals at a Premium

New West and Coquitlam breezed through their opening-round series on the backs of some dominant defensive work by some underappreciated workhorses. The two clubs allowed just 25 goals between them (NW 11, COQ 14) in sweeps of Port Coquitlam and Victoria. Even with the competition stepping up an extra notch in quality, goals will still be hard to come by, and the outcome of this BCJALL Final will largely come down to who is willing to get to the dirty areas, score the goals you need to find an extra gear and shut things down on D.

The league's two best goaltenders will be minding the cages, which adds another layer of difficulty to how teams will find the goals required. Expect the goals to continue to stay low; in 42 combined games, the two teams only allowed 292 goals, an average of 6.95 goals allowed per game. Kratz and CDB were two workhorses again, and given it's the last shot for either of them, you can expect some stellar performances. 

 HOW DO CDB & ERIK KRATZ COMPARE?

Maintaining Momentum

Victoria may have been the 4th-ranked team heading to the BCJALL playoffs, but they were tricky opposition for Coquitlam because of the momentum they built heading into the showdown. They even went up in a couple of games, but the Adanacs showed all of the championship pedigree in shutting the door. The Shamrocks would go goalless for 33 and 32 minutes in Games 1 and 2, en route to some close losses. It shows you just how hard it will be for the 'Bellies to find the back of the net against such a deep defensive team. 

But if any team can break Coquitlam's habit of going on game-changing offensive runs, it will be New West, who is stocked with dynamic talent. Returning just in time for the Finals is Tre Leclaire, fresh off a silver medal at the 2018 FIL World Field Championships. He led the way for NW this season with 87 points in 18 games, but a look at the amount of guys who chipped in to get on the scoresheet against the Saints while he was in Israel shows it's not just a one-man show.

Ryan Jones was also acquired at the deadline from the Delta Islanders and has arguably made the most impact of any of the Deadline acquisitions. He had 13 points in three playoff games, and with plenty of experience after heading to the SIx Nation Arrows last season, he will be expected to come up in big moments for New West as well. 

Another guy returning from Israel, Ryland Rees, will be one of many keyed upon by the A's coaching staff to help keep the big guns from scoring at bay, alongside the likes of Reid Bowering and acquisitions Tyson Kirkness and Graydon Bradley. 

In 2 of their 3 previous meetings, the Adanacs have gone on five-goal runs that New West will be hopeful to put an end to. 

Prediction - Coquitlam in 7 

While New West has put together one of their strongest squads in years, it's hard to bet against the A's in this one. The depth and talent are similar on both sides, but you can argue Coquitlam just has that experience and pedigree that will see them through any adversity that faces them along the way. 

Christian Del Bianco will be especially key in this series as he looks to cement himself as one of the most successful goaltenders in BC Junior lacrosse history. Having already carved out a Minto Cup, as well as  starting role with the NLL's Calgary Roughnecks, winning a second Minto title would be the icing on the cake of a spectacular career. 

You don't expect the 'Bellies to go down without a fight at the same time. They will be right in this series until the very end, no matter what the final outcome. As much as CDB will be key for the A's, Erik Kratz may have to be even better. He will likely have memories of last year's difficult ending and be ready to put an end to  Coquitlam's reign as BC's best.  

The BCJALL Finals will be broadcasted live on PPV through PlayFullScreen. You can find their website here: http://playfullscreen.com/