Thunder hope road game can bust slump

Aidan Milburn and the Langley Thunder are off to Coquitlam on June 15 looking to get back in the win column. Garrett James Langley Events Centre photo

One team is hoping a change in venues can spark something while the other is introducing a new coaching staff as a pair of struggling Senior A lacrosse squads look to salvage their seasons.

The former is the Langley Thunder, who are 0-4 at home, but 1-1 as the visitors and after going winless through four consecutive home games at Langley Events Centre, will be the road team on Saturday (June 15) night in Coquitlam at the Palace on Poirier.

Their opponent is the Coquitlam Adanacs, who have replaced their coaching staff following an 0-5 start to the Western Lacrosse Association season.

The Thunder should also be the fresher of the two squads with a couple of days off between games while the Adanacs (0-5) also play the night before in Burnaby versus the Lakers.

And while the Adanacs may be winless on the season, they did give the Lakers (5-1) all they could handle in the teams’ last game, which was won by Burnaby, 10-9 in overtime, the first game to be decided in the WLA’s new three-on-three sudden-death overtime format.

Statistically, the numbers favour the Thunder.

Langley has the edge in terms of goals for and against, coming in at fifth (7.33) in the former and sixth (11.637) in the latter while the Adanacs are sixth in goals for and seventh in goals against.

The Thunder also have the advantage in the special teams’ game with a power play operation at 42.42 per cent (fourth) and the penalty kill at 44.44 per cent (sixth). By comparison, Coquitlam is sixth (26.67 per cent) with the man up and seventh when a man down (44 per cent).

Connor Robinson and Dane Dobbie have begun developing some chemistry up front for the Thunder and the pair have combined for 15 points in their past two games. For the season, Robinson leads the team with 10 goals and 21 points while Brad McCulley and James Rahe each have 14 points.

Steve Fryer has played the bulk of the minutes in the Langley goal, boasting a 9.88 goals against average and an .826 save percentage with the latter placing his fifth in the WLA.

Matt Delmonico leads the A’s with seven goals and 16 points, but he is the lone Coquitlam player in double digit points. First overall pick Christian Del Bianco has posted an .820 save percentage while manning the net for the Adanacs in three of the five games.

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For more information:

Gary Ahuja, Langley Events Centre, 604.613.5242 (cell), 604.455.8830 (office) or email.