The Delta Islanders are not making life easy on themselves as the B.C.
Intermediate "A" Lacrosse League enters the final week of the regular season.
The Islanders were in the driver's seat to secure a second place finish and the automatic bye to the provincial championships that goes with it. However, a tough stretch of games have slipped the locals to fifth place and they are now staring at a do-or-die playoff game on the road.
Delta dropped an 11-7 decision to the league-leading New West Salmonbellies last Friday and, two nights later, fell 11-10 to the Richmond Roadrunners in what was a showdown for sole possession of second place.
If those two losses didn't hurt enough, the Islanders took a three goal lead into the third period against the Coquitlam Adanacs on Wednesday night in Tsawwassen, only to allow the visitors to rally for an 8-7 win in overtime.
Another pivotal game looms tonight (8: 30 p.m.) when the sixth place Langley Thunder (11-10) come to Ladner just two points back of the Islanders (12-8). They also host Victoria on Sunday afternoon (2 p.m.) in Ladner, before concluding the regular season next Wednesday at Minoru Arena against Richmond.
"We have to get the momentum back and get it going again," said Islanders head coach Kevin Moleschi. "We played a pretty decent game tonight and we just couldn't pull it off. We played good for two periods with a three goal lead and let them back into it.
"When the league is like this, with so much parity, you can't take a night off or you are going to lose.
Tonight, we took a period off and it cost us."
The difference on Wednesday might have been the absence of Sam Clare who was nursing a minor injury and could be back in the line-up as soon as tonight. Without a key offensive component, Delta was held off the scoresheet in the third period, despite a couple of power play opportunities.
"We really needed just one goal in the third (to put the game away) and couldn't do it," continued Moleschi. "We knew they were going to come out hard having beat Richmond really bad the previous night.
"We are going to have to win out to get second and even need some help on the Richmond end. The other two teams we are chasing directly, we have games in hand on so hopefully we win those and put us in a better position.
"Everything has to be clicking for us, especially at this time of year. We were missing one aspect of our game tonight in the third period and it was the difference."
The provincial championships are slated for July 29 to Aug. 1 at Queen's Park Arena in New Westminster.
