The Delta Islanders will face the Langley Thunder in the B.C. Junior "A" Lacrosse League playoffs after securing their highest regular season finish in franchise history.
The Islanders edged the Victoria Shamrocks for third place thanks to a 13-8 road win over the Nanaimo Timbermen on Sunday night.
Delta (12-8-1) will take on the sixth place Thunder (6-14-1) in a best-of-three quarter-final series that begins Saturday in Ladner (7: 30 p.m.). Should the Islanders, advance they would face the second place New West Salmonbellies (16-5) which earned an opening round bye.
Logan Schuss led the way in Nanaimo with six points, including a hat trick as the visitors led 4-2 after 20 minutes and took a commanding 10-5 lead into the final period. Mike Mallory added three goals and two assists, while Michael Berekoff also notched a hat trick. Singles went to Cody Hawkins, Brandon McLean, Ryan Keith and Andrew Schwab.
The Islanders pulled ahead of the Shamrocks with a 9-9 tie in Langley last Thursday, then received some huge help on Saturday when the last place Port Coquitlam Saints stunned Victoria 13-12 - netting the game winner with one second remaining.
The tie against Langley saw the Islanders rally with three unanswered goals to take a 9-8 lead, only to surrender a power play goal with 3: 43 remaining.
Berekoff had a hat trick and one assist, while Schuss scored twice and added two helpers. Brendan Attwell, Chris Jones and Mallory had the other goals.
The Islanders also closed out their regular season home schedule on Saturday with a 17-5 loss to the league-leading Coquitlam Adanacs.
The visitors were in control from the outset, jumping out to a 5-2 first period lead and out scoring Delta 6-1 in the final 20 minutes.
The win capped a perfect regular season (21-0) for the defending Minto Cup champions.
Schuss had a hat trick in a losing cause. He finished with 60 points in just nine regular season games - a pace that would have won him the league scoring title by 30 points had he played all 21 games.
