Morning Star Staff
The RE Postill & Sons Orphans usually get big goals from their big line of Bryce Kakoske, Leath Gare and Dave Robinson.
They looked to d-man Jamie Johannson for the overtime heroics in a 5-4 Boston Pizza Hockey League win over the Spartan Auto Bulls Wednesday night at Priest Valley Arena.
Game 2 in the best-of-three playoff championship series goes tonight (6:30, PV). A third game, if necessary, would go Sunday, 9:30 p.m., at PV.
Kakoske, a former Vernon Viper winger, won the league scoring title with 64 goals and 138 points. He scored twice in the series opener.
Chris Bradford and Biff McLeod supplied singles for the fifth-place Orphans (18-12). Gare pocketed three assists, while d-man Joe Dolling dished a pair of helpers.
Johannson scored, unassisted, at 1:32 of sudden-death overtime.
The second-place Bulls (21-9) forced the extra play when Steve St. Denis converted with 3:33 remaining. Taylor Jackson and Troy Blais drew assists.
Blais pulled the Bulls within a goal four minutes before St. Denis clicked, while former Trail Smoke Eater d-man Jeff Mushaluk and Jackson had first-period snipes.
Rodger Sewell blocked 24 shots for the win, while Travis Corrie made 26 saves in the loss.
The Orphans reached the finals by holding off the regular-season champion Godard Excavating Predators 4-2 Tuesday night at PV.
Gare, Rob Bauml, Robinson and Kakoske scored for the Orphans, who got three assists from Bradford and a deuce from Dolling.
Cody Keller and former Creston Valley Thunder Cat d-man Kenny Johnstone, with a 65-footer which bounced in off goalie Jason Silzer’s shoulder and in, replied for the Preds.
The Orphans outshot the Preds 29-23 with former Sicamous Eagle Chris Kingdon in net for the defending playoff champ Preds (26-4).
