A large core group of the Burnaby midget lacrosse team will end their minor lacrosse careers as winners.
The Burnaby Lakers defeated their league nemesis Vancouver 6-5 in the gold-medal final at the B.C. Lacrosse provincial B championships at the Rod Brind’Amour Arena in Campbell River on Sunday.
Tied 4-4 late in the game, Burnaby’s Mack Burns scored the game-winning goal with 1:48 left on the clock.
Burns, who was later named the game and overall provincial tournament MVP in the B division, scored the gold-medal winner with a diving shot into the crease.
“It was a really tight game,” said Lakers’ head coach James Lego. “Actually, (Vancouver) beat us every single time we played in the regular season.”
But at the provincials, after three straight losses to Vancouver in league play, it was Burnaby’s time to shine.
The Lakers opened with an 8-3 win over Campbell River, but later lost 5-4 in overtime to Coquitlam on July 25.
On Saturday, Burnaby got back on the win-wagon, downing Quesnel 10-3 and Prince George 10-5 to earn a berth into the gold-medal final.
Burnaby goalie Nick Hamilton, a pickup from Surrey at the beginning of the season, was named the Lakers’ game MVP against Quesnel and the team’s Fairplay winner.
“It was pandemonium,” Lego said, describing his team following the final whistle in the championship final. “The entire half of the floor was littered with stuff. It was cool.”
Two years ago, Lego took a bantam C team from Burnaby to the provincials, where it finished fifth.
What was nice about this opportunity was the fact that 14 of Burnaby’s 20 players were in their graduating year, added Lego.
“This is the way for them to graduate on top,” he said.
“We were the only boys’ team (from Burnaby) to make it to the provincials. It’s great for the club that we’re still being competitive.”
