There are no nights off in the Western Lacrosse Association anymore.
The Burnaby Lakers, who should have learned that simple lesson after a 9-9 draw against Maple Ridge on June 8, dropped the season series between the two teams following a 9-5 defeat to the Burrards on Sunday.
Former Burnaby backup Drew Dickie was the main culprit, backstopping the win while earning the game's first star stopping 34 shots for the lastplace Burrards.
Just two days earlier, the senior A Lakers chalked up their first win and third result without a loss in overtime on Friday to move into a share of first place.
In a rare Friday away from home, Burnaby travelled to Vancouver Island and did what no club had yet managed to do this season, beating the Victoria Shamrocks 10-9 in overtime at the Bear Mountain Arena.
The win kept Burnaby atop the league standings with a share of the lead with both Victoria and the Langley Thunder.
But Sunday in Maple Ridge was a complete reversal of fortunes.
"It's a competitive league, anybody can be had on any night. If you're there at the end you can win, but we didn't play well," said Burnaby head coach Bob Johnston.
Maple Ridge exploded for seven goals in the middle period, victimizing both starter Joe Bell and backup Devon Winters, who allowed four goals on 10 shots in a 14-minute span and was replaced by Bell in the final period.
"I don't think our focus was there. We had that big win on the Island (on Friday), and I don't think we were ready to go," Johnston added.
Dane Stevens led the Lakers with a goal and three assists, while Colton Clark potted a pair of tallies.
In Victoria, Burnaby took the lead on Shaun Dhaliwal's second goal of the game midway through the middle period and kept the pressure on the Shamrocks despite a threegoal rally by the home team that sent the game into extra time.
Matt Quinton re-established the Lakers' secondperiod lead at 6-5 with his second goal of the game from Dhaliwal and Clark, in his first game back off injury.
R o o k i e Jackson Decker, with his first WLA tally, and Clark from Pete McFetridge and Decker, scored 31 seconds apart to start the third period and give the Lakers an 8-5 advantage.
But that lead was shortlived as Victoria drew even on two power-play goals from Ryan Benesch and a single counter from Jeff Shattler.
In the extra time, Benesch put Victoria ahead with his game-high fourth goal of the game.
But Scott Jones, with his ninth and 10th goals of the year, less than a minute apart, put Burnaby back in the lead for good late in the game.
Bell was solid between the pipes for the Lakers, stopping 41 'Rock shots fired his way.
First-year forward Casey Jackson contributed three assists to the Burnaby scoreline.
This week, Burnaby will have to be ready and on its game in order to avoid any other surprise setbacks against a pair of 4-4 clubs.
The Lakers are at Queen's Park Arena Thursday against the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
On the following day, Burnaby hosts the Coquitlam Adanacs at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Friday. Both games are 7: 45 p.m. starts.
