The Burnaby Lakers have the Langley Thunder in their rear-view mirror as the Western Lacrosse Association season winds down.
The senior A Lakers picked up just two points from last weekend’s road swing through Vancouver Island – losing 14-4 in Victoria on Friday before picking up a 9-6 win in Nanaimo the following night.
With two games left on the schedule, Burnaby can still be caught by the Thunder and Maple Ridge if the Lakers slip up in their final two regular season games.
Langley plays Coquitlam and Victoria in its final two games. Burnaby plays host to Maple Ridge on Tuesday before finishing off the schedule against the New Westminster Salmonbellies at Queen’s Park Arena on Thursday.
“You are always in everybody’s cross-hairs,” said Burnaby head coach Rory McDade.
The Lakers snuck by Maple Ridge by a single-goal margin in both their previous two meetings.
As well, half of Burnaby’s games to date have been decided by as few as two goals or less this season.
But the Lakers are 7-3 in their last 10 games, despite two disappointing efforts to Victoria during that stretch, said McDade.
“I really like our game over the last 10 games, if you cancel out the two Victoria games – there’s something we have to do there – but we’ve come out pretty clutch in tight games,” McDade said.
Burnaby was left at the starting line in Victoria, trailing 7-0 after the period and by as much as 9-0 midway through the middle frame before Jason Jones got one back with four minutes left to play in the second period.
Seconds later, Ilija Gajic, with an unassisted tally, and Robert Church, a minute later on a power play, finished off a short three-goal-scoring spree for the visitors.
Victoria responded with five straight goals to start the third period, before Church got his second of the game later in the period.
In Nanaimo, things went a little better for the Burnaby club.
The Lakers held period leads of 4-3 and 7-4 before handing the T-Men their 14th loss of the season.
First star Jason Jones posted a five-point night, including a pair of goals. Scott Jones added four points, including his first of two goals on the short-man to end the first period.
Dane Stevens swept the game stars for Burnaby following a six-point outing that included the first and last goals of the game for the visitors.
Jamie Lincoln got the eventual game winner midway through the middle period that gave Burnaby a 7-3 advantage.
Burnaby is at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre to host the Burrards on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Lakers are at Queen’s Park Arena for a date with the second-place Salmonbellies, who have won their last five starts. Game times both contests are 7:45 p.m.
