VICTORIA – Premier League rugby returned to Wallace Field, Feb. 15 as the University of Victoria Vikes played host to Burnaby Lake RFC in their first BCRU competition in nearly three months. Burnaby Lake jumped out to an early lead and did not look back, rolling to a 35-13 victory to maintain their first-place position in league standings.
 
STANDINGS

The teams played in rain soaked conditions throughout the match, with several players losing their footing mid-play. It was Burnaby Lake who overcame the elements in the end, converting several tries throughout the game to hand the Vikes their first loss of 2014. Vike Nathan Stewart converted the lone Vikes try in the game, while teammate Pat Kay posted two penalty kicks and a conversion.
 
Burnaby Lake controlled the majority of the opening half, adding to their 3-0 lead in the 22^nd minute after breaking up the left side of the field and punting it the Vikes defensive zone before bringing it in for the first try of the match. A successful conversion put the home side down 10-0 early in the first half.
 
It wasn't until late in the half when the Vikes began to maintain consistent pressure in the offensive end of the field, with Stewart eventually posting a Vikes try. Third-year Vike Kay made a successful conversion to bring the Vikes within three points of Burnaby Lake before the half ended.
 
Burnaby Lake opened the second half of play with their second try and conversion of the game, a play that seemed to halt the Vikes momentum.
 
"Just before halftime, I thought we took the game over," explained Vikes head coach Doug Tate. "We just have to be able to keep the pressure on, we didn't do that."
 
Burnaby Lake would break back into the Vikes zone on a rush that seemed destined for another try before a strong defensive stand by the Vikes forced the visiting squad to settle for a long field goal midway through the second half.
 
Victoria's Nathan Yanagiya received one of the largest cheers of the afternoon from the Vikes supporters when he lined up and immediately halted a Burnaby Lake rush up the field with a crushing tackle at midfield. 
 
Kay's second penalty kick of the game highlighted the Vikes' afternoon, successfully converting from near midfield on a shot that just snuck in through the uprights to bring the Vikes point total to 13.
 
"I thought we had some skill breakdowns, we've got lots to work on," said Tate. "Burnaby Lake is a physical team, I think they dealt with the weather conditions better than we did."
 
Burnaby Lake would convert two more tries in the final twenty minutes of the game, handing the Vikes their first loss of the calendar year and retaining their position at the top of the BCRU Premier League standings. The two teams will meet again in two weeks time, while the Vikes will next face Capilanos RFC,  Feb. 22 at 2:45pm at Klahanie Park.