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Salmonbellies Weekly Report: Bellies Gear Up for Season-Defining Week
Let’s not pretend this week isn’t massive. Then again, every week seems like the biggest yet for the Salmonbellies, including last week and the upcoming final week of the regular season. Don’t avert your eyes—if the past few seasons of WLA lacrosse have taught us anything, it’s that playoff-like fireworks often erupt in the final stretch. With two huge matchups on the calendar and playoff seeding still up in the air, New Westminster’s finest have plenty to play for.
But first, let’s take a look back.
Last Week Recap: Grit, Goals, and Growing Pains
Thursday in Coquitlam
Despite missing key players and playing on an unusual Thursday night game as the visitors, the Belliespushed Coquitlam to the limit in one of the most exciting games of the season. Tyler Pace and Adam Wiedemann were in the stands, but Phil Caputo stepped into the lineup and made an immediate impact, scoring early in his Bellies’ debut. Mitch Jones, unsurprisingly, kept the offense flowing with 4 goals and 2 helpers, but Coquitlam’s Christian Del Bianco was a brick wall between the pipes, limiting New West’s other snipers to one goal apiece.
New West led from the 10:13 mark of the first until 15:38 of the third, but CDB kept the score tight throughout, allowing Coquitlam to sink four unanswered tallies in the third period to come back and win. That win put Coquitlam 3–0 against the Bellies in the season series—and if you know anything about lacrosse, you’re hoping these two teams meet in the first round so that New West can try to rectify the situation.
Friday @ Burnaby
The next night, the Bellies bounced back with a commanding 11–7 win over the Lakers. Mitch Jones notched another monster game with 2 goals and 4 assists, while Haiden Dickson continued to do Haiden Dickson things, adding 2 goals and 2 assists of his own. Caputo scored his second and third as a Bellie, Ryan Martelhad a 3-point night, and Logan Schuss continued to deliver NLL-quality minutes with a goal and an assist.
That win put the Bellies at 20 points with just four games left, which means they are guaranteed a playoff spot and can finish no lower than third.
But Bellies GM Ray Porcellato said the team won’t be satisfied with that. “We know who we have in our room and we’re still aiming to finish first. It’s about momentum for us and proving what we already know about this team: that we are championship quality.”
Stat Check: Bellies Leading from the Top
From a numbers standpoint, the Salmonbellies are stacked:
- Haiden Dickson: WLA’s leading goal scorer with 35 goals in 14 games
- Mitch Jones: Leads the league in points (69), points per game (5.3), and assists (37). He’s been the guyall season
- Justin Geddie: Quietly excellent in net—tied for 2nd in wins (8), 3rd in GAA (8.01), and tied 3rd in save percentage (8.41%)
- Team Power Play: Operating at 52% efficiency—the most potent power play in the league this season
- Team Offense: Averaging 10.1 goals per game. It’s hard to believe that puts them first in scoring, but it’s been a defensively tight year
- Goal Differential: +27—strong, but now trailing Victoria (+37) and Coquitlam (+36)
But it’s not all sunshine and stat sheets.
The Bellies also lead the league in penalty minutes per game, with 205 total in just 14 contests—only Nanaimo (237) and Maple Ridge (224) have more, and both have played more games. In contrast, playoff rivals Victoria (196) and Coquitlam (195) are more disciplined despite similar workloads. The Bellies’ penalty kill sits at just 65%, well behind Victoria’s 72%—a stat that could haunt them come playoff time if not addressed. Simply put: we need to stay out of the courtside seating.
Upcoming Games: Playoff Position Is on the Line
Thursday vs. Maple Ridge (Queen’s Park Arena)
On paper, the Bellies have had the upper hand in the season series—two wins and a 22–16 goal advantage. But this isn’t a game they can take lightly. The Burrards are locked in a fight for the final playoff spot with Langley and will be desperate for a win.
Despite dropping a narrow 5–3 game in Victoria last night, Maple Ridge has shown they can punch above their weight, holding the Shamrocks to just five goals. The Bellies cannot overlook this one, especially with Marcus Klarich lighting up scoreboards across southwestern BC.
Friday @ Victoria Shamrocks (Q Centre)
This might be the game of the year. With both teams potentially tied on points and only a few games remaining, this matchup could decide who finishes top—or who slips to third. The season series is tied 1–1. The winner gains a key tiebreaker advantage.
It will be tight. The total goals in the previous two meetings have been New West 17 – Victoria 15.
The Scenario:
- Bellies: 20 points, 14 games played – could finish with 28 points, but need to beat Maple Ridge, Victoria and Langley (twice) to do it.
- Victoria: 25 points, 15 games played – Could finish with 31 points, but need to beat the Bellies, Lakers and Adanacs to do it.
- Coquitlam: 25 points, 15 games played – Could finish with 31 points, but need to beat the Thunder, Timbermen and Shamrocks to do it.
If the Bellies win out, they can take first place, depending on how the Adanacs and Shamrocks finish. Coquitlam is riding a six-game win streak and eyeing the crown as well.
Keys to the Final Stretch
- Discipline: Penalties must come down. You can’t give teams like Victoria and Coquitlam that many extra-man chances
- Goaltending Rotation: Geddie has been rock solid all year, but Frank Scigliano is, well, Frank Scigliano. He’s 1–2 so far, but has faced tough assignments and still shown flashes of brilliance. Expect the Bellies to split the net this week, the only question is who plays where.
- Player Returns: Getting Tyler Pace and Adam Wiedemann back will be huge. Ty Kurtz is also one game from playoff eligibility and should be a late-season game-changer.
- Caputo’s Chemistry: If his early scoring is any sign, he may be the X-factor down the stretch. The veteran makes any lineup better.
Final Word
This team has all the pieces—league leaders in scoring, goaltending stability, and a power play that clicks at elite levels. But they’ll need to balance their aggressive style with discipline and stay healthy to finish strong.
The playoffs are in sight. But placement matters—and momentum is everything.
It all starts Thursday night at Queen’s Park.
Use Those Tickets Up!
Thanks to our generous sponsors, we’ve been able to distribute more free tickets to minor players, season ticket holders, and others throughout the year. These tickets are not valid in the playoffs, so please use them this Thursday or next!
Playoff Tickets
We don’t yet have the finalized playoff schedule, but once we do, online ticket sales will go live. Season ticket holders will continue to have access to their reserved seats when purchasing playoff tickets—just one more reason to become a season ticket holder next year.
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Honouring Jack, Bernie, and Pat
Join us before Thursday’s game as we present lifetime memberships to three remarkable volunteers: Jack Fulton Sr., Bernie Treasurer, and Pat Downey—whose combined service totals 125 years. These are the first-ever lifetime memberships in club history.