The Burrards lost Game 4 of the WLA finals 10-7 to the Victoria Shamrocks Monday in Maple Ridge, despite six goals from Ben McIntosh.
The Burrards trailed 3-1 after the first period, but were tied 5-5 after the second. But after Curtis Dickson scored for Ridge to open the third, Victoria scored five straight times for a 10-6 lead.
McIntosh netted his sixth goal of the night on a power play with 1:54 left in the game, but it wasn’t enough.
“Unfortunately, we need more than two guys scoring goals,” said Burrards head coach Chris Gill.
McIntosh now has a league-leading 24 goals in 10 playoff games.
He and Dickson have combined for 18 of the Burrards’ 31 goals in the final series.
Together they had 22 shots on net in Monday’s game, more than half the team’s total.
“We have to be better offensively,” Gill said. “We have to spin the ball a lot more, create our chances ... We’ve been a bit flat in this series.”
The Burrards now trail in the series 3-1.
Maple Ridge had pulled within a game of Victoria with an 11-9 overtime victory Sunday on the island.
Dickson, held off the scoresheet until the third period, scored his second goal of the game at 8:24 of the extra frame, giving Maple Ridge a 10-9 lead.
Patrick O’Meara added an insurance marker 1:16 later.
Frankie Scigliano made 53 saves.
“He’s been our best player throughout the playoffs,” Gill said.
If so, McIntosh has been a close second.
“He’s a stud offensively,” Gill added.
McIntosh led the local senior men’s lacrosse team with three goals and two assists on Sunday, while Riley Loewen had two goals and two assists. Jarrett Davis added a goal and an assist. Brandon Bertoia also scored.
The Burrards trailed 4-3 after the first period and 6-5 after the second. Dickson’s first goal of the contest, with 4:29 left in the third, tied the score and forced overtime. His second was the winner.
Victoria won the second game of the series 12-8 on Friday before 500 spectators at Planet Ice. The Shamrocks scored five straight goals to start the second period, and seven straight total. The Burrards scored three times in the third, which devolved into a series of fights and ejections.
McIntosh had four goals and two assists to lead Maple Ridge. Loewen had two goals and two assists. J. Davis had a goal and three helpers.
Game 5 of the series if Wednesday in Victoria. Game 6 would go Friday at Planet Ice in Maple Ridge, 5:45 p.m.
Gill is confident the Burrards can stretch the series to seven games.
“We’re confident going to Victoria and winning. We’ve done it before,” he said.
“We expect to go seven games.”