On a sweltering summer day, the Port Coquitlam Saints scored a last second goal to edge the New Westminster Salmonbellies 10-9 in a thrilling Junior B lacrosse game at the Sunshine Coast Arena last Saturday.
A close game ended with .1 second left on the clock as the Saints scored off a rebound.
Andrew Murphy was Poco's triggerman capping a great game, which saw Murphy lead Poco with two goals and two assists.
"That's Murph," said Poco head coach Glen Pollock after the game. "He has a nose for the ball and an eye for the net. He's been a true force for us all season long."
The game, hosted by the Sunshine Coast Rapids Lacrosse Association, was a rescheduled league game for both teams. The intensity was high all afternoon, which made for a hard-hitting, entertaining contest for the fans.
After getting the feel for each other in the first five minutes, eight goals were scored in the final 15 minutes of the first period, which ended in a 4-4 tie.
The teams traded goals back and forth in the second until Poco broke through with a pair less than two minutes apart to lead 7-5.
It looked like the two-goal margin would stand up at intermission until New West scored a pair in 35 seconds to tie the game again.
Both teams traded goals in the final 1:15 of the period and headed to the locker room tied 8-8.
The third period was reserved for a great goaltending duel between Poco's Ryan Ward and Chris Donahue from New West. Both keepers made some brilliant saves, keeping the score close.
New West pulled ahead just under two minutes into the third to take a 9-8 lead. Had it not been for Ward, New West probably would have scored four or five more.
Poco kept pressing and got a break with four minutes to play as Dustin Patrick stole the ball and broke in on a breakaway while the Saints were shorthanded. Patrick didn't miss and tied the game 9-9 to the jubilation of the Saints bench.
It looked like the game would end in a tie, but New West ran into penalty trouble late in the game. With a two-man advantage, Poco fired a barrage of shots at Donahue, who was equal to the task.
Poco took a timeout with seven seconds left to draw up a play, and it worked, with Murphy playing the hero.
"The guys played very hard today and never gave up," added Pollock.
"We've had some real battles with those guys all season long. We had a wonderful time here today. I hope the fans enjoyed the contest. We certainly enjoyed the hospitality."
This is the second straight year New West has come to Sechelt for a game. Last year West Shore was the opposition.
Rapids association president Jessica Huntington said she was very happy with the turnout.
"It was an exceptionally hot day to be in the arena, so to get such a good turnout was great," she said. "We had a nice mix of people who have kids in lacrosse and people who just walked in the door that day to take in the game. It was a great game. Both teams were very happy with the organization and the barbecue afterwards. We're looking forward to them coming back next year."
Huntington said both teams have indicated they would like to be back with a couple of other teams and make a whole weekend out of it. Included would be a round-robin tournament and a skills clinic put on by the players and coaches for Rapids players. Huntington said if the plan works out, the weekend would be held at the start of the season, rather than at the end.
"If we can be back, we certainly will. The hospitality was tremendous," added Pollock.
