The New Westminster Salmonbellies appear to have the number of the Burnaby Lakers, now all they have to do is find a way to catch up to them in the standings.
New West took the Western Lacrosse Association season series over the senior A Lakers following an 11-9 victory at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Friday.
The win came a day after a somewhat listless 9-6 loss to Coquitlam on Seats for Soldiers night at Queen's Park Arena.
"I think our shooting was better tonight, we were running, too. But we seem to do a good job of making it hard for ourselves," said New West lefty Cliff Smith, who scored three goals in an eight-point night in just his third game back with the 'Bellies.
Keegan Bal opened the scoring with his first of a game-high four goals.
New West then bounded out to a 4-1 lead later in the period, finding holes in the defence of former Salmonbellie keeper Tyler Richards in the Burnaby net.
Alexis Buque chalked up his third win of the season, stopping 44 Burnaby shots on goal, upping his .819 save percentage to among the league leaders.
But with just six games left in the regular season, losing any more games is just not an option for the 'Bellies, who are a league-worst 1-5 at home and just .500 on the road, said Smith.
"We don't have the luxury of time now," Smith added. "Playing 60 minutes is not an option. It has to be how we have to play. We're not good enough to play 40 minutes and win."
At home on Thursday, the 'Bellies proved it, surrendering a 3-0 third period to the Adanacs, who like New West are in a dogfight to gain a playoff spot.
Smith tied the game 3-3 midway through the second period, before Bal sparked a mini-three-goal scoring spree that put the home team up by a pair of goals.
But Coquitlam game stars Daryl Veltman and Brett Hickey Quickly scored separate power-play goals to draw the two teams even heading into the final frame.
Adam Shute got the win with 44 saves, including a dozen in the pivotal third period, for the A's.
New Westminster will take on last-place Nanaimo at home on Thursday in the first of two meetings in the next two weeks.
Game time at Queen's Park Arena is an early 7 p.m. start.
