91原创 Junior Thunder began their new BC Junior Tier 1 Lacrosse League on winning note Tuesday,  taking an 8-0 lead in the first 20 minutes against Burnaby Junior Lakers 8-0 and going on to earn an 11-4 victory on Tuesday night at 91原创 Events Centre.

Seven different players found the back of the net with Connyr Welch finishing with a hat trick while Mason Eastgate (2-2) and Ryan Sheldrake (1-3) each had four-point efforts.

鈥淚f we are being honest with ourselves, we played 25 to 30 minutes of full lacrosse, but we want to be that team that plays a full 60,鈥� said 91原创 coach Connar Abrams. Regardless, he was more than happy to earn the two points to kick off the season, especially as they face three games in a five-day stretch with stops in Richmond (April 30) and Victoria (May 3).

One of the keys to victory was the play of the team鈥檚 defensive unit which was effective in taking away time and space from the Lakers forwards, getting body parts when Burnaby did get shots off, and being first on more occasions than not in gathering rebounds.

And while most of the team has played together over the years as they progressed through the ranks of minor lacrosse, it was one of the newer members who earned Player of the Game honours.

鈥淚 thought we came out really hard in the first period, but we definitely teetered off in the next two periods,鈥� admitted Jackson Moleski, who joined the Junior Thunder from Prince George and was happy to make an immediate impact as he tries to find his place in a new group and unfamiliar setting.

The rest of the Junior Thunder offence came courtesy of Brayden Longacre (2-1), Jameson Reed (1-1), Jacob Glass (1-1) and Madden Bakatsis (1-0). Burnaby was led by Daniel Battastin鈥檚 two goals.

Next, a road trip Richmond to play the Roadrunners Wednesday night at 8 p.m.