The junior A Burnaby Lakers passed another test of character, despite a 17-9 defeat to the Delta Islanders on Sunday.
Penalties and a poor second-period response for a second straight game still appear to be Burnaby’s weak suit, but heart and the ability to fight back in the face of adversity were clearly evident in the club’s second B.C. Junior Lacrosse League start.
“It’s a bit of a test,” said team captain Peyton Lupul after the game. “We look better than we did last year.”
Many might argue the junior Lakers could hardly look worse than last season’s dismal 1-20 effort. But Burnaby won over the Bill Copeland crowd, scoring six third-period goals, sparked by a shorthanded breakaway marker by Corey Wong, who was picked up in an off-season trade with Port Coquitlam.
Rookie Aidan Milburn led the Lakers with a second straight hat trick, scoring two of his game-high four goals in the final frame.
Aged-up intermediate Tyler Vogrig, the first overall pick in this season’s midget draft, led all Lakers with two goals and three assists, including a wicked underhand whip shot that caught the inside post that closed the deficit to 16-9 late in the game.
Randy Jones, who came over to Burnaby in the multi-player trade with Delta, also potted a pair of counters in the third-period turnaround.
Starting goalie Dave Mathers also settled down, allowing just four goals on 16 shots in the final frame.
Lupul attributes much of the change in attitude to the new coaches.
“The main thing is our coaches have such high lacrosse IQs,” he said, adding their experience anddemeanor has translated into a less stressful enviroment.
“Last year, we were almost scared or even embarrassed out there. But when I come to practice … I know it’s going to be something good, and it’s going to help us win more games this season,” he said.
“Even before skills and fitness, it was getting back to old Burnaby lacrosse – knowing each other and building trust.”
The juniors needed that trust big time after surrendering six goals on the first 10 shots of the second period and 10 overall to Delta.
The Islanders’ Evan Messanger led all scorers with four goals and 10 points.
Ryland Hood, who played intermediate A in Richmond last season, made 37 stops in the Islanders’ cage.
Despite the 0-2 start and another meeting against Delta at home on May 18, Lupul predicts, “We’re going to be way better this year.”
“This game is not a foreshadow of things to come,” he added. “We’re going to win a whole lot more games this year.”
Burnaby plays its first game on the road this Thursday, travelling to Langley for a tilt against the winless Thunder.
