For 20 minutes, it seemed possible the New Westminster Salmonbellies could lose for just the second time this season.
But over the final 40 minutes, they were the superior team against the only squad in the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League that has been able to beat them.
The Delta Islanders, 12-6 winners over New Westminster on May 17, carried a 3-2 advantage into the dressing room for the first intermission Tuesday night at Queen’s Park Arena. They trailed 10-3 after two periods, and wouldn’t score again until the last minute of play in a 14-4 loss.
With the win, New Westminster moved into the league lead with a 9-1-0 (won-lost-tied) record, one point up on the 8-1-1 Coquitlam Adanacs. The Islanders remained in third place at 8-5-0.
Mike Henry opened the scoring for the Islanders with a powerplay goal 96 seconds into Tuesday’s game. New Westminster tied the game, but Cody Nass restored the Delta lead. Again the Salmonbellies evened the score, before Nass put Delta in front 3-2 after 20 minutes.
The home side taller eight unanswered goals in the second period, including a pair while shorthanded. They scored four more consecutive goals in the first 10 minutes of the third period, including one more with a player in the penalty box.
Eli McLaughlin of Delta scored the game’s final goal, after assisting on each of the first three.
The Islanders hope to keep pace with the league leaders this weekend, when they host the Adanacs Saturday night at the Sungod Arena in North Delta at 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening, Delta visits the fourth-place Victoria Shamrocks.