There was no tomorrow for Cole Paciejewski.
After leading the Claude's Barbershop/BX Pub Bandits as league scoring champion to a near-perfect season in the Prince George Senior Lacrosse Association, he didn't want to miss the party when it came time to claim the Dale Rolufs Memorial Trophy.
Booked to play for Scotland next week in the European field lacrosse championship, Paciejewski knew the Bandits had to finish off the Westwood Pub Devils in Game 3 of the best-of-five championship series Wednesday night at Kin 1 for him to get in on the celebration.
Paciejewski buried the Devils with two goals late in the third period, ending a 5-5 deadlock in what ended up an 8-5 Bandits' win to give them a three-game series sweep.
The win dethroned the Devils, who were two-time defending champions.
Paciejewski, the playoff MVP, finished with two goals and three assists, while Drew Doig finished with a goal and five assists. Damon Calfa connected for three goals.
Scott Anderson's birth certificate says he's 48 years old but the way he played in a losing cause he looked more like he was 24, the number he wears for the Westwood Pub Devils.
Knowing there was no tomorrow for the Devils, Anderson took the Devils on his shoulders to try to extend the series.
Possessed by an indomitable spirit, refusing to let his team's chance at a third consecutive league title slip away, Anderson forced turnovers, threaded pinpoint passes to his teammates and scored two goals, but on this night, it wasn't enough.
The Devils led 3-1 after one period. Anderson got the Devils started after Brian Horning had opened the scoring early in the game for the Bandits. Westwood's Pierce Watson unleashed a sidewinder from 30 feet out to get the lead, then cashed in a Devils' power-play chance, sidestepping a check attempt from Spencer Ovenden to rifle in his 11th goal in five playoff games.
In the second period, the Bandits' father-son connection - Brett and Drew Doig - made it a one-goal game.
Drew followed up with a diving shot after his dad's shot was stuffed by Devils goalie Jamie Bellamy. Monty Jones had an answer for, finishing off a breakaway with shot in off the post behind Jon Wittmeier, and Anderson followed up with a low counter to increase the Devils' lead to 5-2
But the Bandits were far from finished and came back to tie it before for the second intermission on goals by Calfa, Brandon Gordon and Jesse Huffman.
Wittmeier is only 17 and just beginning his senior career but gave the Bandits stellar goaltending throughout the game. He made two stellar stops off Watson, one early in the third period and one while protecting the lead to ensure the sweep. Calfa added an insurance goal at the end.
The Bandits won the first two games, 14-11 and 9-5.
