Saints No Angels

Submitted by League Reporter, Jen Mutas

After dropping the first meeting with the Salmonbellies 15-6 in Port Coquitlam, the Saints were eager to get onto the wood floor at Queens Park and pick up where they left off- an emotional match up with a team who always seems to really get under their skin.

The ‘Bellies came out hard and made sure to put pressure on Poco goalie Mike Lowe early on. The Saints did a good job to compose themselves after every New West marker, and thanks to two goals from Matt Wiebe, and singles from Jordan Flaman and Scott Jones, they would find themselves only down three goals to head into the second period. Lowe would be replaced by Tyson Cornfield after eight minutes of play and five goals against, but the transition was relatively smooth and only TJ Cowx would crack Cornfield in the first.

After scoring two in the opening period, Curtis Dickson would start the middle frame with a short handed goal for New West, followed by markers from Brandon Goodwin and Ben Davies. Scott and Chris Jones would take advantage on the power play for the Saints, closing the goal gap to within two after forty minutes. Cornfield was busy in the Saints end, facing 27 shots since replacing Lowe in the first.

The third period would start with the New West bench getting called for delay of game after coming out of their dressing room late. Jordan Flaman made sure to make them pay as he rifled home a power play goal to jump start his squad in the final period. Scott Jones would complete his hat trick to tie the game at nine goals a piece, and the Saints would take control of the game and play as if losing was no option. Neil Tyacke would get pulled after Jones’ goal facing thirty two shots in just over forty minutes. After hitting two posts and controlling most of the possession after the goalie switch, Wiebe would be rewarded for Poco’s hard work and give his team the go ahead goal. New West looked like they either got really mad, or really focused; whatever the case, they decided enough was enough and countered with goals from Eric Lewthwaite, Ryan Mackay, and a beauty short handed goal from Tyler Digby. ‘Bellies Brandon Goodwin would get laid out in front of the Poco bench by James Dunbar, but after getting up and slashing Brennan Galbraith across the chest (who was still on the bench) he would leave his team a man down to end the period. Who else but Scott Jones would rise to the occasion, raise his point total, and tie the game for the Saints with just 3.4 seconds to go in the game.

Jones would continue to amaze his team and the fans by scoring again on the power play in the ten minute overtime period to give the Saints a boost, but Dickson would lean into a shot from way out to make sure Poco didn’t get too much momentum in the extra frame. Kevin Crowley would score his second of the night in the OT period on an impressive unassisted goal, but the score would end in a tie at fifteen goals a piece after Wiebe threw another past Brandon Mulligan.

Tonight’s result would be the second time in the 2009 season a game would not be resolved after ten minutes of overtime. The game would shift momentum for the first two periods with New West controlling the first, and Poco gaining composure in the second, but from the third onwards both teams played an equal game. Player of the match would have to go to Scott Jones who had an impressive night posting 12 points (5goals, 7 assists) and leading by example when the Saints needed him to. Relief goalies for both teams did a great job, Cornfield coming in and owning the game from the first period, and Mulligan coming in late in the match to stymie the red hot Poco offense in the third. The game didn’t have any shortage of emotion, especially in the final and OT period, which made for excellent ‘edge of your seat’ lacrosse. Some teams might be frustrated with a tie after playing seventy minutes of ball, but those odd number point totals might just help some teams in the stretch to the playoffs and beyond.