For the moment, the Burnaby Lakers can enjoy a taste of what it's like to be a first-place club.
The senior A Lakers moved into a four-team tie atop the Western Lacrosse Association with a 9-6 victory over the winless Maple Ridge Burrards on Sunday.
The win, Burnaby's second straight on the road, came in a five-goal third period, including four unanswered tallies in the final four-plus minutes at Planet Ice in Maple Ridge.
"Again, the defence won it the game for us," said Burnaby assistant coach Gordie Gimple. "Joe Bell was solid in goal, but it was nip and tuck until half way though the third period."
The Lakers held period leads of 2-0 and 4-2 in the first and second frames, respectively, but on each occasion allowed the Burrards a way back into the game.
Derek Lowe took that opportunity to put Maple Ridge in the lead for the first time, notching a pair four minutes apart to start the third period.
Shaun Dhaliwal tied it up 55 at the seven-minute mark, but Maple Ridge's Dayne Michaud scored a go-ahead marker less than a minute later on Bell.
With less than six minutes left on the clock, game second star Scott Jones sparked the Laker rally with his second goal of the game, followed closely by Dane Stevens' hat-trick tally that stood up as the game-winner.
Stevens, the game's first star, chalked up his sixth point of the game on Scott Tinning's second of the game. Stevens currently leads the club with six goals and six assists and is third in overall league scoring.
Mike Brascia then scored his third goal in as many games off the ensuing faceoff.
"They just came together," Gimple added. "It was like a snapshot. We banged in a couple of quick goals and that was the end of it."
Burnaby has struggled on offence, averaging just seven goals per game, and its power-play to date is second-worst in the league at just 17 per cent.
Part of the coach's problem is trying to find that chemistry between players, said Gimple. The other part is the players knowing when to take the lead.
"There's a point in the game you have to be selfish, and you have to know when to be selfish and when not to be. But when you get in the red zone, you have to be selfish," Gimple said. "But it was a good win."
The Lakers have a timely opportunity to put up more wins in the month of June, which includes games next week against both Langley and Maple Ridge. Burnaby completes its season series against the Burrards the following week.
Burnaby is at home for a tilt against New Westminster at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Friday. Game time is 7: 45 p.m.
"It will be a big game against New West, a big test," said Gimple.
