It was bound to come, but the Burnaby Lakers made sure it was just one-and-done.
The Western Lacrosse Association club responded after suffering their first loss of the year with a 10-9 overtime victory over the Coquitlam Adanacs on Saturday to improve to 5-1 on the season.
Just 24 hours separated that and the 8-3 setback, at home, to the defending league champion Maple Ridge Burrards, but it could just as easily been a two-game-losing streak without the heroics of Tyler Digby.
The veteran stickman buried the team’s second chance in the sudden-death overtime, just as a powerplay expired at the two-minute mark of the five-minute frame.
It came against a standout performance from Adanacs’ netminder Christian Del Bianco, who faced 63 shots on the night.
“It was good to get back on the floor, because we were disappointed with our performance (Friday),” captain Dane Stevens said. “It’s tough to play back-to-back, but we were ready to redeem ourselves and get the two points.
“It wasn’t pretty but a win’s a win. Our whole thing was to keep working hard.”
Like the contest against Maple Ridge, Burnaby trailed 2-0 in the early going, but drew even by the end of the period. The two teams spent most of the middle frame trading the lead, but rookie Brodie Gillespie and Pearson Willis put the Lakers up 9-8 with eight minutes left in the third.
With six minutes left, the Adanacs’ Matt Delmonico beat Eric Penney to force overtime – the first time since the WLA went to a three-on-three, sudden death format.
But before the start of OT, Burnaby got a call at the buzzer, a cross-checking penalty to Coquitlam’s Jaeden Gastaldo, to set the scene.
“We were working really hard to get a call late in the third,” reflected Stevens. “It put us on the (four-on-three) powerplay and we knew they were going to fastbreak when they got the ball. We just needed to get the stop and move the ball because (Digby) stayed down low.”
Prior to Digby scoring, Coquitlam had one rush up the floor with the intent of ending overtime, but were turned back by netminder Eric Penney.
“Penney made a big save for us, as he’s been all season,” said Lakers general manager Kevin Hill. “It set the table for Digby’s goal with (Graydon Bradley’s) long pass.”
Robert Church counted four goals, having fired 22 shots on net, while Digby and Stevens finished with a goal and two helpers each.
A day earlier, Maple Ridge silenced Burnaby’s powerplay and erased a 3-2 deficit with six unanswered goals to hand the Lakers their first loss of the season. It was a reversal of a week earlier when Burnaby waltzed into Ridge’s Cam Neely Arena and exited with an 8-5 victory.
Frank Scigliano turned aside 41 shots for the Burrards, while Eric Penney was also busy with 39 saves.
“I think (the Burrards) changed up a few things defensively, and our shooting wasn’t particularly good. Frankie (Scigliano, Maple Ridge’s goalie) was also red-hot. As a team we didn’t have it that night.”
That’s to be expected, since the league has a good argument for parity among the top-five contenders.
What’s different this year from past seasons, Stevens said, was the instant camaraderie and bond the Lakers have felt since the start of training camp. Last year’s fall from grace, which saw them miss the playoffs with a pretty disappointing run, is now grist for a potential championship run.
“This is a confident group,” said the captain. “We feel it, we’ve got a real good dressing room. You get the established guys mixing well with the new guys. Everyone wants to make a push together, everyone believes in each other.
“Last year was a bit of a disaster, but we’ve come back with a lot of the same faces. We brought in some good additions and it’s all about hard work. You work harder than the other guy, and you win.”
Hill said he continues to work the phones to bolster the roster. The club would love to secure the commitment from Vancouver Warriors defender Matt Beers, who was a big part of the 2017 lineup that captured the club's first-ever regular season title.
"We're in talks and the lines are open, but we don't have any announcement. We've got a few weeks yet (before the rosters are frozen) and right now we're in the hunt (for first place). As we stay competitive, that may give us a chance to attract another player or two," said Hill.
The 2019 first overall draft pick, Ryland Rees, has appeared in two games with the club and is expected to play this Friday. His availability depends upon his shared commitment with Major League Lacrosse's Boston franchise of the pro field circuit.
Hill is very satisfied with what the new players have brought to the table -- from veterans like Sam Clare and Daryl Veltman, imports Laszlo Henning and Zack Gould, and rookie Graydon Bradley.
"A lot of these guys have come right in and stepped up," said Hill. "Everyone is working together."
On Friday, Burnaby hosts Coquitlam, 7:30 p.m. at the Copeland Sports Complex.
Stevens said the rematch against the winless Adanacs won’t be taken lightly, with Burnaby likely missing Eli McLaughlin, due to injury.
“I’m sure they want to get out of the losing column,” said Stevens. “They’ve got one of the best goalies in the league, they’re a young team and it always comes down to who works the hardest.”
