Getting on the wrong side of the officials cost the New Westminster Salmonbellies dearly in Western Lacrosse Association action this weekend.
Fresh off an encouraging 10-8 win over the Maple Ridge Burrards at home on Thursday, New West let tempers get the best of them, resulting in back-to-back losses in Coquitlam and a rematch in Maple Ridge.
The twin losses left the Salmonbellies in fifth place with a 3-4 record.
In New Westminster's win, officials blew up just 26 minutes in combined penalties, and while the Burrards did manage three goals on the power play, the 'Bellies penalty killing was a key factor in the win.
In the next two games, New West gave the opposition a total of 18 power play opportunities.
Coquitlam made good on four-of-six with the man advantage, while the Burrards cashed in on nine odd-man opportunities.
Both meltdowns came in the middle period.
In Coquitlam, the Adanacs outscored New West 6-3 in the second period on three straight power-play goals.
On Sunday, Maple Ridge took advantage of 39 minutes in penalties in the middle stanza to outscore the visitors 9-5, including six counters with the man advantage.
The loss in Maple Ridge also gave the Burrards the all-important season series' edge over New West.
"It was hard last night. It's one of those things. We have to deal with the cards we're dealt," said Salmonbellies head coach Steve Goodwin.
Runaway scoring leader Curtis Dickson led all scorers with six goals in a nine-point outing, while Salmonbellie rookie Logan Schuss matched the Burrard righty with a career-high six tallies and eight points.
Ilija Gajic and rookie Keegan Bal both had a goal and five helpers.
Reagan Harding got back in the lineup and contributed two goals and two assists.
But while Goodwin is happy with the way the first-years have responded, he was equally proud of how the players handled the trying circumstances.
"I told them I was proud of the effort despite the situation," Goodwin said. "We outscored (Maple Ridge) 13-7 even strength. They had nine goals on the power play and an empty-netter. That tells you a lot about how we're playing."
On Thursday, the 'Bellies' D virtually shut down Maple Ridge's offensive stars, holding the upstart Fraser Valley club to just a pair of goals in the opening 40 minutes.
Neil Tyacke was unlucky to not be named a star in the game, backstopping New West with a 35-save performance.
Jordan McBride played an important role in the win at home, giving New West a 4-1 lead at the 13minute of the second period after a dominant rag on the short man.
McBride then fired the eventual game-winning tally on a power-play opportunity from right in front that made the score 9-5 at 11: 00 of the final period.
Schuss, with his first WLA hat trick, was named the game's first star.
For defender Kevin Lunnie, the new system employed by Goodwin is not unlike how he played the game under the great Jim Bishop in Whitby, Ont. in the 1990s.
"We have that confidence to push further down the floor (on defence), and in general, our conditioning is getting better," Lunnie said.
But learning to remain on the floor and play five-on-five will be a key factor to the system's success going forward.
But while success on the scoresheet has been slow to come, the steady improvement on the floor is apparent to even the untrained eye.
"(The system) is going to be the difference in the end because our conditioning is nowhere where it could be in the future," said Lunnie.
New West has just one game on the schedule this week - a Thursday meeting with the Burnaby Lakers at Queen's Park Arena.
The Lakers are currently enjoying a three-game win streak. The game will also be Tyler Digby's first game at Queen's Park since 2011 and being drafted by the Lakers in the first round. Game time is 7: 45 p.m.
