The Aldergrove Kodiaks overcame a last-minute rally by the Richmond Sockeyes to score the winning goal in double-overtime, Saturday, Feb. 9 at Richmond’s Olympic Oval.
The Kodiaks had been leading 3-1 until the Sockeyes scored twice in the 19th minute of the third period, to set the stage for overtime.
The game was part of the Hockey Day in Canada celebrations at the Oval, and the Kodiaks were up 1-0 after MacLean Hewitt scored on a power play in the first period. The goal at 13 minutes was assisted by Daniel Higgs and Stephen Ryan.
The Sockeyes evened it up on a power play at 1:13 of the second period.
Adam Callegari, assisted by Cole Gastel, scored at 2:42 in the third and Ryan Simpson scored on his second penalty shot of the game to put the Kodiaks in the lead. However, the Sockeyes pulled their goalie and used the man advantage for a pair in the final minute of the game.
The first five-minute overtime was scoreless, but at 3:57 of the second overtime the McHaffie twins, Spencer and Scott, passed the puck to Joshua Cronin for the 4-3 win. The goal earned Cronin the game’s first star.
The win puts the Kodiaks firmly in second place in the Harold Brittain conference, five points behind the Abbotsford Pilots. The Kodiaks have 55 points after 42 games (27-14-1-0) and have two regular season games left before moving into the first round of playoffs against the Ridge Meadows Flames. The Pilots will play the Mission City Outlaws in the first round.
One of the Kodiaks’ final season games will be against the Pilots, at Aldergrove Arena, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7:15 p.m., and it’s sure to be a fiercely contested tilt. The very last season game will be on Saturday, Feb. 16 against the Port Moody Panthers, a team which has been eliminated from the playoffs.
