Adanacs take control of Minto Cup final

On with the show.

That was the verdict that came down shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday night among parties at the 2018 Minto Cup in Calgary.

The national Junior A box lacrosse championship between the Brampton Excelsiors and the Coquitlam Adanacs was put in limbo Wednesday when Game 2 was held up after officials scheduled to work the contest refused to take the floor to protest an overturned suspension.

Excelsiors captain Jeff Teat had a supposed automatic ban overturned by the Minto Cup disciplinary committee despite receiving a match penalty late in Tuesday’s Game 1 victory by the Adanacs, and the referees reacted by refusing to officiate Wednesday ’s second game of the best-of-five series at Max Bell Centre.

“It was a technicality that (the Excelsiors) were able to find (on appeal), and the suspension was overturned,” said Minto Cup cochair Kurt Gibson. “The resolution is that Jeff Teat will be playing.

“It’s against the referees wishes, but they wanted to show that they were willing to keep the Minto Cup going. I don’t think they were completely happy with the resolution, but they were concerned about any damages against them, so they worked hard to help find a resolution.”

The end result saw the tournament’s leading point-scorer, Teat, dress for the rescheduled Game 2 Thursday night.

Brampton Excelsiors star player Jeff Teat and head coach Dan Teat were both given match penalties for verbally abusing an official at the end of Tuesday ’s 11-9 loss to the Coquitlam Adanacs. Coach Teat’s suspension was upheld by the disciplinary committee.

Captain Teat came into Game 2 with 17 goals and 33 points in just four Minto Cup contests, including scoring a hat-trick in the Game 1 defeat.

Because of the all-day deliberations to resolve the controversy, Game 2 didn’t start until 8 p.m. Thursday night.

When the dust had settled , it was the Adanacs maintaining focus en route to an 8-6 win.

The victory gives the Coquitlam squad a 2-0 lead in the championship series with the potentially deciding Game 3 going Friday night at the Max Bell Arena. Under the original schedule, Friday was supposed to have been an off-day in the series.

Games 4 and 5, both if necessary, are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, both at 7 p.m. at Max Bell.