It’s a new series.
The Burnaby Lakers shook off back-to-back losses to Maple Ridge to even the Western Lacrosse Association semifinal series following an 8-6 win at Cam Neely Arena on Tuesday.
The Lakers opened up with a 3-1 first period and never trailed after that to knot the series at two games apiece.
Game 5 was played on Thursday in Burnaby (after NOWdeadlines).
Burnaby took the lead 2-1 on goals 10 seconds apart by Shaun Dhaliwal and Jackson Decker midway through the first period.
Scott Jones got his first of two tallies later in the opening period.
Game star Dane Stevens scored the game-winner with a shorthanded marker at the 13-minute mark of the final frame.
Tyler Richards got the win in goal, stopping 21 shots in the tight-checking game.
Riley Loewen of Burnaby was busy on the attack for the Burrards, scoring four times and adding a pair of assists to lead all scorers.
Loewen momentarily tied the game at 3-3 in the middle period, but Tyler Digby replied less than half a minute later to re-establish the Lakers’ lead.
“It was very physical but a clean game. It was not easy to get in tight,” said Burnaby head coach Rory McDade. “We responded well to (Monday’s loss). We didn’t play well the game before.”
Digby’s goal in the second period and Steven’s shorthanded tally were timely momentum-swingers, McDade added.
But when Pete McFetridge capitalized on an attempted sneak play by the Burrards that ended up in an empty net midway through the third period it gave the Lakers a three-goal lead.
“It was definitely a huge break for us,” McDade said. “It’s been a great, great series, so far. It definitely is physical.”
Game 6 is back in Maple Ridge on Saturday. If necessary, a seventh and final game will be played on Monday at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
In the other semifinal, the New Westminster Salmonbellies were eliminated from the playoffs following a 16-13 Game 4 loss to the Victoria Shamrocks at Queen’s Park Arena on Wednesday.
After falling behind 12-6 after two periods, New West staged an improbable comeback, scoring seven times and coming to within two goals of the ’Rocks with three minutes left to play.
