The Mission Icebreakers outshot, outplayed and outhit the Abbotsford Pilots Tuesday.But the cross-river rival still managed to best the local junior B hockey team.After keeping the Pilots scoreless for two periods, a five-minute penalty let Abbotsford get two points on the board, followed by a third power play goal, sealing the Icebreakers fate in game one of the playoffs, 3-2.“It was a really, really good game,” said Icebreakers coach Craig Sherbaty. “We played great for the first two periods.”The Mission team scored in the second and third periods, but couldn’t find the equalizer at MSA Arena to force the game into overtime.Aside from the penalties, Sherbaty said the team dictated the pace and kept most of the action in the Pilots’ end for the majority of the night. “We wanted to make them have to skate over to our end.”Sherbaty noted the Icebreakers are pumped to play the Pilots, and aren’t letting this loss get them down.“One game doesn’t make a series,” he said.Sherbaty said they’re looking to some of their senior players, like Daniel Higgs, Brett Orser and Bryon Maxwell, to guide the team past Abbotsford.The coach noted he’s pleased with how the season has progressed.“We had a goal of making the playoffs and we achieved that.”Game two of the series happens tonight at the Mission Leisure Centre, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Mission City Record