Symetry isn’t always harmonious.
For the Burnaby junior Lakers, symetry was evident in both the good and bad of the past week’s action.
Although they fell 9-5 to the defending B.C. champion Coquitlam Adanacs, the underdog Lakers could take solace that they finished with a mild flurry.
Unlike in their previous two decisions – both wins – Burnaby kept pace with the Adanacs in the third period and actually counted the final two goals in the loss.
While they trailed the whole game, they did limit Coquitlam to nine goals.
Scoring a hat trick was Mason Pomeroy, while Kieran McKay and Damon Prince chipped in singles.
Three of the team’s goals came in the final frame.
It’s a change from how they managed back-to-back wins over the Nanaimo Timbermen (11-10 on Sunday) and Delta Islanders (14-13 on Saturday), where Burnaby found a productive balance but floundered in the third.
The third periods were eerily similar on both games, as the Lakers clung on for dear life, with a surge from the opposition making it a thrill ride to the final buzzer.
“Earlier we were having issues with our effort in the second period, and now it’s in the third,” noted Lakers coach Jason Dallevalle. “We kind of let our foot off the gas both games.”
Still, they managed to eke out the all-important wins.
On Sunday, the Lakers led 8-2 before Nanaimo started its slow rally. A five-goal lead nearly evaporated in the third, when the visiting T-men outshot Burnaby 23-9 but were stonewalled by Matteo Tack.
Dylan Kaminski’s third goal of the day, midway through the third, proved to be the winner. Chipping in two goals and two assists was Pomeroy.
A day earlier, Burnaby again took a five-goal lead in the middle frame before the Islanders rallied. Delta tied it up three times in the third, only to see the Lakers
get the last word on Prince’s third of the day with just 2:04 remaining.
McKay and Prince each accounted for three goals and five assists. Pomeroy added four goals, with a pair by Kyle Durec.
“We’re starting to get in a rhythm and getting more key players back in the lineup (from college), but we still were missing players,” said Dallevalle.
Burnaby heads over to Victoria on Saturday.
