WLA 
Game Preview: Thunder control playoff fate
The math is simple for the Langley Thunder: win or tie and their season will extend into the Western Lacrosse Association playoffs.
The Thunder are at home tonight (Wednesday, July 31) at 7:30pm at Langley Events Centre as they face the Burnaby Lakers in the final regular season game for both Senior A lacrosse clubs.
But while the Lakers (5-11-1, 11 points) know they are done after tonight, the Thunder (7-9-1, 15 points) can clinch the fourth and final playoff spot by earning at least a single point.
The game also has some significance off the floor as the Thunder will auction off their special game-worn jerseys will all of the proceeds benefiting the Tessa Beauchamp Foundation. Bids will be accepted until the end of the second intermission and those whose bids are successful, will get the chance to meet the player on the floor and have the jersey autographed.
The jerseys were sponsored by Mike Vanichuk Transport Co. Ltd. and produced by X-Treme Threads.
Langley is coming off back-to-back losses as they fell in both ends of a home-and-home series with the first place (and undefeated) Victoria Shamrocks, losing 11-6 at Langley Events Centre on July 24 and then the rematch at Victoria’s Q Centre on July 28 by a 10-8 score, with the final goal going into the empty net.
The Lakers are on a three-game losing streak with their most recent setback a 13-9 loss on the road to the Nanaimo Timbermen.
This is the third meeting between Langley and the Lakers with Burnaby winning 11-9 on May 31 before the Thunder prevailed 9-8 on June 28. Both those games were played at Burnaby’s Bill Copeland Arena.
In the season series so far, Langley’s Chase Scanlan has put up six points in each of the games for a total of eight goals and four assists while the Lakers have been led by Ben McDonald, who had a hat trick and six points in his team’s win and then four goals in the most recent meeting.
Scanlan leads the Thunder with 33 goals, 34 assists and 67 points while Charles Scanlan (16 goals, 32 assists in 16 games) and Robert Church (25 goals, 23 assists in 10 games) are tied for second with 48 points. Robinson has suited up in just eight games but has 31 points (9 goals, 22 assists) in that span for 3.9 points per game, which is third on the team behind Church (4.8) and Chase Scanlan (4.5).
Both Church (third) and Scanlan (fifth) are top five in the league for points per game.
McDonald leads Burnaby in goals (41) and points (68) with Jacob Dunbar second on the team with 30 goals and 66 points.
For special teams, Langley is second on the penalty kill (.633) and third on the power play (.417) while Burnaby is fifth on the man advantage (.362) and sixth when short-handed (.548).
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