SAINTS SPLIT WEEK TWO ACTION WITH STRONG PERFORMANCE

Week two of the season brought both triumph and tenacity for your Port Coquitlam Saints, who earned a decisive 15-9 victory over the Burnaby Lakers on Wednesday night before returning home to face a revamped New Westminster Salmonbellies squad in front of a growing home crowd.

Wednesday’s matchup against the Lakers began with a defensive stalemate, with the Saints edging out a narrow 2-1 lead after the first period. The second period saw both teams push the tempo, trading goals to end the frame tied 6-6. It was in the third where the Saints broke things open, launching a five-goal run that shifted momentum and sealed the 15-9 victory.

Offensively, the Saints saw contributions from across the roster, with nine different players finding the back of the net. Lincoln Wall led the charge with a stellar 7-point performance, while Andrew Cowan added 5 points of his own. Between the pipes, Ashton Brown was rock-solid, turning aside 53 shots for a .830 save percentage.

The Saints returned to the Port Coquitlam Community Centre on Friday night for their second home game of the season. Estimates suggest attendance surpassed that of the season opener, as fans packed the stands to see the Saints face a retooled New Westminster Salmonbellies lineup filled with fresh talent.

In a tightly contested game, the Saints found themselves trailing 1-2 after a defensive first period. Despite strong efforts, the Bellies managed to outscore the Saints by a single goal in each of the final two frames, handing PoCo a tough 9-12 loss.

Josh Mills returned to the lineup after an early exit against Burnaby and made an immediate impact, tallying 2 goals and 2 assists. Transition player Levi Touhey was a standout, scoring two key transition goals to keep the Saints in contention throughout the game.

Defensively, the Saints continue to show promise. Over the last three games, Joel Mullen leads the team in loose balls with 19, Levi Touhey has been a force with a team-high in caused turnovers, and Dylan Ilett has recorded four crucial blocked shots.

The Saints look ahead to next week with renewed focus and energy as they continue to build momentum early in the season.