The Aldergrove Kodiaks are in tough in the Pacific Junior Hockey League championships.
The Kodiaks worked hard to try to even up the series on Wednesday night at Aldergrove Arena but in the end they fell 4-3 to the Richmond Sockeyes. The Sockeyes now lead the final series 3-1 and only require one more win to secure the championship, while the Kodiaks need to win three games in a row to score an upset. In the finals last year Richmond swept Aldergrove for the championship.
The Sockeyes opened the scoring on March 26 in the first period on a power play by Matthew Bissett. The Sockeyes also outshot the Kodiaks in the first, 16-7.
The 1-0 lead wouldn't last long though as Kodiak Adam Callegari scored a pair early in the second, to put the Kodiaks ahead 2-1. Callegari's goals at 34 seconds and 3:06 were assisted by Kenny Prato and Stephen Ryan, and Jeremy Lagler and Joshua Cronin.
The Sockeyes pulled ahead with a pair of goals, including another power play, in the second period, but Kodiak Scott McHaffie scored in the dying seconds of the period to make it 3-3 going into the third period. McHaffie's power play goal was assisted by Spencer Unger and Jonathan Philley.
Both teams pulled out all the stops in the third but it was Sockeye Avden MacDonald who scored the winner, unassisted, midway through the period.
MacDonald and fellow Sockeye Liam Lawson were named the game's first and second stars, while Kodiaks captain Kenny Prato, in his first game back with the team since suffering a fracture midway through the season, was third star.
The Sockeyes outshot the Kodiaks 44-34 that night.
The Sockeyes host the Kodiaks tonight (Thursday) at Richmond Arena for game five. Game six, if needed, will be at Aldergrove Arena on Saturday, 7:15 p.m. and game seven will be Monday at Richmond, 7 p.m.