NLL Insider

Rookie Robert Church lands major BC hardware, plus the rest of the winners

The British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League has released their award winners for the ‘09 regular season, Coquitlam’s Robert Church landing both the province’s rookie of the year nod and even more impressively MVP honours as well.

Church led BC in scoring during his first full season of Jr. A lacrosse, his 107 points just enough to edge out teammate and post-season MVP, Trevor Moore (102).

It was the first time since ‘74, and maybe the only ever time, that a rookie led BC in scoring, the legendary Kevin Alexander doing the same with 159 points playing with Victoria in his first season of junior ball. READ MORE »

A New Champ Will Be Crowned This Weekend

There was a point in last night’s BC Jr. A final game 5, where you thought the New Westminster Salmonbellies were going to walk into the Palace on Poirier and steal a victory from the Coquitlam Adanacs. Then Robert Church scored a power play goal half way through the second to tie the score and send then A’s on a four goal outburst over the next five minutes to put the game away. Sure at that point it only made the score 2-2 but in the tightest defensive game of the series it was more than enough. READ MORE »

BCJALL: Coquitlam and New West, knotted up at 2-2 in Best-of-7 Final

The Coquitlam Adanacs and New Westminster Salmonbellies are all tied up at 2-2 in their Best-of-7 series for the B.C. Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League (BCJALL) title. Each game has been won by the home team, with the ‘Bellies pulling off a crucial 10-6 win on Tuesday night. The two teams are right back at it on Wednesday with a game that can also be seen live from the junioradanacs.com starting at 8pm PST.

“These are two very close teams. We match-up to each other very, very well – from goaltending on out,” added Coquitlam GM Ken Wood. “What you’re seeing right now is what a finals should be… You’re seeing a hell of a struggle, a lot of warriors.”

After the jump, hear more feedback from Game 4 and vote on who you think will come out on top in this great BCJALL final. READ MORE »

Curtis Dickson game-time decision, Tyler Digby also sidelined

For anyone tracking the BCJALL’s intense final series between the Coquitlam Adanacs and New Westminster Salmonbellies, there are definitely a couple glaring omissions from recent box scores that sees the Bellies down two high profile forwards.

Junior of the Year finalist and high scoring Delaware stud, Curtis Dickson, was in the stands for last night’s 11-7 loss to Coquitlam in Game 3, New West GM Doug Zack confirming with NLL Insider earlier today that the team’s second highest regular season goal scorer was out with what the team is describing as an “upper body” injury.

Dickson, who already has 27 points in eight playoff games so far this summer, which has included five goals in the initial two games of the Bellies’ series against the Adanacs, will be a game-time decision for the team when they take the floor tomorrow night for a pivotal Game 4 of the best-of-seven series (Queens Park Arena 8PM local time). READ MORE »

Games of the Week: Minto Cup action heats up

The playoffs keep rollin’ on and players keep grindin’ it out. As the summer winds down, players begin to feel the wear and tear that a full season of box takes on the body. But players keep pushing through it in their efforts to make it to the Minto Cup tournament. With two teams in Ontario having punched their tickets already, B.C. and Alberta contenders stand locked at 1-1 in both their series as they battle to see who will represent their respective province. These same match-ups continue on into this week’s ‘Games to Watch’ as they certainly are games to watch. Man I love the playoffs. Check these out: READ MORE »

Game 1’s Done, Hurry Up Game 2!!

When the 2009 BC Junior A Finals kicked off Tuesday night there was a bit of tension in the air. You could see that New Westminster was all business in its approach during warm-up. While Coquitlam came in with the confident swagger of a team wise beyond its years, you could still sense some apprehension. Once the line-ups were announced, the anthem was sung and the opening face-off was blown in, all the tension turned into 60 minutes of some of the best lacrosse I’ve seen! READ MORE »

BCJALL: Adanacs vs Salmonbellies, ‘09 Final

The Coquitlam Adanacs and New Westminster Salmonbellies will meet in a best-of-seven playoff series for the B.C. Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League (BCJALL) Title. The series kicks off Tuesday, August 4 in Coquitlam in a game that can also be viewed online from the junioradanacs.com.

READ MORE »

Junior A Lacrosse Games of the Week: Six Teams Remain in Hunt for Minto Cup

With the lacrosse season now over for some teams, there will be guys getting ready to go back to school in the States and begin focusing on NCAA field lacrosse. But for six teams in Canada, there is only one thing on each player’s mind: the Minto Cup. The National Championship of Jr. A lacrosse is one of the most prized trophies in the box lacrosse world.

READ MORE »

One Hot Night In Coquitlam

The barn was packed, the boys were ready, the refs were ready, high above the floor we were ready to call the game, the only thing missing was the A/C! Game 5 of BC Junior A semis between the Coquitlam Adanacs and the Burnaby Lakers was one of the hottest games I have ever watched and everyone from the coaches to the fans and of course the players felt the heat. Nothing makes 37 degree temperatures even more mind melting than the do or die scenario of game 5. Coquitlam, having lost only one game all regular season found themselves having lost the last two games in the series and desperately trying to find a way to keep the Lakers from a dramatic comeback. In game 5 they put their foot down with a size 15 steel-toe boot. READ MORE »

BCJALL: Getting to the Good Stuff Faster

Jen Mutas of the British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League checks in with NLL Insider with a special report currently available on the league’s website, bcjunioralacrosse.com. Check out the site for more on this past season’s Jr. A season and complete coverage on the West’s final between the Coquitlam Adanacs and New Westminster Salmonbellies.

Growing almost as fast as the talent in the BC Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League, is the development by executives to make sure the league is as advanced as possible. With the increasing success of the midget draft over the last three years, the concentration has now shifted to what happens at the end of the season—playoffs. READ MORE »