Steeler D-man sinks Sockeyes with Game 7 pair

The Grandview Steelers moved into unfamiliar territory following a 3-2 victory over Richmond on Monday.

The junior B Steelers upset the Pacific Junior Hockey League runner-up on rookie defenceman Cameron Ginnetti’s late third-period goal that sent the Grandview club into the conference final for the first time in eight seasons.

Ginnetti, who tied the game 2-2 on a slapshot on a power play late in the second period, wristed home the game winner with his second goal of the game after good forechecking by Lucas Santucci and Ian Prevost freed up the puck in the Richmond zone.

“I’m really happy. These are the games you like to play in,” said the 16-year-old Ginnetti. “I just tried to get it on net and it went top shelf.”

Trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, Grandview forced a seventh and final game, winning 6-2 on Burnaby Winter Club home ice on Sunday.

“In Game 6 we played desperate and that’s exactly how we had to play to win,” Ginnetti said.

Timothy Chow, who was a game star in Grandview’s opening two wins over Richmond in the series, scored his playoff-leading eighth goal of the post season to give the Steelers a 1-0 lead early in the middle period.

Richmond came back to take a take a 3-2 lead in the series, but Grandview wasn’t about to let history dictate another first-round loss to the Fishman, said Steelers’ head coach Aldo Bruno.

“Every year, it seems like we come up against (Richmond). But the way the series went it allowed us to use all four lines and it kept us fresh,” said Bruno.

With the win, Grandview moved on to meet league champion North Vancouver Wolf Pack in the best-of-seven conference final. Game 1 was played today (Tuesday) at the Harry Jerome rec centre at 8:30 p.m.

Game 2 of the conference final will go Saturday at the Jerome centre at 7 p.m. Game 3 is the first of two at the Burnaby Winter Club, beginning at the usual home time of 4 p.m.