Great goalie performance helps Tier 1 Langley Thunder to series win

Dryden Recsky did a little bit of everything on Tuesday night.

For starters, the goaltender did his main job: stopping shots, finishing with 32 saves. But the cherry on top was an empty-net goal in the final minute of an 11-7 victory over the host Maple Ridge Burrards at Cam Neely Arena in game two of the best-of-three BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League playoffs. Recsky also finished with a pair of assists for the three-point night.

Coupled with Langley’s 10-8 victory the night before, the Thunder advance to the next round of the Mainland Division playoffs.

Josh Bramley opened the scoring less than 90 seconds into game two and after Maple Ridge pulled even a few minutes later, the Thunder struck in the final minute of the period as Tristan Kirkham scored the first of his three goals in the game.

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The Burrards opened the middle frame with two goals 78 seconds apart but their advantage was short-lived with Curtis Goode tying the game at three 13 seconds later. The rest of the period would be even with each team netting three goals to head to the locker room tied at six.

After neither team could find the back of the net for the first eight minutes of the third period, Braiden Struss would give Langley the lead for good, followed by Kirkham’s second of the night. Maple Ridge pulled back within a goal with 7:52 to play, the Thunder sealed the deal with goals 10 seconds apart from Kanen and Kai Maenpaa before Recsky scored into the empty net.

Kirkham (three goals, one assist) and Hunter (one goal, three assists) each had four-point games while Bailey Vanichuk (one goal, one assist), Struss (one goal, one assist) and Bramley (two goals) also had multi-point games.

The Thunder now face the Coquitlam Adanacs in the next round of the Mainland Division playoffs with game one set for Langley Events Centre on Sunday (August 8) at 7:30 p.m. The game can be streamed for free at www.tfsetv.ca.