The Burnaby Lakers did what they had to do, now their Western Lacrosse Association playoff fate rests in the hands of two other teams.
The Lakers weathered a curiously antognistic Coquitlam Adanacs club, defeating the A's 8-5 in a roughly played matchup at the Porior Street arena Saturday.
The win was an important one for the Burnaby senior A club that needed the two points to perhaps only temporarily gain the last remaining playoff berth.
The outcome of tonight's WLA season finale in Maple Ridge against the New Westminster Salmonbellies will ultimately determine the fourth-place finishing team and which club will make the playoffs.
A win by the Salmonbellies would give the defending regular season champs 10 wins in the regular season, one better than the Lakers, and a spot in the final four. A loss and Burnaby would take that fourth-place spot with a superior league record and two more points in the standings.
"It's ironic," said Burnaby runner Pete McFetridge. "Last year it was a similar situation. We needed New Westminster to win, and this year, we need New West to lose. Hopefully the lacrosse Gods are on our side. We've done our part."
Burnaby needed at least a pair of wins in its last four league outings to have any chance of making the post season in one of the tightest finishes in league history.
The Lakers managed those two wins, but only after a narrow 8-7 loss to league champion Langley the night before at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
In that game, McFetridge capped a comeback third period, tying the score 7-7 on a shortman break midway through the final frame. Langley got the game-winner from Garrett Billings on a power play in the final minute of play.
In Coquitlam, Burnaby came out with a purpose, taking a 3-0 first-period league and holding on to it for the full 60 minutes.
Coquitlam mustered a minor rally in the middle period and got to within a single goal. But Scott Jones, with his second goal of the game, gave Burnaby a 5-3 advantage after tucking in a Casey Jackson shot on goal behind Coquitlam keeper Adam Shute.
Dane Stevens extended that lead to 7-3, potting his second and third goals of the game between periods. Jones and Colton Clark shared a game-high five points with Stevens.
Last season, Burnaby defeated Maple Ridge by a single point in a game that decided the season series between the two teams and one that the Lakers thought had secured them a berth into the playoffs.
But two days later New West lost to Maple Ridge, which gave the Burrards one more win than Burnaby and ultimately the final playoff spot.
Last year, the Lakers finished with a 7-9-2 record and in a three-way tie for fourth place. This season, Burnaby finished with a record of 9-7-2.
"It will be disappointing (if we fail to advance to the playoffs)," said McFetridge. "We've had a great season. ... We lost more games when we beat ourselves. But if you look at the stats, we only let one game slip through our fingers, I guess."
New Westminster plays in Maple Ridge in the final game of the regular season at Planet Ice on 105A Avenue tonight at 6:45 p.m.
