Coquitlam opened the WLA semi-finals with a 11-9 win over the Shamrocks before a sell-out crowd at Bear Mountain to take a 1-0 series lead in their best of seven series.
Lading the way were trend setters Jason Jones and Dane Dobbie as together they combined for 11 points. Jones had 1 goal and 5 assists for a 6 point night and Dobbie managed a hat trick (3 goals) and added 3 assists.
Coquitlam controlled the first period by a 4-2 margin but the Shamrocks tallied first in the contest having Shatler burry one at 7:25 into the game.
The Adanacs replied and scored 4 straight as Dobbie got his first of two in the period just 23 seconds after Shatler’s goal to even the game at one.
Jones gave the visitors a 2-1 lead with 4:15 remaining in the first only to be followed by Dobbie’s second of the night 1:33 later.
Olson made it 4-1 with 2:21 left but not before letting Victoria’s Shatler grab one with 35 seconds left on a PP taking a 4-2 lead to the dressing room after one.
The second saw Victoria’s Cory Small get them within one a mere 47 seconds in cutting lead to 4-3. Jones got his second of the night and restored the two goal lead at 7:13.
Dobbie buried his third extended the lead to 5-3 and Olson hammered home his second doubling the lead to 6-3. Harnett and Jones for Coquitlam doubled the lead on the Shamrocks scoring goals 1:24 apart extending the lead to a commanding 9-4 margin.
Victoria’s Lowe got them within three scoring unassisted tally with 5 minutes left in the period. After two Coquitlam had a solid 9-5 heading to the last 20 minutes – not counting any possibility of OT.
Victoria’s Small got his second for the Shamrocks 18 seconds into the third getting his squad to within a three.
Not to be outdone Jones got his third on the nigh putting the visitors up 10-6 with a short 7 minutes on the clock. Victoria’s Yager, Lowe and Benesch somehow put three past the keeper to make things interesting cut the lead to 10-9. Edwards got the winner with 28 seconds remaining in regulation making the final 11-9 taking a one game to none in the best of seven semi-finals.
Shots in the game were 57-39 for Victoria as Adanacs goalkeeper Nick Rose finished with 48 saves while Matt Flindell started for Victoria but was pulled at the 23 minute mark giving up 7 goals on 19 shots. He was replaced by former Coquitlam “tender” Chris Levis who finished with 16 saves.
Game two goes on Wednesday August 8th at the Coquitlam Sports Centre at 7:45pm and game three see’s the clubs travel back in Victoria where the game is set for Friday August 10th at 7:45pm.