Pioneers Search For Another President’s Cup

For those unfamiliar with the Ladner Pioneers Sr. B team they play at the Ladner Leisure Centre and are in a six team league, four in the lower mainland and two on the Island finishing the season with 13 wins, 2 losses through 15 games with 146 goals and 78 against.

This year marks the fifth consecutive season that the Pioneers won the league championship managing it by pulling off a 8-4 win giving them the 3-0 series win in the best of 5 setting up a trip to Whitby Ontario for the President’s Cup Championship.

They played 6 playoff games finishing with a perfect 6-0 record collecting 64 goals while allowing 34 against playing Victoria in the league final who were 3-3 in playoff action managing 37 goals for and 40 against.

The third period saw the game tied at four before two goals 6 seconds apart from Brayden Bushnoe and Coady Adamson, coupled with a pair of late short handed goals gave Ladner the series win and a trip to the Presidents Cup.

Bushnoe led scoring in game three finishing with 2 goals and 1 assist with Alex Buque turning aside 41 of 45 shots.

Adamson swept all playoff offensive categories with goals (9), assists (12) and total points (21) while Buque had the top save percentage (88.8%), goals against average (5.43) and wins (6) in goal.

Currently there are eight teams all vying for the coveted championship and while local Delta fans are cheering for the Pioneers it’s anyone’s championship title.

The Championship is hosted by the Brooklyn Merchants with the first game or the Pioneers is against the Winnipeg Blizzard at 10 AM Ontario time so if you want to catch the action be sure to set your alarm.

Without sounding overly disrespectful to the other team over the past seasons the Pioneers have had little to contend with with some asking if the league will even survive in the next few years but that’s out of my paygrade.

Everyone questions if players are paid to play in the league and that question remains a mystery  to many while we hear that some are and others play for the love of the sport.

Depending on who you ask some teams have a stronger following while some have a hard time attracting a regular and consistent group of fans, which is sad to see.

While the championship is getting started it’s going to be an interesting week of exciting Sr. B Lacrosse.

Cheer for your team but if you live in the lower mainland – cheer for the PIONEERS!!!