Adanacs top Thunder 12-7

Langley Thunder's Bailey Vanichuk scored three times but his team fell 12-7 to the visiting Coquitlam Adanacs in BC Junior A Lacrosse League action at Langley Events Centre on June 22. Gary Ahuja LEC photo

A 12-7 loss to the first-place Coquitlam Adanacs has the Langley Thunder’s flickering playoff hopes now nearly extinguished.

The Thunder fell on Thursday night at Langley Events Centre to the top team in the BC Junior A Lacrosse League. That loss – coupled with a devastating 10-9 overtime defeat on Saturday in Nanaimo against the third-place Timbermen – leaves Langley with a 4-11-1 record, their nine points placing them in seventh place, eight points back of the playoff bar.

And even if Langley were to win their remaining five games, there are two teams ahead of them in the chase for the fourth and final playoff spot, meaning the Thunder would be relying on the results of all the other games falling their way.

In Thursday’ contest, Coquitlam scored five of the first six goals, leading 5-2 after a period and 11-5 through 40 minutes. The third period featured just three combined goals, with two of those belonging to the Thunder.

Final shots in the game were also quite lopsided as Coquitlam fired 64 shots on goal on the tandem of Brayden Wandler and Deklan Morrison, while Langley managed just 36.

Wandler got the start and made 17 saves on 24 shots before Morrison took over, finishing with 35 saves on 40 shots, an .875 save percentage. Offensively, the team was led by Bailey Vanichuk’s hat trick while Cody Malawsky finished with four points, on a goal and three helpers. Declan Fitzpatrick scored twice and Ben Gagnon had one goal to complete the scoring.

Thomas Ungaro stopped 29 shots in the Adanacs net while Jack Charbonneau (1+3), Robert Turpin (2+2) and Jaxon Dillon (1+3) each had four-point games.

Up next for Langley is a visit to the Ladner Leisure Centre on June 24 (8:00pm) to face the Delta Islanders. The game is the start of a home-and-home series for the two clubs with the return match set for June 29 at 7:00pm at Langley Events Centre.

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