NLL Insider

The Coquitlam Adanacs earned the right to advance to the Minto Cup championship with a 4-2 series win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies last weekend. The A’s clinched the series with a Game 6 win, 6-5. It was the ‘Bellies first-loss on their home floor this post-season.

“The season was an amazing experience,” added Robert Church, who had a league-best 107-point regular season. “Being aged up was nice and it gave me a taste of how box lax is going to be for the next three years.”

“As for the hardware, the only one we want is the Minto Cup which we haven’t achieved yet,” said Church, when asked about his new titles which include BCJALL ‘09 Rookie of the Year and League MVP.

The young star, who also won the Intermediate ‘A’ scoring title in ‘08, will be starting at NCAA Drexel University in the Fall. He says after his four years of school he’d love a shot at playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).

“There isn’t really anyone I model my game after completely, but i like the way Dane Dobbie plays,” adds the 5-foot-10 Church, speaking of the senior Adanac and NLL Calgary Roughneck pro who keeps finishing near the top of league scoring charts. “It gives hope for all the little offensive guys.”

Church isn’t the only young gun on Coquitlam’s roster, however. Ben McIntosh made noise this post-season with 17 playoff goals – one more than Church. He, too, is another aged-up Intermediate ‘A’ player who has committed to NCAA Drexel University.

Note: Even without Church and McIntosh, the Coquitlam Intermediate ‘A’ squad still captured the BC Provincial title earlier this month led by top scorer Cody Craven and goalie Frankie Scigliano.

For Coquitlam Junior ‘A’ graduating players like NCAA Robert Morris University teammates Trevor Moore and Corbyn Tao, the opportunity is exciting as it will be their last chance to win at the Junior level before being promoted to the Senior ranks.

Tao also captured the ‘07 Minto Cup with Six Nations, alongside stars Cody Jamieson (NCAA Syracuse), Craig Point (NLL Rochester) and Shawn Evans (NLL Rochester).

“It’s a great feeling, getting the chance to go and play for the Minto,” added Moore, who will be making his first trip to the national championship in his last year of Junior ‘A’ lacrosse. “It’s hard to describe the feeling after the final buzzer had rang (to win the BCJALL title and advance).”

In ‘08, Coquitlam had captured the league’s regular season title but were up-set in the first-round of the playoffs.

This year, Coquitlam dominated the regular season with a 20-1 record and came through when they faced adversity. Coquitlam was tied 2-2 in a Best-of-5 series with the Burnaby Lakers and knotted up 2-2 in their Best-of-7 series with New West. In those critical games, Coquitlam played some of their best lacrosse of the year.

“We are keeping the same game plan: just going there and playing our game, we think we will match up well,” added Moore, who also broke 100-points this regular season.

Through 11 playoff games in 2009, the A’s have been led in scoring by Moore (19g, 47 points), Robert Church (16g, 42points), Ben McIntosh (17g, 28 points), Corbyn Tao (11g, 32points) and Jordan Weir (9g, 27points), another graduating Junior who aged-up with the A’s back in 2006.

“The vets are super pumped about this opportunity,” added Church. “We said at the beginning of the year this was our goal and we wanted to do it for all of our graduating players… I think we’ve got a good shot.”

“Our team is ready to go and we’re very excited for this opportunity.”

The team flies East on Friday. The A’s will join the Orangeville Northmen (OLA champ), Brampton Excelsiors (host and OLA runner-up) plus the Edmonton Eclipse (RMLL Jr. A champ).

For schedule information and to vote on who you think will win the coveted trophy, click here. The championship kicks off on Saturday, August 22. The Best-of-3 championship final is August 28-30, 2009.

An All-America at Simon Fraser and a decorated Jr. A player for Coquitlam, Kojima began covering lacrosse in 2003 and started working for Inside Lacrosse in 2007. Email him at steve.kojima@nllinsider.com or go to www.laxfuj.com.

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