Jalen Chaster scored the game-winning buzzer-beater as the Coquitlam Adanacs picked up a dramatic 8–7 win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies on Thursday night, handing them their first loss of the season.
Coquitlam trailed by two goals in the third period before scoring three straight, including Chaster’s winner with less than a second remaining in a battle for first place in the WLA standings.
James Rahe led the Adanacs with a goal and three assists, while Clark Walter scored twice. Christian Del Bianco was a brick wall in goal, stopping 47 of 54 shots in the win.
Tyler Pace had a hat trick and two assists for the Salmonbellies, while Mitch Jones finished with two goals and two assists. Tyrell Hamer-Jackson dominated the faceoff circle, winning 16 of 17 draws.
Newly acquired Frank Scigliano got the start for New Westminster, making 36 saves on 44 shots in the loss.
Adanacs Control Low-Scoring First Period
It was all Coquitlam to start the game, jumping out to a 2–0 lead. Del Bianco stopped all 15 shots he faced in the first.
Rahe opened the scoring one minute into the period, followed by an unassisted goal from Remo Schenato at 6:39.
Salmonbellies Regain Momentum
Matthew Delmonico scored early in the second, burying a feed from Josh Jackson at 7:55 to make it 3–0 Coquitlam.
New Westminster finally got on the board at 8:19 with Ryan Martel converting off a Mitch Jones pass.
Coquitlam responded with a two-goal run. Walter scored at 12:13, followed by David Charney at 14:35 to make it 5–1.
However, the Salmonbellies began to shift the momentum in the final two minutes of the frame. Jones scored on the power play with 1:41 remaining, sparking a six-goal run that spanned the second and third periods. He struck again with 48 seconds left, cutting the deficit to 5–3 heading into the third.
Chaster Wins It at the Buzzer
Noah Armitage scored 2:17 into the third, followed by Pace at 3:52 to tie the game 5–5. Pace completed his natural hat trick at 7:14 to put New Westminster ahead 7–5.
Coquitlam mounted a comeback. Riley Isaacs scored at 8:32, and Walter tied it at 13:56.
Overtime looked likely, but Coquitlam had the final possession and pulled Del Bianco for the extra attacker. The gamble paid off as Chaster scored with under a second left, lifting the Adanacs to an 8–7 win and handing the Salmonbellies their first loss of the season.
Here are the pre-game thoughts from New Westminster Salmonbellies’ head coach Jason Bishop:
Top Scorers
Coquitlam Adanacs
- James Rahe: 1G, 3A
- Clark Walter: 2G
- Kean Moon: 2A
- Adam Noakes: 2A
New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Tyler Pace: 3G, 2A
- Mitch Jones: 2G, 2A
- Haiden Dickson: 3A
Three Stars
- Christian Del Bianco – Coquitlam Adanacs
- Tyler Pace – New Westminster Salmonbellies
- James Rahe – Coquitlam Adanacs
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