For a brief, enticing moment, the Burnaby Lakers held the wheel and looked ready to push on in their Game 1 battle with the Victoria Shamrocks on Tuesday at the Q Centre.
Tallies by Eli McLaughlin and Josh Byrne early in the third period – the former tying the game just 39 seconds into the frame – put the visiting Lakers in the lead for the first time on the night.
But the defending Mann Cup champions demonstrated the resiliency which won them the regular season title and make them the favourites to start the Western Lacrosse Association playoffs.
Rhys Duch scored five times, including twice in the last 10 minutes of the contest, to power the Shamrocks to a 9-6 victory in the provincial capital.
A physical contest, which saw Burnaby lose the services of Jason Jones midway through the first period when he was ejected for knocking Duch into the visitor’s bench, the two teams didn’t take long to size each other up. Victoria counted the game’s first three goals and led 3-1 after 20 minutes, but the Lakers replied to start the second, getting markers from Robert Church, with two, and Scott Jones, to pull equal.
The teams traded goals again and looked to enter the third deadlocked until Duch netted his third of the night, with the Victoria goalie on the bench for an extra attacker and just two seconds left in the frame.
That could have knocked the air out of a few teams, but Burnaby rumbled onto the floor for the final 20 minutes, with McLaughlin tying the game at 39 seconds and Byrne pulling the underdogs ahead at 3:40.
Cue the Shamrock resilience, which propelled the club into first place on the final weekend after trailing New Westminster much of the season. Markers by Duch, Cory Conway and Jeff King put Victoria in control. Duch rounded out the scoring.
For the Lakers, Church led the way with two goals, while Byrne and McLaughlin finished with three-point nights. Just Salt also scored.
Tyler Richards played the bulk of the game, turning aside 40 shots over 52 minutes, while Adam Shute blocked 35 shots in the Victoria net.
The two teams continue their battle with Game 2 on Thursday, 7:45 p.m. at the Bill Copeland Arena. The series continues Friday in Victoria with Game 3, followed by Game 4 on Sunday, 6 p.m. in Burnaby.
Game 1 - Aug. 9 Victoria 9-6
Game 2 - Thurs., Aug. 11, 7:45 p.m. at Copeland arena
Game 3 - Fri., Aug. 12 in Victoria
Game 4 - Sun., Aug. 14, 6 p.m. at Bill Copeland arena
*Game 5 - Wed., Aug. 17 at Victoria
*Game 6 - Fri., Aug. 19, 6 p.m. at Bill Copeland arena
*Game 7 - Sun., Aug. 21 at Victoria
* if necessary
