The Devils continue to rain hellfire in creating a dynasty in Prince George Senior Lacrosse.
The team from Westwood Pub claimed their third straight Dale Rolufs Memorial Trophy by sweeping the Northland Nissan Assault 3-0 in the 2019 championship finals, winning Game Three by a score of 13-9.
The victory that also got their fifth league title in the last six years came off the hot stick of Colton Poulin, who scored five goals in the contest after only managing to pot three in four playoff games prior to Monday night (July 22).
“I don’t know really, I think it was just the moment tonight,” said Poulin to PrinceGeorgeMatters after hoisting the trophy at Kin 1 Arena. “Even in the clutch games, I’ve always been told for some reason I come out and do so well.”
The Assault had a 1-0 lead after the first period before the Devils took over the second with Poulin scoring four of his own within a nine-minute span.
He said it was the stellar play of opposing goaltender Kyle Frederick that gave his team a brief scare early on.
“We had to figure out their goalie, he played unbelievable in the first period,” Poulin explained. “I think it was 27 shots that we let at him and he stopped every single one. So credit to Frederick tonight, he played one heck of a game.”
Sold to the Devils 🏆 @WestwoodPub completes 3-0 sweep of the @Northlandnissan Assault in the 2019 Prince George Sr. Lacrosse Finals, winning a 3rd straight title & their 5th in the last 6 years 🥍 | #CityOfPG @BCLacrosse @PGMatters pic.twitter.com/ylTeaUxNh4
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) July 23, 2019
The Devils had a 9-6 advantage heading into the final 20 minutes, but Game Three got as close at two goals with under 10 minutes left.
Dave Jenkins made it 11-9 in an effort to keep the Assault’s season alive, but a pair of Devil goals sealed the series sweep, including one by season-scoring winner Andrew Schwab.
Schwab says the team’s attitude was set on one thing from start to finish all season long.
“We’ve worked really hard and that’s why we’ve had the success that we’ve had,” he told PrinceGeorgeMatters. “We all want to win and we’ve got a great [captain] in Scott Anderson and he gets the boys fired up every single game.”
When asked what it will take to extend the Devils’ rule for a possible four-peat championship in 2020, Schwab’s answer was short and simple.
“Lots of hard work and lots of good bounces!”
Though he didn’t play between the pipes in the title-clinching game, Devils goaltender Patrick Bayliss was named 2019 playoffs MVP.
He led post-season netminders with a 5.48 goals-against-average (GAA) and a 86.21 save-percentage (SV%), only allowing 24 goals on 174 shots.
The local league’s season is over in Prince George, but the city will be hosting the 2019 B.C. Senior ‘C’ Lacrosse Provincial Championship this weekend at the Kin Arenas.
The tournament will run in conjunction with the Prince George Treasure Cove Casino Canadian Senior ‘C’ Lacrosse Invitational, which will see the Devils and Assault face each other once again, along with teams from Port Coquitlam and Victoria.
