Shawn Slaght
All Lacrosse All the Time – A Division of the Edge of Philly Sports Network
What a Western Lacrosse Association debut for Chase Scanlan with the Langley Thunder, as he scored the game-winning goal in the third period.
Scanlan picked up a sock trick as the Thunder downed the Maple Ridge Burrards 13-12 at Cam Neeley Arena on Sunday night in Maple Ridge.
The Thunder remain without two of their greatest weapons was Dane Dobbie was just knocked out of the NLL playoffs this weekend and Connor Robinson is heading to the NLL championship with the Colorado Mammoth.
Stepping to the plate were Scanlan as well as veteran Robert Church with four goals and two assists.
Thunder take the early first-period lead
The Thunder drew first blood in this match with Erik Maas finding the back of the net 1:55 into the game. Maple Ridge’s Ryan Jones would tie it up at 4:27.
Church would score at 9:53 to begin a four-goal run for the Thunder. Scanlan would score twice and Church would add another within 1:17 timeframe to give Langley a 5-1 advantage.
The Burrards stopped the momentum at 13:42 with a goal by Gordie Phillips. The Thunder’s Keegan Bell answered right back at 16:46 to make it 6-2.
Rhys Blake and Garrett Winter score 28 seconds apart for Maple Ridge.
The Langley Thunder held a 6-4 lead after the first period.
Burrards come back in the second
Maple Ridge started off the second frame with three straight goals within the first 1:27 of the period. Mitch McDole struck twice and Brett Kujala added one for the Burrards as they took their first lead in the game 7-6.
Scanlan would capitalize on a McDole slashing call at the 3:43 mark to tie the game in a low-scoring second period.
The game was tied 7-7 after two periods of play.
Scanlan scores the game-winning goal in the third
Scanlan would score 50 seconds into the third and final quarter as the Thunder regained the lead.
However, Langley just couldn’t pull away from Maple Ridge. Jones and Dennon Armstrong put the Burrards back in front 9-8.
Church would get the Thunder back on even terms at 6:27 and Scanlan give Langley a 10-9 lead. Church increased that lead at 10:03 with a highlight reel over-the-shoulder shot that found the back of the net.
An untimely cross-checking penalty by Langley’s Declan Fitzpatrick at 10:53 put Maple Ridge on the power play. With the man advantage winding down, Kujala would score to get the Burrards back within one.
Phillips would score 1:07 later and suddenly this game was knotted at 11-11. Curtis Dickson and James Baker exchanged goals and for a while, it looked like overtime was looming.
With 2:31 remaining in regulation, Scanlan completed his sock trick, which proved to be the game-winning goal.
Gordon Bowden picked up the win in goal, stopping 32 of 44 shots. Brandon Humphrey was between the pipes for the Burrards and stopped 39 of 52 shots.
Faceoffs were pretty evenly split. Nathan Bell was 14 of 28 at the face-off dot for Langley. Phillips was 13 of 27 for the Burrards and Nick Scott won one draw.
Top scorers
Langley
Chase Scanlan, 6g
Robert Church, 4g 2a
Declan Fitzpatrick, 4a
Maple Ridge
Ryan Jones, 2g 3a
Dennon Armstrong, 1g 4a
Garrett Winter, 1g 4a
James Baker, 1g 4a
Don’t Forget To Check Out Our New Show On Edge of Philly Sports Network!
Shawn Slaght has been a sports reporter across the Canadian prairies for over 10 years and has experience covering everything from junior hockey to World Cup skiing to all levels of lacrosse. He is the Saskatchewan correspondent for All Lacrosse All The Time.
Latest Articles
2023-24 Player Spotlight: Travis Sanheim/ Marc StaalFlyers
Phillies Clinched the Top NL Wild Card SpotPhillies
National Lacrosse League Adopts Unified Standings Format and Updated Playoff Structure for the 2023-24 SeasonLacrosse, NLL
2023-24 Player Spotlight Tyson FoersterFlyers
Schreiber The Hero As Archers Outlast Waterdogs For The PLL TitleLacrosse, PLL
