SAINTS BATTLE THROUGH ADVERSITY BUT FALL IN LADNER

June 20, 2026

Some nights, the story writes itself long before the final buzzer. In Ladner on Saturday, it arrived in the first period—an eyebrow‑raising match penalty to Jordan Meech that yanked the Port Coquitlam Saints straight onto their heels. From that moment on, the evening felt like a test of resolve more than a contest of skill.

The Saints barely had time to settle into their rhythm before the officials handed Meech a match penalty that left the bench stunned. The Islanders, smelling opportunity, pressed hard. Poco weathered the early storm admirably, but the tone was set: this would be a night spent grinding and clawing for every inch.

As if the early ejection wasn’t enough, the second period delivered another blow—injuries that reduced the Saints to just 15 runners on the bench. It’s rare to see a team that short‑staffed in Junior lacrosse, rarer still to see them keep pushing the way Poco did. Every shift became a marathon. Every loose ball felt like a small victory.

And still, they found offence.

Josh Mills, who seems incapable of having an ordinary night, strapped the team to his back. He buried a hat trick and added a crisp assist on Brayden Rieger’s goal, accounting for every bit of Poco’s scoring. Even with the deck stacked against them, Mills refused to let the Saints fade quietly.

Despite the scoreline, several Saints delivered performances worth circling:

• Josh Mills — 3 goals, 1 assist, and a relentless engine.
• Kris Fournier & Adam Long — 8 loose balls each, battling through traffic all night.
• Luke Neary — a monstrous 7 caused turnovers, disrupting Delta’s sets again and again.

These weren’t empty stats—they were survival stats.

Eventually, the Islanders found their stride. With Poco’s bench worn down to fumes, Delta pressed the advantage in the third, stringing together the goals that finally put the game out of reach. The Saints’ winning streak, impressive and hard‑earned, came to an end with an 8–4 final.

But context matters. This wasn’t a collapse. It was a team stretched to its limit, still swinging until the last whistle.

The Saints don’t have long to dwell. They’re back at it Friday, June 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Coquitlam, facing the Adanacs for the third time this season. Coquitlam took the first two meetings, but this Saints squad isn’t the same group they saw earlier. The hunger is sharper now. The identity is clearer. And nothing fuels a new streak like the sting of one ending.

Season Leaders – Team Stats

• Loose Balls: Luke Neary
• Caused Turnovers: Nolan Ross
• Turnovers: Josh Mills
• Blocked Shots: Levi Touhey

The Saints left Ladner bruised and frustrated—but not broken. If anything, Saturday night felt like the kind of adversity that forges a tougher team. And with the Adanacs looming, that edge might be exactly what they need.