The Burnaby Lakers are hoping to build a winner from the goal on out.
The Lakers made a reasonably good start in that direction despite a 7-2 loss to the Delta Islanders in the junior A club's B.C. lacrosse league home opener on Sunday.
Third-year Laker keeper Patrick Bayliss was clearly the difference for the Lakers in the Burnaby cage, stopping 35 shots, many of the difficult variety, to keep the score close through two periods.
The challenge for the Lakers was scoring goals as five of the eight Burnaby attackers were intermediate call-ups.
"We knew coming in right now, we'd be goal challenged," said second-year Burnaby head coach John Wilson. "We're focusing on defence, and it's paid off. I'm very happy with that."
Delta got on the board right off the opening faceoff, with Tyler Nett scoring at 14 seconds of the first period.
Jaeden Gastaldo scored Burnaby's first goal of the spring campaign, knotting the score at 1-1 in the fourth minute.
The Islanders tallied twice more in the period to take a lead they would not relinquish, including Nett's second of the game on a power play midway through the frame.
Jamie Malanfant tallied his first of two goals for Delta with the only goal of the middle period.
Alex Millin got Burnaby's other goal from Tyler Kirkby on a third-period power play after nearly three-quarters of an hour of shutout goalkeeping by Islander keeper Will Schwan.
"As a whole, I was happy with the way the defence and goalkeeping went," Wilson added.
But the former junior and senior star added that going forward winning games at the junior A level will not come from outside the half circle.
"The kids got to know there is a price to pay to get goals in this league," Wilson said. "You have to get inside."
Burnaby's next game is Sunday against the 2-0 Victoria Shamrocks at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.
