The Burnaby Lakers clinched a spot in the Western Lacrosse Association playoff with a season-series win over the Maple Ridge Burrards.
The senior A Lakers defeated the slumping Burrards 10-9 at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre last Friday, improving their season record to 9-7-0 in the process.
With just two games left on the season schedule
for both teams, even a tie in the standings with Maple Ridge would give Burnaby the playoff berth. Only Coquitlam, also with two games left, is capable of catching the Lakers for third place following a 12-9 win over Maple Ridge on Sunday.
Last Thursday, Burnaby appeared unready to accept the responsibility of a playoff berth, putting out a lacklustre effort in a 13-8 loss to the desperate New Westminster Salmonbellies at Queen's Park.
In that game, concensus rookie of the year Logan Schuss led the 'Bellies, scoring five times in an eight-point splurge, while former Laker backup Neil Tyacke had a terrific night, stopping 54 of 62 shots on goal.
Burnaby keeper Dan Lewis admitted to being a little anxious against New West, but he more than redeemed himself in the win over Maple Ridge.
"It's great to bounce back. I believe I owed it to the guys after New
West," Lewis said. "Today (Friday) was all about the game and to make sure I didn't let the guys down."
Although outshot 48-31 in the game against Maple Ridge, Burnaby was in control after the midway mark of the middle period.
Colton Clark sparked an unanswered four-goal spree to close the period with the go-ahead goal.
Robert Church then tallied perhaps the prettiest goal of the night, weaving his way past a number of
Burrard defenders to score his first of two goals in the game.
Jason Jones and Justin Salt, on a clear-cut breakaway off a turnover, gave Burnaby a four-goal advantage at the interval.
Riley Loewen of Burnaby shaved the deficit to 7-5 with back-to-back goals early in the third, but first star Scott Jones, with his third goal and sixth point of the game, and Church, with his fifth
point, regained the four-goal bulge for the Lakers.
Lewis helped his own cause, assisting on Burnaby's last two goals, including a breakaway toss to Salt, who potted his second goal of the game into an empty net with Chris Levis on the bench for a sixth attacker.
"As a team, it was a huge win for us to do what we did. ... It's all about building into the playoffs and hitting our stride," said Lewis.
Burnaby head coach Rory McDade agreed, stating the Lakers have been steadily improving since their 1-3 start.
"We have been building and getting better," McDade said, "but we're going to be seeing a lot more pressure defences, and we have to be ready for that." Burnaby's final regular season home game is against first-place Langley at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Friday. Game time is 7:45 p.m. The Lakers finish off the league schedule in Coquitlam against the Adanacs on Saturday.
