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Juniors on march to Minto
By Tom Berridge, Burnaby Now sports
They say defence wins championships, and the Burnaby Lakers gave proof to that adage with an 8-5 victory over the Victoria Shamrocks Sunday.
With three key snipers sitting out the best-of-five B.C. Major Junior Lacrosse League final, Burnaby's stoppers deserved a combined game star in the playoff opener at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
"We kept them below our mark. Anything over six (goals) is too much," said second-year junior Esprit Chouinard.
The North Shore product, the first from that area on Burnaby's junior team in over three decades, also scored his first of the playoffs in the final period to salt away the win.
"Offence has their goals and they win their game and we have our goal. Tonight we won our game," added Chouinard, who was a walk-on after years of playing field lacrosse in Burnaby.
Mark Paniccia came back off injury with a flourish, scoring four times and assisting on a fifth to pace the Lakers.
The former St. Catharines sniper tallied a hat trick in the second period, including the go-ahead goal on the power play four minutes in.
Ilija Gajic added a goal and three helpers.
Curt Morwick potted a pair for the visitors.
But it was in the defensive zone where the game was won.
Braden Deane looked sharp, stopping 33 Shamrock shots in the game.
The Laker D also killed off a five-minute boarding major to John Panichelli midway through the final frame that punctuated the win.
It's that kind of effort that Chouinard is learning is the hallmark of the junior Laker club.
"I'm learning not to be scared to play it, if it's my chance to step it up," said the 20-year-old.
"I think about it all the time. We're definitely part of something. This is nine years in a row of Minto Cups and only one team gets to go usually."
Game 2 is Saturday in Victoria, with Game 3 back at the Copeland centre Sunday. Both games are 5 p.m. starts.
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