Langley Rivermen kept it close, but ultimately fell to the Chilliwack Chiefs in the first round of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) playoffs.
Four games in five nights saw three decided in overtime, but the Chiefs closed out the series on Tuesday night, April 9, with a 5-2 win.
Going into the series, Chiefs were 6-2 against the Rivermen in regular season play, with four of the games being only a one-goal difference.
In the first game on Friday, April 5, the Chiefs gained a 2-0 lead in the second period, only to have Rivermen score three to take the lead heading into the third period. Chiefs tied the game three minutes into the third period, but Langley star Luke Ashton gave his team the one goal lead again. Chilliwack tied the game with four minutes left sending game one into overtime.
During playoffs the BCHL switches from three-versus-three play in a 10-minute period to five versus five in a standard 20-minute period. An evenly-matched period with shots off the posts for both teams was ended when Brady Milburn scored his first of the playoffs. Chilliwack took game one 5-4.
Langley’s Ryan Schelling also scored, and Vitaly Levyy potted two back-to-back goals in less than two minutes.
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The second game on Saturday, April 6, saw Chilliwack win 2-1. Dalton MacGillivray got the lone Langley goal.
Game three on Monday, April 8, shifted to George Preston Arena in Langley.
Stone Rolston got it started early for the Chiefs by scoring only two minutes in. Zamboni troubles in between the first and second period resulted in the players sitting for upwards of an hour.
Langley scored two goals in the second period after the delay, from Ethan Riesterer and Tuukka Heiskanen. With Chiefs goalie McNicholas pulled late in the third period a last-ditch effort by Chilliwack to tie was successful.
At almost 14 minutes into the first overtime Willyam Gendron secured the 3-2 win.
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The final game of the series on Tuesday, April 9, did not need overtime.
Chiefs gained a 2-0 lead in the first period and never looked back. Goals by five different players was too much for Langley to handle and Chilliwack cruised to a 5-2 series victory.
Ryan Schelling and Ethan Riesterer scored for the Rivermen.
With files from Ryleigh Mulvihill, Black Press Media