Kohen Olischefski called it the biggest game he’s played as a Chilliwack Chief seconds after his team dispatched the Wenatchee Wild in the BCHL playoffs.
The second year forward had good reason to think that.
With two massive third period goals, he helped his team complete an unlikely sweep with a 3-2 home ice win Wednesday night.
The Wild, who seemed destined for greatness as they cruised to the league’s best regular season record, bowed out quietly, scoring just six goals in four games versus a Chiefs team that seems to be peaking at the perfect time.
“I didn’t see a sweep coming, absolutely not,” Olischefski admitted. “But I thought the way we played we deserved to win every game.
“We played the full 60 minutes tonight.”
It was Cole Poliziani getting the scoring started 6:03 into this one, taking advantage of some shaky Wenatchee D.
Ben Fanjoy pursued a dump in behind the net. Arriving at the same time as a Wild defender, Fanjoy collected the puck and wheeled 180 degrees, firing a pass into the slot. Chugging toward the cage, Poliziani was left alone to beat Wenatchee keeper Anthony Yamnitsky with a lightning quick release.
A Colin Burston goal drew Wenatchee even in the second period, but that wasn’t the most concerning moment in the middle frame. On a late sequence, goaltender Mark Sinclair dropped awkwardly to the ice without being bumped and laboured to get back up. He stayed in the game but didn’t look right.
Things looked bleak for the Chiefs when AJ Vanderbeck snuck a puck past Sinclair midway through period three to give the visitors the lead.
“It was unfamiliar territory because we’ve been playing with the lead in this series,” Olischefski said. “But the boys weren’t too down. We knew we had it in us to get that next goal and get the win.”
Chilliwack had just 13 shots on goal at that point and the 2,125 fans in attendance weren’t nearly as confident.
“It was a little bit of a different game compared to the first three, and maybe we weren’t getting the bounces, but we were getting chances,” Olischefski noted. “As the game went on we started trending the right way with getting pucks to the net and keeping things simple.”
Olischefski tied the game on a power play with 8:53 to play. Jordan Kawaguchi got the puck into the blue paint where he was able to stuff it in.
“Gooch jammed the puck in front, I saw it squeak out and I just whacked it as hard as I could,” Olischefski said. “I knew I had to put it through him because there wasn’t much room.
“I saw it get behind him and I got pretty excited.”
On the next shift Olischefski flew down the left wing, cut wide around Wenatchee D-Man Chad Sasaki and slipped a five-hole shot through the legs of Yamnitsky.
“Chills were going down my spine in the moment and even now thinking about it,” Olly said with a grin. “Hopefully we can build off it and keep the team winning.”
Yamnitsky was pulled with 1:16 remaining.
Wenatchee had an offensive zone draw with 16 seconds left to Sinclair’s right. Olischefski’s final contribution was beating Wild dynamo Brendan Harris on the draw, helping Chilliwack get to the final whistle and the celebration that followed.
The Chiefs now await the winner of the Island division series between the Victoria Grizzlies and Powell River Kings.
That series is tied at two games apiece.
