It's coming down to truth or dare in the Western Lacrosse Association.
The Burnaby Lakers settled one score in the tightest league finish in decades, winning the season series against the New Westminster Salmonbellies following a 9-4 victory at home over last year's regular season champions.
Burnaby pulled away late in the middle period on rookie Justin Salt's authoritative breakaway marker.
Two minutes later, Matt Quinton scored the eventual game-winner after linemate Scott Tinning threaded the needle with a dandy set-up at 15: 56.
Burnaby outscored the senior 'Bellies 4-1 in the final frame, sending the visitors packing on the road for the sixth time this season.
Dan Lewis got his second win of the season, boosting his leaguebest save percentage to .838, while also keeping his goals against average under six goals.
The win lifted the Lakers into a tie with the Victoria Shamrocks for second place in what appears will continue to be a race to the wire with five teams still very much in contention for the final three playoff spots.
Langley appears to have a lock on one of those playoff berths after distancing itself from the pack this weekend with road wins over Victoria and Nanaimo. The backto-back wins gave the first-place Thunder a sixpoint bulge on the five tightly packed clubs that are separated by just three points from second to sixth place.
"From now on it's going to be either us or them," said Burnaby first star Dane Stevens, who led the Lakers with four points, including a pair of late markers.
"Tonight we came prepared. I know they were missing the odd player, but so were we. ... We're learning what it takes to win. You can't learn that from not winning. It was like the games we were losing were heartbreakers."
Stevens and Scott Jones, with his second tally of the game, doubled the score for Burnaby in the opening minute of the third period.
A minute later, Mike Brascia pumped up his team-high .417 shooting percentage with his WLA career-high 10th goal of the season on a break.
"Learning how to finish just doesn't happen overnight," added Stevens. "We carried the momen-tum into the third period and that put that doubt in their mind. That's what it takes. I'm really proud of the guys."
With the win, Burnaby improved its record to 6-5-2, but both Coquitlam, 9-8 winners over Victoria on Saturday, and Nanaimo are both well positioned and hold a single game and two games in hand over the Lakers, respectively.
Burnaby will finish off its regular season schedule with four of its remaining five games against either Coquitlam or Nanaimo.
The Lakers play host to the Timbermen at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Friday at 7 p.m. The two clubs played to an 11-11 draw in their first meeting in Nanaimo.
The following week, Coquitlam will be in town for an all-important Friday, July 20 tilt at 7: 45 p.m. Burnaby scratched out an 11-10 overtime win at home over the Adanacs in June.
