The game went to overtime but in the end the Victoria Cougars string of unbeaten games in the 2015 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs came to an end Sunday afternoon.
Colin Blake scored at 8:49 of overtime as the Campbell River Storm rallied to beat the Victoria Cougars 3-2 in Game 1 of the VIJHL Championship Series.
It was the fourth goal of the playoffs for the Maple Ridge, B.C. native.
The goal capped off a rally by Campbell River who rebounded from a one-goal deficit late in the game.
Jake Stolz gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead at the 9:52 mark of the third period when his point shot sailed through traffic and past Riley Welyk.
It looked as though Victoria would be able to run out the clock.
Instead, Dane Feeney ripped a one-timer past Grant Payne with 5:15 remaining in regulation.
Then came overtime.
Skating over the Cougars blue line, Blake lost control of the puck when he was knocked to the ice by Robert Zadra. Not quitting on the play, Blake gobbled up a loose puck in the slot and swiped it past a startled Payne for the game winner.
The Storm opened the scoring at 2:40 of the first period when a wrist shot from Kobe Oishi beat Payne far side. Lane Van de Wetering tied the game at 1-1 with a power play goal at 9:11.
It would stay that way until the goal from Stolz.
Final shots were 28-22 in favour of Victoria.
All three Campbell River goals were the result of Cougars turnovers.
Victoria went 1-for-3 with the man advantage; meanwhile, the Storm finished 0-for-2.
Game 2 is in Campbell River.
