PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Shamrocks Look to Dethrone Adanacs

(1) coquitlam vs. (4) victoria 

GAME 1 - SATURDAY, JULY 14 - 12:45 PM - COQUITLAM SPORTS CENTRE

GAME 2 - SUNDAY, JULY 14 - 1:00 PM - SAVE ON FOODS MEMORIAL CENTRE

GAME 3 - SATURDAY, JULY 21 - 2:00 PM - COQUITLAM SPORTS CENTRE

GAME 4 (IF NECESSARY) - SUNDAY, JULY 22 - 5:00 PM - THE Q CENTRE

GAME 5 (IF NECESSARY) - TUESDAY, JULY 24 - 6:00 PM - COQUITLAM SPORTS CENTRE

After some early-season struggles that saw the team drop two games and tie another, the Coquitlam Adanacs appear to be back to full strength, and that was before they bolstered their roster with some high-powered additions at the Trade Deadline.

Bringing in the likes of Ryland Rees and Adam Fulton give the team flexibility coming out of both the front and back gates. While Rees will likely miss the series against Victoria due to his commitments to Team Canada at the FIL World Field Championships in Netanya, Israel, the A's likely didn't bring in the veteran with an eye towards winning the league semifinal. It was a move made with an eye beyond this series, although if they don't come prepared, they could be upset by what is arguably the hottest of the four teams still left in the playoffs.

Victoria has two of the most dangerous offensive players in Canada right now in Marshal King and Braylon Lumb. Both players have been on a tear lately, but King has had one of the most impressive stretches the league has seen in a while coming into the playoffs. Fresh off a 29-point season in the NCAA with the Drexel Dragons, King has found another level since returning to the Island. He finished second in team scoring (behind Lumb) despite only playing in 11 games; he put up 31 goals and 41 assists for 71 points and did so while shooting 29%. In the season finale against the Adanacs, King showed what he can do against the best of the best, scoring three goals and adding another three assists. He also torched the Salmonbellies for 7 points and was ridiculous against the Delta Islanders, hitting double digits in assists with 10.

King and Lumb aren't the only factors to take into account for the A's, however. The team boasts impressive secondary scoring with Ben Preston and Brad McCulley having 50+ point seasons and Skyler Wilson adding 22 tallies. While Victoria will need to score goals to keep up, we all know it's defense that often wins championships, so the 'Rocks will also need a massive performance from Ontario import Cameron Dunkerley. 

The former Orangeville Northmen has found his groove recently in what has been his first in the BCJALL; he only finished with a .774 save percentage but played much better than the numbers indicate, particularly down the stretch. He made a number of key stops in the crucial win over the Salmonbellies, and while he couldn't shut the door enough to stop the A's in the season finale, he will get his chance for revenge over the next few weeks. 

The A's have sat at the perch of the Subway LacrosseTalk National Rankings for much of the year, and for good reason. Their team stats are utterly dominant and that was before they added a boatload of talent from Poco and Nanaimo. The team kills nearly 80% of penalties they get and are just as lethal on the Power Play, scoring on almost half the opportunities they get.  Fortunately for Victoria, they took the third-least amount of penalty minutes this year with 328 minutes spent in the box. 

Coquitlam also has the X-factor in almost any series they play in with Christian Del Bianco between the pipes. CDB has parlayed his success with the Junior club into a few WLA appearances already this summer, but the goal is now squared solely on winning another Minto Cup in what can be considered a down year for Ontario clubs. Del Bianco is 12-2 with a .856 save percentage and 5.60 goals allowed average, both good for top spot in the league. 

While Coquitlam likely would've preferred not to play a team that's been as good as Victoria has been over the last month, you gotta beat them all to win the Minto anyway, so it will be a good litmus test for the purple and gold, particularly to see what players draw into the lineup. If Head Coach Pat Coyle can figure out his best 18 guys relatively early, it may be game over for the rest of BC this season.