With two more weekend wins, the Maple Ridge Burrards are on top of the Western Lacrosse Association.
The Burrards torched the Burnaby Lakers 12-8 on Friday at Bill Copeland Arena, in a game that saw Brandon Bertoia score four goals. Goaltender Chris Levis made 44 saves in the win. The hapless Lakers have yet to win a game this season.
Then on Sunday night at Planet Ice, the Burrards sullied the record of the previously undefeated Victoria Shamrocks by a 13-10 score.
That gave them a share of the league lead, as both Maple Ridge and Victoria have gone 4-1 to start the season.
GM/head coach Daren Fridge, who has gone from a Mazda to a Maseroti, areed he is delighted with the this overhauled version of the Burrards.
“The whole organization is. May was our best May ... probably ever.”
He said the buzz is growing with local lacrosse fans, and more alumni are coming out for Sunday’s games.
Victoria, whom some league pundits still peg as the league’s top team, led Sunday’s game 4-3 after the first period. But Ridge took the lead with three second-period goals, while at the same time handing the Shamrocks their first scoreless period of the season.
Curtis Dickson keyed the offence with four goals and two assists, Bertoia had a goal and four assists, Jarrett Davis a goal and three helpers, and Aaron Pascas two of each.
Other scorers were Riley Loewen, Aaron Davis, Mitch Banister and Andrew Murphy.
Dickson was MVP of both games, and on the weekend had 10 goals and five assists. He was again chosen the WLA player of the week.
At the same time, the Burrards shut down Shamrock Scott Ranger, who has been the league scoring leader each of the past two seasons, limiting him to just a single assist.
Fridge said his team got in the shooting lanes, played physical, got hits and knockdowns, and transitioned well. He gave a shout-out to defender Mike Krgovich, who came via an offseason trade with the Shamrocks that also brought goaltender Levis, and to stalwart Creighton Reid.
If he was going to nitpick, Fridge wants to tidy up defensive play late in games.
“We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas, and play a full 60 minutes.”
Now with 38 points in five games, Curtis Dickson leads the WLA in scoring, with a 13-point lead on second-place Shamrock Curtis Conway. Captain Jarrett Davis also having a productive season, and his 24 points leave him just one rung out of second on the scoring ladder.
The end of the Burnaby game saw both benches cleared and lots of push and shoving, but what could have been a out-and-out brawl slowly diffused.
“We were on our half of the floor,” noted Burrards coach Daren Fridge. “It was just a whole bunch of jersey punches and male bravado.
“They were probably frustrated late in the game. There was some beaking going on, and Burnaby’s playing with some edge this year.”
He said with the new fighting rules across amateur lacrosse meaning a player will be ejected for fighting, more players could wait until after the final whistle to send messages and settle scores.
“I wish it was different,” said Fridge. “It hasn’t really been a big issue yet.”
On Thursday, the Burrards will be at Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminster to take on the Salmonbellies, who have a 2-2 record on the season. Game time is 7:45 p.m. Then the ‘Bellies will be at Planet Ice on Sunday for a rematch.
Fridge agreed that such back-to-back games generally give teams an opportunity to build some grudges.
“And we’ve never really liked each other.”
Game time is 6:45 p.m.