The Aldergrove Kodiaks are facing elimination after losing three playoffs games in a row against the Mission City Outlaws.
The Kodiaks, this year’s Harold Brittain conference champions, have only won the opening game against the Pilots and need to win three in a row to advance to the finals.
The Outlaws robbed the Kodiaks of three wins, as the Outlaws took a 3-1 win March 5 at Aldergrove Arena and followed that with a 5-2 win on March 7 and a 5-3 win on March 8, both at Mission Leisure Centre. The Kodiaks won the series’ opening game on March 4 at Aldergrove Arena, 5-1.
The Kodiaks were unable to score on nine power plays on March 5, although Kodiak Matt Oliver scored early in the first period, assisted by Cameron Davitt. However, that 1-0 lead was evened up by Mission before the second period started, and Mission scored twice more in the second period. Mission scored once on four power plays and outshot the Kodiaks 32-25 that night.
On March 7, Mission took the lead in the first period and scored twice more in the second before Aldergrove captain Aaron Markin was able to score on a power play, assisted by Eric Cllegari and Quinncy Leroux. However, Mission scored once more to make it 4-1 at the start of the third period.
Kodiaks’ Callegari scored early in the third, assisted by Matt Oliver and Davitt, but Mission netted one more for the 5-2 win.
The Kodiaks outshot the Outlaws 40-34 hat night but only scored once in 14 power plays, while the Outlaws scored twice in nine.
Mission again opened the scoring in the first period on March 8 but Kodiak Scott McHaffie evened it up in the dying minute of the first period, assisted by Callegari and Eric Wieking, to make it 1-1 at the start of the second period.
Mission and Aldergrove both scored a pair in the second period to make it 3-3 at the start of the third. Scoring for Aldergrove was McHaffie on a power play, assisted by his twin brother Spencer, and Joshua Poitras on another power play, assisted by Leroux and Spencer McHaffie.
However, Mission scored two more in the third, including an empty netter, for the 5-3 win.
Shots on net were even that night with 31 apiece, and Aldergrove scored on two of five power plays while Mission scored none on one.
Mission could wrap up the series on Wednesday night, March 11 in Aldergrove. The two squads meet at 7:15 p.m. in the Aldergrove Arena (after The Star’s press deadline, see update online at wwwaldergrovestar.com).
The winner of the Outlaw/Kodiaks series will move on to the Pacific Junior Hockey League final against the winner of the Grandview Steelers/North Vancouver Wolf Pack series. The Wolf Pack is currently leading that series, 2-1.
Aldergrove Kodiaks forward Aaron Markin tries to flip the puck past Mission Outlaws goaltender Bryce Phenix. The Outlaws have a three games to one lead in the playoff series. -Bob Friesen photo
